Mayor Anthony Grant was sworn into office in Eatonville again just days ago. However, the mayor is already facing controversy.
On one hand, former Mayor Bruce Mount is suing Grant, and the Orange County Canvassing Board alleges absentee ballot improprieties. And on the other hand, there's word that he asked four department heads, including the police chief, to resign.
Police Chief Gene Bernal confirms Mayor Anthony Grant asked him to resign through Eatonville's new chief administrative officer.
"At the end of the day, I work for the Town Council of Eatonville and as long as the town council wants me here I will be here," said Chief Bernal, adding: "I have worked long and hard for the past two years to make this the best department in the city and certainly I don't plan to resign based on one person's request."
The mayor didn't stop with the police chief. Chief Administrative Officer Roger Dixon confirmed that he also asked three other department heads to resign on the new mayor's behalf: the town clerk, the finances director and the recreation director.
For Bernal, it's not just about his job. He's also concerned about a decision the mayor made about new police cars leased with savings within the police department. The department was supposed to get 13 leased police cars or one for every officer.
And now the department is only getting seven, by order of Grant. The chief said the other five will go to Town Hall even though several police cars are so old, they don't even run anymore.
"At the end of the day, what we're driving now is cars that are 12, 13 years old and quite frankly, I would not have requested those 13 police cars if I didn't think we needed them," Bernal said.
In a phone interview Friday, Grant said he doesn't see anything wrong with his decision to ask four department heads to resign. He also said he doesn't see an issue with redirecting five police cruisers to other departments.
In regard to the lawsuit filed against him and charges of absentee ballots, Grant said it has been "allegations," not proof.