Ernest Page

Ernest Page (born circa 1942) is a former member of the Orlando, Florida, City Council who served as Orlando's interim mayor in March and April 2005 while the elected mayor, Buddy Dyer, was facing charges of electoral fraud. After the charges against Dyer were dismissed in April 2005, Page returned to his City Council position. He was the first African-American to serve as mayor of Orlando. He was imprisoned for political corruption.

Ernest Page
Orlando, Florida interim mayor
In office March 2005 – April 2005
Preceded by	Buddy Dyer
Succeeded by	Buddy Dyer
Personal details
Born	1942 (age 81–82) Orlando, Florida

Biography

Page was born in Orlando, the son of Arizona and Edoras Page, an African Methodist Episcopal minister.^[1] He graduated from Jones High School in 1960, earned a B.A. from Morehouse College in 1964 and received a M.S. in mathematics from Atlanta University and an M.B.A. from Nova University.^[1]

Page, an African-American, was first elected to the Orlando City Council in the early 1980s, but left office during his first term after a conviction for dealing in stolen property.^[2]

He was elected to City Council again in 1996, and won re-election in 2000 and 2004.^[3] In March 2005, he was serving as mayor pro tem under Mayor Buddy Dyer when Dyer was indicted and jailed for electoral fraud. Following Dyer's removal, Page took office as interim mayor.^[4] He was interim mayor for about six weeks, until April 19, when the charges against Dyer were dropped and he was restored to office.^[5][6]

On March 1, 2006, Councilman Page was arrested on charges of political corruption while in the mayor's office. In September 2006 he was convicted of bribery and official misconduct for threatening to stop a redevelopment proposal unless the prospective developer gave a piece of the project to a nonprofit group with which Page was affiliated. He was subsequently sentenced to 42 months in prison.^[7]

Following his sentencing in December 2006, Page was removed from city office by an executive order from Governor Jeb Bush.^[8][9]

Page appealed his conviction in federal circuit court, but lost the appeal in March 2008.^[10] He entered prison in June 2008.^[11] He was released from prison in 2011 after serving about 3 years of his 3+1⁄2-year sentence. Most of his prison time was spent at Marion Correctional Institution in Marion County, Florida.^[12]

References

1. "Ernest Page - Political Leader and Orlando's First Black Mayor ONYX Publisher's Award". Community Steeple Media. October 4, 2019. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
2. Page Could Be Facing Legal Troubles 2011-09-28 at the Wayback Machine, WESH-TV (Orlando), January 30, 2006. Retrieved from WPBF.com, November 12, 2010.
3. , archived June 8, 2007
4. Acting Mayor Page To Follow Dyer's Plan For Now, WFTV-9 (Jacksonville) website, March 14, 2005
5. Dyer Returns To Office, Vows 'Fresh Start'; All Charges Dropped; May 3 Special Election Cancelled 2012-03-14 at the Wayback Machine, WESH-2 (Orlando) website, April 21, 2005
6. Mark Schlueb (Orlando Sentinel), Orlando Mayor Suspended, The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, VA), March 12, 2005
7. Ernest Page trial closing 2012-10-16 at the Wayback Machine, Orlando Sentinel website, September 22, 2006, and In interview, Page discussed charges before his sentencing 2007-11-09 at the Wayback Machine, Orlando Sentinel, December 31, 2006.
8. Page Removed From Office After Being Sentenced To Prison, WESH-TV, December 21, 2006.
9. Governor’s Executive Order Number 06-54^{[permanent dead link]}, State of Florida news release, March 1, 2006.
10. City Commissioner's Bribery Conviction Upheld, WESH-TV 2 (Orlando) website, March 7, 2008
11. Former Orlando Mayor Ernest Page Now Inmate In State Prison System 2010-06-19 at the Wayback Machine, WFTV-9 (Jacksonville) website, June 19, 2008
12. Mark Schlueb (June 7, 2011). "Former Orlando city commissioner released from prison; Ernest Page served 3 years on corruption charges". Orlando Sentinel.

Preceded by Buddy Dyer

Interim Mayor of Orlando 2005

Succeeded by Buddy Dyer