In a move praised by some and criticized by others, two new Sumter County commissioners took the oath of office Tuesday night.
Diane Spencer of the Village of Gilchrist and Roberta Ulrich of the Village of Bridgeport at Miona Shores were appointed last Friday by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the Sumter County Board of Commissioners.
They were cheered at the meeting by a large number of supporters.
Spencer is taking of the seat to which Oren Miller of the Village of Sanibel was elected. Ulrich is filling the seat to which Gary Search of the Village of Amelia was elected.
DeSantis suspended Miller and Search earlier this year after they were arrested on perjury charges related to an investigation of potential violations of Florida’s Sunshine Law, which prohibits private discussion of public business by elected officials.
At this point, the seating of Spencer and Ulrich is temporary because the governor has not removed Miller and Search from office, according to County Attorney Jennifer Rey.
A hearing on the perjury charges is scheduled Friday in Marion County Circuit Court.
During their suspension, Rey said the two commissioners can petition for reinstatement if they win their cases. She said the governor also can remove them at any time.
Ulrich wasted no time delving into the issues, asking that commissioners reconsider their decision to place the Reverse One Sumter referendum on the November ballot. Miller was the top advocate of the referendum and helped collect more than 10,000 petition signatures to place it on the ballot.
The issue will be discussed at an April 5 workshop along with committee assignments for the new commissioners.
If the referendum were approved, commissioners would be elected only by voters in the districts they represent. For about 15 years, they have been elected at large by all county voters.
Spencer has served on the North Sumter County Utility Dependent District, where she made the motion to abandon the recycling program in The Villages and burn the waste instead. She also served as a supervisor in Community Development District 9, where she helped kill a move to stripe the multi-model paths. She also serves on a hospital board.
Active in local Republican politics, Ulrich had a long career as a federal employee, working for the National Services Administration, NASA and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Commissioner Doug Gilpin, who often clashed with Miller and Search, praised DeSantis for making the appointments, calling it “a very, very good day for Sumter County.”
During the public forum portion of the meeting, Wildwood Commissioner Joe Elliott echoed those comments.
“This is a special day for the businesses, citizens and municipalities of Sumter County,” he said.
But others were critical of the appointment process.
Philip Sutton called on the new commissioners to reflect the views of Miller and Search since those commissioners were elected by substantial margins.
“I’m asking that you carry on the philosophies of the people you replaced,” he said. “My concern is you’re going to ask the governor what to do. I hope you’re here to represent us and not the Developer.”
Villager Scott Fenstermaker said the appointments were made just a week before the perjury hearings.
“We are witnessing a coup,” he said. “We are witnessing an assault on democracy.”
Gilbert Windsor said the appointments disenfranchised county voters.
Urich’s husband, Dr. Paul Ulrich, outlined his wife’s biography and said denied the new commissioners will be “puppets of the Developer and the governor.”
“I only asking that you just give her a chance,” he said.