Orlando City Commissioner Regina Hill was arrested in Alabama last year, records show

Orlando City Commissioner Regina Hill was arrested last year in Birmingham on misdemeanor charges of public intoxication and disorderly conduct, records show.

The commissioner told the Orlando Sentinel on Wednesday that the charges were dropped, but wouldn’t say what happened the night of her arrest last June.

“It was an unfortunate incident, which I’ve been exonerated from and all charges have been cleared,” she said. “There’s no need to go any further into that.”

Records show she was booked into jail by the Birmingham Police Department at 5:22 p.m. on June 19, 2022, and was released on bond at 11:01 p.m. She paid a $800 bond.

News of the arrest was reported this week by WestOrlandoNews.com.

A search of court records in Alabama didn’t reveal any arresting documents, which would explain the circumstances of the arrest.

The Orlando Sentinel filed a public records request with the Birmingham Police Department as well as the Jefferson County Circuit Clerk’s Office. Neither agency provided records by the time of publication.

Hill, first elected in 2014, represents District 5 on the City Council, which encompasses Downtown Orlando and neighborhoods like Parramore and West Lakes, west of Interstate 4.

She was reelected most recently in 2022, with about 50% of the vote.

Prior to becoming an elected official, Hill was arrested 21 times, which included various drug and alcohol-related offenses. Her civil rights were restored by then-Gov. Charlie Crist and she appeared with him at a campaign event in 2021, saying “thank God” he did.

A city spokesperson said elected officials aren’t required to report arrests, and the city cannot discipline elected officials.

“Elected officials are held accountable by those who elect them,” said Ashley Papagni, a city spokesperson. “The city has no policy requiring elected officials to report arrests. Nor does the city have any authority to take disciplinary actions against an elected official.”

Lawanna Gelzer, an activist and a former candidate for City Council, held a news conference in front of City Hall Wednesday denouncing the arrest and that it hadn’t been publicized, and said she may launch an effort to recall Hill, which requires signatures from 5% of legal voters in the district.

“I’m sorry to say, but enough is enough, and if we have to do a recall, we’re prepared to do a recall,” she said.

Hill said she’s “taking care of the business of the people” since the June 2022 arrest.

“The last…year-and-a-half since that, I’ve continued to focus on taking care of the business of the people with affordable housing, building houses and helping businesses here in the Downtown District 5 corridor and working for my constituents,” Hill said.