Friday, October 18, 2013

Where has the Hallandale Beach CRA spent $80 Million? Keith London on urgent need for Florida JLAC to authorize Florida Auditor General to audit the Halladale Beach CRA

My friend and former Hallandale Beach City Commissioner Keith London sent out the following email alert recently to the people of this southeast Broward County community, largely because he knows they share his deep and abiding concern about the troubling financial status of (and operation of) the Hallandale Beach CRA, the controversial subject of dozens of past blog posts here over the years, including some this past week.

If you are a Florida resident, whether you live in Hallandale Beach or not, I strongly urge you to read Keith's words and to follow-up in the coming days by contacting the very people in Tallahassee on the JLAC who will be deciding whether or not to authorize Florida Auditor General to audit the Hallandale Beach CRA.

As most of you know from my emails, blog posts and tweets of the past few days,
there are powerful forces involved in this fight, both locally and up in Tallahassee, who desperately want to prevent an audit and prevent the true facts and figures from ever seeing the light of day, and they will do anything they can to accomplish this.

THAT is why it's so important that you spend a few minutes to contact them and ask them to give the residents, taxpayers and small business owners of this beleaguered community the opportunity they've always wanted: to FINALLY get the answers they are owed about where all the CRA money went while everyone in charge looked the other way -or looked-on approvingly.

Answers they have never gotten from the powers-that-be in this city, who have much to fear from genuine transparency and real accountability and oversight, three things they often preach but never practice themselves.

Which, of course, is a large part of why the HB CRA is in the current position it's in, and why nobody who pays close attention to things in this city trusts Hallandale Beach City Hall.

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Everyone,
Act today to protect your tax dollars! Email or call the Florida Legislature's Joint Legislative Auditing Committee (JLAC) to request that the Florida Auditor General audit the Halladale CRA.
I spoke to outgoing JLAC Chairman Senator Abruzzo last week and he explained the agenda is being set this month for the legislative session. It is now or never!
Only JLAC has the purview and the legal ability to order the Florida Auditor General to audit the Hallandale CRA. But if they do nothing now, they will set a precedent that will haunt future attempts to ensure tax dollars are spent properly. Please take the opportunity to make sure your voice is heard!  Here are links to all committee members’ emails and phone numbers
Representative Lake Ray Incoming Chairman
If you choose to include them in your email or call, here are a few facts.
In the JLAC's June 4th 2013 letter to the Hallandale Beach CRA, they requested the following.
·         The CRA follow the Attorney General opinion 2010-40
·         Request a new AG opinion and then abide by the decision 
·         Explain and justify the Specific Improper and Questionable CRA Expenditures , totaling $2,168,598 identified as misspent by the Broward Office  of Inspector General (OIG) in their report titled “Gross Mismanagement of Public Funds by the Hallandale CRA”

The CRA Board of Directors (BOD) voted 3:2 to reject JLAC inquiries daring JLAC to take action.
This was done at a Special Meeting held in the July where 40 residents attended requesting further scrutiny and transparency.

We need JLAC's help to get answers. Where has the CRA spent $80 Million? How can $12.5 million in “pooled cash” be wire transferred from a city account into the CRA account without ever being voted on by the CRA BOD or Commission?
Your actions and support are necessary to ensure your tax dollars are being spent appropriately and our local government is representing its citizens!
See the attached letter from the OIG attorney and remind JLAC members that the OIG looks poised to start another investigation of the Hallandale Beach CRA.
Please contact everyone on JLAC by phone or email today.

Keith S. London

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