October 12, 2026 | Orange City, Volusia County
Important: This article summarizes allegations in a verified complaint. The filing is not a court finding, and the allegations have not been proven unless and until a court rules on them.
Mark D. Dickinson, through counsel, filed an emergency verified complaint in the Circuit Court of the Seventh Judicial Circuit in and for Volusia County against the City of Orange City. The complaint challenges the City’s handling of an October 7, 2026 meeting identified in an internal communication as “Union Negotiations.”
According to the filing, the meeting was scheduled for 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the municipal annex at 200 E. Graves Avenue. The complaint alleges that Dickinson encountered a secured area, was initially told the meeting was not public or that staff did not know about it, and was not admitted until approximately 2:03 p.m. The filing says the meeting was later canceled and alleges that the delayed admission deprived him of a meaningful opportunity to observe any negotiations.
The complaint further alleges that the City did not provide legally adequate public notice and that the meeting may have involved City representatives, union representatives, and legal counsel. It asks the court for declaratory and injunctive relief, possible invalidation of action shown to have resulted from an unlawful proceeding, and attorney’s fees and costs if a statutory violation is established.
Statutes cited
- Florida Statutes § 286.011 — Government in the Sunshine Law
- Florida Statutes § 447.605(2) — collective-bargaining negotiations
- Chapter 86, Florida Statutes — declaratory relief
The complaint distinguishes actual negotiations with a bargaining agent, which it alleges must be open, from internal strategy discussions that may be treated differently under § 447.605(1).
Read the complaint
View the complaint in your browser
The document is provided as a browser-view link. Viewer settings may vary, and no web viewer can prevent screenshots or other copying.
Source: Emergency Verified Complaint filed in the Circuit Court of the Seventh Judicial Circuit in and for Volusia County, dated October 12, 2026.