Commission votes to move complaints filed by residents on to court system
Saying they welcome the opportunity to have their names cleared by outside investigators, Kissimmee Mayor Jackie Espinosa and fellow Commissioner Janette Martinez will have ethics complaints filed against them submitted to a Ninth Circuit Court judge.
If the judge appoints a special prosecutor to investigate whether there is probable cause to file articles of impeachment, the process of determining any wrongdoing could take 30 to 60 days.
Fellow city commissioners voted Tuesday night to have the complaints against Espinosa and Martinez moved forward to the court system. While those named could not vote on their own case, commissioners voted 4-0 to move Martinez’s case and 3-1 to move Espinosa’s, as Commissioner Noel Ortiz noted that “Impeachment is not a political tool,” and said that complaint was without merit as the lone vote against.
“It’s an opportunity to clear up all the false allegations stated by people with political gain,” Espinosa said. “I think justice will prevail.”
From the dais prior to adjourning the meeting, Espinosa said she’s “so happy we’re taking this step.”
“People are tired, people are watching. Let it play out, clear up the fabricated lies,” she said. “I will tolerate some of the unfounded attacks. Elected officials know what we sign up for.”
In the detailed 110-page complaint it’s filer, Kissimmee resident Alex Alemi accused Espinosa of violating both city bylaws and state statutes, detailing everything after her support of the city’s “Business Boost 2.0” program, which distributed federally-issued COVID-19 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to businesses that suffered financially during the pandemic. After supporting the plan to disperse the funds in September 2025, the complaint alleges three companies owned by Espinosa or her family received $50,000 total in project grants in October.
While the eligibility rules, put in place by the city’s Economic Development Department, did not preclude city employees or elected officials from applying, then-City Attorney Olga Sanchez de Fuentes sent an email to city officials warning the grants likely violated state ethics laws.
Alemi’s March 17 complaint alleges Espinosa asked for Sanchez de Fuentes’ resignation in January when the mayor detailed a list of complaints that had gone on for over a year. The mayor called for and got a vote for the attorney’s termination at the Feb. 3 Commission meeting.
Alemi noted when others spoke out against the move during public comment, they were silenced when mentioning Espinosa by name, in violation of city code.
“This is not about politics, but about doing what is right,” Alemi said at Tuesday’s meeting. “This is not an anonymous complaint on social media or a coordinated attack.”
Days after that complaint was filed, Jeremy Fetzer filed the complaint against Martinez that claims she supported and made policy about the city’s food truck policy while owning a food truck of her own and assisted a friend, another food truck owner, in getting a conditional use permit to house them at the friend’s restaurant location.
The complaint alleges city staff “felt threatened” by Martinez’s involvement and her actions, and the inaction of not disclosing her financial interests in the matter, were conflict of interests and an attempt at special treatment.
“Staff created this one-of-a kind permit, not the applicant, who was not a part of this process,” Fetzer said Tuesday. “The commissioner lied (during an April 14 city workshop on food truck policy) that she had no involvement. I’m shocked by the false statements from the city commissioner and is why this process should go through.”
Lisandra Roman, Martinez’s noted friend and a former Commission candidate, called the process “a political stunt.”
Ortiz, who voted against transmitting Espinosa’s case, made the motion to transmit Martinez’s.
“This is what I’ve been waiting for, to move forward to the judge and special prosecutor, so that this can be cleared,” Martinez said. “We have to be transparent about it. Public office is a trust.”
As part of his comments, Fetzer asked the city to let the State Ethics Committee state investigators finish investigating complaints against Espinosa and Martinez, noting it would save the city money rather than having state leaders look at the case, send it back to Kissimmee then sent back to Tallahassee for the final outcome. He also called the complaint against Espinosa “less about facts and more about retaliation rooted in anger.”
Both commissioners had their detractors and supporters during the meeting, with Martinez getting emotional hearing the support of residents and family.
“If they’ve done nothing wrong, an independent investigation will prove it,” said Olga Carino, who Espinosa defeated in the 2024 mayoral election.
Vice Mayor Angela Eady, who presided over that part of the meeting, asked her fellow commissioners to remember part of their oath of office before the meeting adjourned.
“I think of three words: Protect, Defend and Obey. I’ve never experienced anything like this,” said Eady, who also served from 2016-20. “We have 90,000 pairs of eyes on us. We need to get our integrity back, and we need the public’s help. We can’t keep going down rabbit holes, we need to work together.”
