![\"George](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1773288368_417_Untitled-design.png\")
George Oliver III, Ocoee city commissioner, is running for Orange County District 2 commissioner.<\/p>\nGeorge Oliver III, Ocoee city commissioner, is running for Orange County District 2 commissioner.<\/p>\n
George Oliver III\/Facebook<\/p>\n
Kamia\u00a0Brown\u00a0a former state representative from Ocoee,\u00a0and George Oliver III,\u00a0a current Ocoee city commissioner,\u00a0have joined the race for Orange County District 2 commissioner seat. Both are now\u00a0competing with\u00a0Marsha Summersill of Apopka,\u00a0a family law attorney and child\u00a0welfare advocate who\u00a0announced her run in\u00a0September<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Whoever wins the seat this year will succeed incumbent Christine Moore, whose resignation to run for Apopka mayor is effective in April and sparked a special election.\u00a0First\u00a0elected\u00a0in 2018 and re-elected in 2022, Moore is currently\u00a0in a runoff election<\/a>\u00a0against City Commissioner Nick Nesta.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In an Apopka Chief interview on Wednesday,\u00a0Oliver\u00a0outlined his priorities if elected county commissioner, which include reducing government spending, expanding infrastructure in northwest Orange\u00a0County\u00a0and improving public access to county leadership.\u00a0<\/p>\n Oliver\u00a0represents\u00a0Ocoee District 4 the entire time as city commissioner. In 2018, he became\u00a0the city\u2019s\u00a0first Black commissioner\u00a0and\u00a0then\u00a0was\u00a0re-elected in 2021.\u00a0After briefly resigning in 2023 to\u00a0unsuccessfully run\u00a0for\u00a0Ocoee\u00a0mayor, he returned to\u00a0the\u00a0District\u00a04\u00a0seat\u00a0by winning a special\u00a0election\u00a0in 2024,\u00a0following a court challenge that\u00a0let him\u00a0qualify for the ballot.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Oliver, a Navy veteran,\u00a0said reviewing county spending would be one of his first priorities, particularly as uncertainty\u00a0remains\u00a0over the future of property taxes.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOne of the things we really need to look at is how do we trim the fat in Orange County,\u201d Oliver\u00a0said. \u201cRight now,\u00a0we\u2019re\u00a0all trying to figure out\u00a0what\u2019s\u00a0going to happen with property taxes. No one knows\u00a0what\u2019s\u00a0going to happen.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n He also said the county should review how it spends tourism development tax revenue, which is generated by visitors staying in local hotels.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cLast year we brought $384 million to the table of TDT money,\u201d Oliver said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Infrastructure needs in northwest Orange County would also be a focus, particularly in rural communities such as Zellwood,\u00a0Tangerine\u00a0and Plymouth. Oliver said\u00a0residents there\u00a0have raised concerns about road maintenance and limited access to broadband and wireless\u00a0service.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cInfrastructure is not just going to be roads and traffic calming devices,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have to look at it in its totality.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Oliver said he would also work to balance development\u00a0with\u00a0preserving rural communities and green\u00a0space.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not that I\u2019m anti-development,\u201d he said. \u201cDevelopers can still develop, but they can do it in a way that\u2019s smart and maintains our green spaces.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n If\u00a0elected\u00a0to the\u00a0Orange County\u00a0Commission, Oliver said he would remain in his current role on the Ocoee City Commission until he is sworn into the county position.\u00a0<\/p>\n Brown\u00a0did\u00a0not\u00a0respond\u00a0to a request for an interview for this story.\u00a0As state representative,\u00a0she\u00a0served three terms in the Florida House\u00a0representing\u00a0portions of west Orange County, where she focused on healthcare,\u00a0education\u00a0and housing issues.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Orange County\u2019s redistricting\u00a0has expanded\u00a0the Board of County Commissioners from six to eight districts,\u00a0which\u00a0will reshape\u00a0local representation for the 2026 elections<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Following voter approval of a charter amendment in 2024,\u00a0the Board of County Commissioners formed a committee to review\u00a0census data, public input, and multiple map proposals before the\u00a0County Board of Commissioners\u00a0approved Map 7B in October.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Such changes shifted\u00a0district boundaries, including moving parts of Pine Hills, Eatonville, and Rosemont out of Districts 2 and 6.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The primary\u00a0election<\/a>\u00a0will take place on Aug. 18, ahead of the Nov. 3 general election. Selina M. Carter\u00a0filed<\/a>\u00a0her intent\u00a0to run for\u00a0Orange County\u00a0District 2\u00a0commissioner\u00a0on March 6, 2025, but\u00a0records\u00a0currently\u00a0do not show her name on the list of candidates.\u00a0<\/p>\n Teresa Sargeant has been with The Apopka Chief for over 10 years.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/6.png\")
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