By Carl Fish
Lake Hamilton Police Chief Christopher Votour was terminated effective October 23, according to a termination letter provided directly to Daily Ridge by the Town of Lake Hamilton.
The October 27 letter, signed by Town Administrator Brittney Sandoval, outlines findings involving the handling of an employee complaint, deficiencies in a captain’s investigation and termination, use of a police vehicle after consuming alcohol, and ongoing leadership concerns.
Sandoval wrote that her decision followed a review of special counsel’s final investigative report, town personnel policies, police department general orders, Votour’s explanations and previous efforts to address departmental concerns.
The letter states that the termination was based on sustained findings and did not rely on allegations the investigation failed to substantiate.
One finding concerns a written complaint submitted by Capt. Ortiz-Gonzalez about a lieutenant on or about March 19, 2026. Although the complaint was not formally labeled a grievance, Sandoval wrote that its substance fell within the department’s grievance procedures.
According to the letter, Votour failed to process the complaint through the appropriate administrative channels, denying the captain an opportunity for review and appeal to the town administrator.
Sandoval described that violation as potentially minor when considered independently, but said its handling contributed to escalating internal conflict, declining morale and diminished confidence in departmental leadership.
The town also cited procedural failures involving the investigation and April 6, 2026, termination of Ortiz-Gonzalez.
According to Sandoval’s letter, special counsel identified deficiencies involving requirements under Florida’s Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights and departmental investigative and disciplinary procedures. The letter states that legal counsel was not consulted before the captain’s termination.
Those procedural deficiencies resulted in the employee’s reinstatement, according to the notice. Sandoval wrote that the failures exposed the town to potential legal liability, required additional municipal resources and compromised its ability to address the underlying alleged misconduct.
The notice says Sandoval considered Votour’s explanations, acknowledgment of procedural errors and subsequent training, but concluded that significant deficiencies remained in his judgment and administration of departmental discipline.
A separate finding involved the town’s December 2025 Christmas party. According to the letter, the investigation established that Votour consumed two alcoholic beverages and subsequently operated a town-issued police vehicle, violating departmental policy.
The letter explicitly states that the town made no determination that Votour was impaired or drove while legally intoxicated.
Sandoval also cited deficiencies in supervisory oversight, internal conflict and distrust within the police department, along with deteriorating working relationships.
“The cumulative findings have materially diminished my confidence in your ability to fulfill these responsibilities,” Sandoval wrote.
The notice advises Votour that he may appear at the next regularly scheduled public Town Council meeting to respond to his termination. It also permits him to submit a written response for inclusion in his personnel records.
An acknowledgment accompanying the notice bears Votour’s signature dated October 27. The document specifies that the signature confirms receipt only and does not signify agreement with the findings.
A separate personnel action form supplied by the town lists October 27 as the separation effective date and marks dismissal or discharge. The termination letter itself states that his termination was effective October 23.
The documents reviewed by Daily Ridge outline the town’s findings but do not include special counsel’s underlying investigative report or a separate written response from Votour.
