Amy Mercado re-elected Orange Property Appraiser after opponent who sued her drops out

Orange County Property Appraiser Amy Mercado was re-elected Monday after her only challenger withdrew from the race.

Mercado was first elected Property Appraiser in 2020 following two terms in the Florida House of Representatives. Her 2024 challenger — briefly — was local real estate attorney Kevin Pribell, who accused her office of undervaluing a condo he owned in Winter Park.

At a hearing he requested before the Orange County Value Adjustment Board in October 2021, Pribell submitted two appraisals, one valuing the condo at $311,000 and the other at $333,000, to challenge the $205,000 value assigned to the property by Mercado’s office. The board’s magistrate ruled in favor of the property appraiser’s office.

Pribell then filed a lawsuit against Mercado in her capacity as property appraiser in June 2022 alleging that her office hadn’t shown enough evidence at the hearing to prove its position. Pribell voluntarily dropped the suit that September.

Mercado told the Orlando Sentinel she was surprised by Pribell’s withdrawal from the race and looks forward to continue serving in the position.

Pribell had raised $59,148, all of which was his own money, while Mercado had raised $16,825 in donations.