Ramirez

Osceola County Clerk of Court-elect Armando Ramirez still owes more than $6,000 in fees stemming from the summer of 2011, when he lost his suit against the Osceola County Supervisor of Elections and its canvassing board.

Ramirez sued the Elections Office, the supervisor and the board for what he called “egregious” practices in the 2010 election when Ramirez ran against, and lost to, Osceola County district 2 Commissioner John Quiñones.

Ramirez lost his lawsuit.

He has not made payments toward the $6,038.60 he owes to the Elections Office and the Canvassing Board of Osceola County for court reporter appearances, depositions and copies made from July to September 2011, Elections Office spokeswoman Amber Smith said.

According to the judgments, Ramirez owes $2,702.25 to the Elections Office and $3,336.35 to the canvassing board.

“These are legitimate expenses he incurred during his lawsuit against this office. It is not fair to burden the taxpayers with these costs,’’ Supervisor of Elections Mary Jane Arrington said. Arrington herself was just re-elected to her post on Nov. 6.

The judgment for the fees were made on Oct. 31 and Nov. 1, 2011 to current Clerk of Court Malcolm Thompson, whom Ramirez beat in the election primary in August.

Ramirez’s debt has not been sent to collections, Smith said.

Ramirez confirmed he has not made any payments toward the fees owed because he lacked enough money to do so. However, he said he is looking into his budget to be able to start making payments but couldn’t say whether he would start paying down the debt before he takes office Jan. 8.

“I have to check my revenue, my budget,” Ramirez said. “Whatever money I owe, it will be settled.”

According to Osceola County Attorney Andrew Mai, the debt does not affect Ramirez’s ability to take office.

“I think they’re separate issues. I think it’s just treated as a debt,” Mai said.

Ramirez, a Democrat, won the Clerk of Court position Nov. 6 against Republican Rayelynne Ketchum by 12,777 votes.

A former New York City police officer and a community activist in Osceola County, this was Ramirez’s fifth time running for local office.

“I don’t want to continue this conversation anymore,” Ramirez said, before ending the phone interview Tuesday.