ORLANDO, Fla. — Several million dollars are at the center of a dispute between Orange County leaders and the outgoing Supervisor of Elections Glen Gilzean — and for now future funding for the supervisor is on hold.

Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Orange County Comptroller’s Office said their auditors picked up documents related to Gilzean's spending in question and are now reviewing those finances. 

Of the $4 million surplus the elections’ office received after the election, Gilzean used $2.1 million to fund debt-free scholarships to Valencia College students.

Gilzean also said the money would open up more early-voting locations at the college.

While Gilzean said his office returned more than $700,000 in unused funding to the county, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings accused Gilzean’s office of a misuse of funds, and says the county must approve how all money is spent.

“When constitutional officers come and request money for a certain reason, we can’t allow them to then change the focus of what we have approved as a budget authorization,” said Demings.

Demings says the county has a longstanding agreement with the Supervisor of Elections Office that all surplus funds are returned to the county and that former supervisor Bill Cowles reached out to him regarding Gilzean’s spending.

“After he heard about some of the controversy, he contacted me and told me he was woefully disappointed in the outcome of what has happened recently,” said Demings.

Cowles confirmed he sent a statement to the county, in which he said in part “excess funds belong to the Board of County Commissioners, so they can put it to the best use for the people.”

Gilzean says the Gunster Law Firm looked into the matter, and points to Florida law that says “a county board does not have authority to dictate how a constitutional officer spends their allotted appropriations within each category at the ‘sub-object level.’”

“Florida statute 129.201 clearly states that I have the authority to utilize these resources in the best interests of the office,” said Gilzean in an interview with Spectrum News. “Who is opposed to giving kids the opportunity to vote, and a scholarship?”

On social media, Gilzean said the county’s questions into his actions are a politically motivated witch hunt, but Demings denies that.

“It has nothing to do with whether I’m a Democrat or a Republican or a non-partisan person,” said Demings. “It is all about holding the constitutional officers accountable, and transparency.”

Gilzean says he had already sent over financial documents regarding the spending in question.

The county comptroller’s office says the attachments were too large to open through email, but they picked them up on Wednesday and are now reviewing those. 

Meanwhile, it’s unclear how long the suspension of funding to the supervisor’s office will continue and what impact that could have.