LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – Lake County commissioners unanimously approved a memorial dedicated to Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist who was assassinated at a speaking event in Utah earlier this month.
The proposed memorial was brought forward by Commissioner Anthony Sabatini.
Prior to the vote and public comment, the board provided its own comments and discussion.
“I think there are a lot of people that want to honor him,” said Lake County Commissioner Leslie Campione. “And I know that there are people obviously here and that don’t, but it shouldn’t be that one group, you know, gets to say, ‘No, we’re not going to do this.’ And we have, we then ignore the many, many people who want to see this young man honored.”
[WATCH BELOW: Hundreds gather in Lake County to memorialize Charlie Kirk]
During Tuesday’s meeting, Sabatini said Kirk has led the largest civic revival of any American in the last 50 years.
“So I don’t think that any normal, sane person would ever speak out against naming a significant road after someone like Charlie Kirk. It’s not even a debate,” Sabatini said.
Public comment on the issue lasted hours, with the majority of people who spoke being against the proposed dedication.
One resident, Gavin Brown, said he would like to see a memorial for Master Deputy Bradley Link, who was shot and killed during what law enforcement described as an ambush in August 2024.
“Wouldn’t it be more suitable and ideal to have a memorial to honor someone who fought to serve and protect us, have a true, actual Lake County resident who was a brave American hero,” Brown said.
It should be noted: the city of Minneola did dedicate a portion of Highway 27 in honor of Deputy Link in August.
[WATCH PREVIOUS COVERAGE BELOW: Fallen Lake County deputy memorialized with highway dedication]
However, Brown’s comments led to one of the meeting’s most explosive moments with Sabatini.
“How dare you use that deputy’s name for your petty, bull**** political argument,” Sabatini said. “How dare you? How dare you? Disgusting. You’re a disgusting person.”
Jaqueline Arnt from Mount Dora felt like the recognition for Kirk would set a concerning precedent.
“If we approach approved political figure naming without clear criteria, we open the door to endless partisan battles over our public spaces,” Arnt said.
A supporter, Gavin Rawlings, said he thinks there’s a misconception that just because Kirk is not a Lake County resident, doesn’t mean he didn’t have an impact in Lake County.
“But whether you agree or disagree, agree with the idea of what this name — I mean, road stands for, which is the idea that we have to have discourse, we have to discuss with people we don’t agree with. And that’s how we do things as Americans, not violence,” he said.
Public comment went on for hours, but ultimately, the commission unanimously approved the memorial 5-0.
However, Sabatini modified the proposal, and it will now be located on Schofield Road.