DeSantis Suspends Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa; Vice Mayor Angela Eady Now Serves as Mayor

Kissimmee has a new acting mayor. Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended Mayor Jackie Espinosa on Friday, and the City of Kissimmee announced the suspension in a midnight news release: Vice Mayor Angela Eady will serve as mayor until Espinosa's suspension is revoked or the current mayoral term ends, and the governor's order prohibits Espinosa from receiving pay, allowances or other privileges of office during the suspension.

Espinosa, who was elected in November 2024, was arrested on October 21 on charges of grand theft and organized scheme to defraud. The Florida Attorney General's Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement allege that, as mayor, she helped create and expand the city's Business Boost 2.0 grant program, then applied for $50,000 in grants for businesses connected to her or her family members, ignoring ethical concerns raised by staff. She was also issued a public reprimand by the Florida Commission on Ethics and ordered to pay a $2,000 civil fine. Under Florida's Constitution, the governor may suspend an elected municipal official who has been indicted or arrested on a charge related to the duties of the office. All of the charges against Espinosa are allegations; she is presumed innocent unless proven guilty, and the coverage read for this story carried no response from her.

City business continues in the meantime. The city said its manager remains in charge of day-to-day operations and employees, and that operations will continue as normal. Eady's move to the mayor's chair leaves her commission seat — seat 2 — open: the City Commission must appoint a qualified person to fill it, and if it does not, the city will hold a special election, the city said. The appointee will serve as a commissioner, not as vice mayor.