DeSantis Suspends Kissimmee Mayor Espinosa

Suspension announced

Gov. DeSantis has suspended Kissimmee Mayor Espinosa from office. The action concerns the mayor’s position in Kissimmee city government.

A suspension removes an elected local official from carrying out the duties of the office for the period covered by the action. The announcement identifies Espinosa as the mayor affected by the governor’s decision.

Effect on Kissimmee government

Kissimmee is in Osceola County. The suspension places the mayor’s office at the center of a state action involving the city’s local government.

The suspension does not change the city’s name, its status as a municipality or the fact that the mayor’s office is an elected local position. It does affect who may perform the office’s duties while the suspension is in effect.

What remains to be established

The reason for the suspension, its effective date, its duration and the arrangements for carrying out the mayor’s duties are not stated in the announcement. Those details will determine the next steps for Kissimmee’s government and for Espinosa’s office.

The Osceola News Gazette reported the suspension in a headline identifying Gov. DeSantis and Mayor Espinosa. Any formal state order or other primary record connected to the action would provide the controlling terms of the suspension.