MOUNT DORA BUZZ
  • Home
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Business & Real Estate
    • Outdoor Life
    • Real Estate Buzz
    • Government & Education
    • Kindness Matters
    • Profiles
    • Newsworthy
    • What's Hot...
    • Development Buzz
    • Who Knew?
    • Buzz Polls
  • Calendar
  • Festivals & Events
    • Annual Festivals
    • Monthly Events
    • Local Holiday Events Guide
    • Fall Festivals & Halloween Events
    • Best Local Pumpkin Patches
  • Best of Mount Dora
  • Dining
  • Things to Do
  • Live Music
  • Parking
  • Photos
    • City Scenes
    • Colorful Cottages of Mount Dora
    • Gilbert Park
    • Holiday Lights
    • Doors of Mount Dora
    • Views from Above
    • Palm Island Boardwalk
    • July 4th Americana
    • Vintage Photos
    • Donnelly House
    • Sydonie Mansion
    • The Howey Mansion
  • History
  • Mobile App
  • Contact
    • News Desk
    • Advertising Inquiries
    • Writing Services & Content Marketing
    • Design Services
    • Social Media Services
    • Suggest a Restaurant Visit
    • Submit Pic of the Day
  • Subscribe

Government & Education

MOUNT DORA'S CITY ATTORNEY ACCUSED OF DEFAMATION

5/16/2019

 
Picture
She first came on the scene to defend the City of Mount Dora in the van Gogh mural lawsuit, which claimed the City violated the homeowners’ Constitutional rights.  The protracted legal action concluded with a widely foreseen favorable settlement for the homeowners, and a national black eye for the City.

Now that same lawyer, Sherry Sutphen, whom the City Council later contracted to be the City Attorney, stands accused of defaming a volunteer member of the City's Planning & Zoning Commission (P & Z).  

The dispute stems from an April 17th P&Z meeting in which the City was applying for a zoning change from “residential” to “mixed use” to accommodate a new parking lot.  The all-volunteer commission had never considered that particular type of zoning change request, so member James Homich, appointed by City Councilman Harmon Massey, asked a lot of detailed questions. including many about the potential negative effects on the neighboring properties.   

At one point during the meeting, a property owner in attendance commended Homich for his concern and thoughtful questions, stating that no one else from the City had inquired how the zoning change would affect them.  

After the lengthy and sometimes tedious discussion, Homich made a motion to deny the rezoning based on negative impact to the surrounding area.  The motion was seconded by another volunteer member, Bill Carpenter, but the motion failed to pass.

The rezoning ultimately passed with a 5-2 vote, Homich and Carpenter voting against it.  

At the next regular City Council meeting on May 7th, Sutphen made the unusual move to publicly seek Homich’s removal from the P & Z Commission.  Typically, the city council member who appoints a particular volunteer will remove or replace them without incident.

It’s unclear why Sutphen chose such a public platform to allege that during the hour-long April 17th P & Z meeting, Homich had acted inappropriately, disloyalty and mistreated the Planning Director among other accusations.  Sutphen presented no supporting documentation to the City Council for any of her allegations.

After an exhaustive review of the P & Z meeting’s audio file uncovered no instances of Homich, or any other volunteer, acting unprofessionally, disrespectfully or disloyal.  On the audio file, Homich remained professional after being on the receiving end of a slight barb from the City's Planning Director.

Although the topic was not on the City Council meeting’s agenda, Sutphen allegedly contacted council members about her accusations against Homich prior to the council meeting.  A few of the council members listened to the complete audio of the P & Z meeting, yet none of them advised the volunteer of Sutphen’s claims.  They also did not provide him with an opportunity to refute her allegations during the meeting. 

The city council voted 6-1 to remove Homich.  Councilwoman Laurie Tillet cast the lone vote against it, expressing her opinion that he should have been allowed an opportunity to hear and refute the claims.  

After the city council meeting, media outlets, including Mount Dora Buzz, made public records requests to the City of Mount Dora for documents to support Sutphen’s claims, but those requests for information went unfilled.

In a letter to Sutphen dated May 15, Homich maintains all eight of her allegations are provably false, defamatory and were put forth vindictively.  He stated that he hopes to resolve the issue without litigation, providing Sutphen issues a public apology and resigns as the City Attorney.  

Two City Council members and a resident allegedly publicly and recklessly repeated Sutphen’s  alleged falsehoods, so Homich is also seeking their apologies, as well as donations to the Anti-Defamation League from the two Council members.

Sutphen works for Bell & Roper, P.A., the Orlando law firm which the CIty Council engaged after allocating $140,575 for legal fees in the approved 2018-2019 City budget.  The law firm’s invoices totalled over $186,800 in the first seven months of the fiscal year, while averaging $26,691.71 per month.   If that average continues, the annual amount would exceed $320,000, which is over double the original amount budgeted.  

Sign up for the free Mount Dora Buzz' monthly updates  here.     For more news and events in Mount Dora, Tavares & Eustis, visit the area's website and download the area's free mobile app.  ​​​
Sign up for Mount Dora Buzz
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
Lisa Caravette
5/17/2019 04:12:42 pm

The recording is available for public consumption. Homich was doing his job by asking questions that advocate for the residents. That’s the kind of public representation we want. You can’t oust Someone for doing what they are supposed to be doing. Well... I guess you can in this case. I encourage council members to form their own opinions based on facts . Do your homework. Keep an open mind. It’s not a popularity contest when you take your council seat.


Comments are closed.

    Archives

    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Terms of Use
Copyright Mount Dora Buzz 2025
​All rights reserved.



  • Home
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Business & Real Estate
    • Outdoor Life
    • Real Estate Buzz
    • Government & Education
    • Kindness Matters
    • Profiles
    • Newsworthy
    • What's Hot...
    • Development Buzz
    • Who Knew?
    • Buzz Polls
  • Calendar
  • Festivals & Events
    • Annual Festivals
    • Monthly Events
    • Local Holiday Events Guide
    • Fall Festivals & Halloween Events
    • Best Local Pumpkin Patches
  • Best of Mount Dora
  • Dining
  • Things to Do
  • Live Music
  • Parking
  • Photos
    • City Scenes
    • Colorful Cottages of Mount Dora
    • Gilbert Park
    • Holiday Lights
    • Doors of Mount Dora
    • Views from Above
    • Palm Island Boardwalk
    • July 4th Americana
    • Vintage Photos
    • Donnelly House
    • Sydonie Mansion
    • The Howey Mansion
  • History
  • Mobile App
  • Contact
    • News Desk
    • Advertising Inquiries
    • Writing Services & Content Marketing
    • Design Services
    • Social Media Services
    • Suggest a Restaurant Visit
    • Submit Pic of the Day
  • Subscribe