Mural in Orange County commissioner’s office honors icons, draws scrutiny
A new mural on a wall of Orange County Commissioner Mike Scott’s office suite pays tribute to a diverse assembly of history-makers, but the project, paid for with tax dollars, is generating unexpected scrutiny before its official unveiling.
Scott ordered new carpet to accompany the mural, and chose a location that might lead a subsequent commissioner to paint over it — decisions county administrators are now questioning.
The questions are disappointing, Scott said, as he expressed pride in a striking piece of artwork from local resident Jordan Jones: Images of Civil Rights icons Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Jackie Robinson share space with living local legends like Mabel Butler, the first Black woman elected to Orlando City Council and the Orange County commission, and hotelier/philanthropist Harris Rosen, who has paid college tuition for hundreds of kids from disadvantaged homes.
The mural also features Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings, whose trailblazing career includes the distinctions of being the first African-American to serve as Orlando police chief and the first to win elections as Orange County sheriff and now county mayor.
Scott said he wanted something special to honor those who inspired him and made a difference.
“It’s me basically paying respect to folks who are a foundation of what community service means,” he said.
But his good intentions came with some seeming missteps.
In September, his staff placed an order to re-carpet the suite at a cost of $7,750.
Then in January, before the new carpeting was installed, his office placed a second floor-covering order of just over $6,300.
County officials balked, fearing the vendor wouldn’t refund the original purchase because the carpeting was “custom/made to order,” according to an email from Rich Steiger, a facilities manager for the county. That fear turned out to be justified.
The email said the county did not have another location to use the flooring. “Therefore, Facilities Management will still have to pay the $7,750,” Steiger noted. “This will bring the total cost for replacing the flooring in your space to $14,092.”
Steiger’s email said the second order was made because the first carpet “did not go with the mural.”
But Scott insisted to the Sentinel that his staff changed the order not because of the mural but because the price was better.
He also said the county wouldn’t get stuck with left-over carpet.
“The county has hundreds of buildings,” Scott said. “There’ll be a use for that carpet at some point.”
While reviewing the commissioner’s office expenses, employees of the Comptroller’s Office also questioned the wisdom of spending $7,750 on “something that can be painted over if future commissioners do not want the mural.”
The mural is personal for Scott in a way it might not be for the office’s next occupant. Every commissioner is given some discretion — and a budget — to decorate their office.
But Scott said the mural should be considered an asset and remain intact to inspire his successors.
“These are people we should remember always for helping to build our community,” Scott said.
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