Comm. John Rodstrom wants Gov. Crist to appoint Comm. for District 8 who'd approve FY 2011 Budget, or declare financial emergency and appoint receiver

Just got this news around 4:30 p.m. from a well-informed confidant in downtown Fort Lauderdale who knows what's what.

Broward County Comm. John Rodstrom wants Gov. Charlie Crist to appoint a Commissioner for District 8 to approve the Broward County FY 2011 budget, or declare a financial emergency and have Crist appoint a receiver.

Tomorrow's Broward County Commission meeting on the FY 2011 Budget will be in Room 422 at 5:01 p.m. and will be web cast.
http://www.broward.org/video/Pages/welcome.htm

Still only works on Internet Explorer, but that's another blog post altogether.

(I won't be there myself because I'll be heading to the Community Meeting that Peter Deutsch and Ben Gamla Hebrew Charter School are hosting at 6 p.m. at the Hallandale Beach Cultural Center, behind City Hall. I expect a full crowd, and it'd be nice if someone from South Florida's news media actually showed-up tomorrow night to report on the story about what is being attempted here, but personal experience dictates that I NOT hold my breath waiting for that to happen.)

I was out all day today but am now seeing that Brittany Wallman actually discussed this story five hours before, around Noon, at the Sun-Sentinel's Broward Politics blog, complete with a video.

Broward Politics
Broward's Rodstrom seeks to take back employee pay raises, including at BSO
By Brittany Wallman
October 11, 2010 11:20 AM

Broward County Commissioner John Rodstrom will ask the County Commission on Tuesday to declare a state of financial emergency, in order to waive all contract obligations, rescinding pay raises for county employees, including patrol and jail deputies.

Read the rest of the post here:
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2010/10/why_rodstrom_voted_against_bro.html

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From Broward County website:
http://205.166.161.204/agenda_publish.cfm?mt=ALL&get_month=10&get_year=2010&dsp=ag&seq=199#ReturnTo0

Supplemental Agenda Items #39 & #40

AI-6619			Item #: 39.
Broward County Commission Regular Meeting
Date: 10/12/2010 Director's Name: John E. Rodstrom, Jr Department: County Commission
Information
Requested Action
A. MOTION TO DECLARE State of Financial Emergency, which, at minimum, would cause the following actions: Freeze all County wide pay increases effective immediately Freeze all non emergency capital improvements as well as those that have not yet commenced Suspend the Living Wage Ordinance as it relates to outside contracts with Broward County effective immediately B. MOTION TO REQUEST that the Governor of the State of Florida take one of the following actions: To appoint a Commissioner to Broward County District 8 seat who would be committed to approve a FY 2011 Budget. OR To declare a State of Financial Emergency for Broward County and appoint a Receiver who would have the ability to approve a FY 2011 Budget on an emergency basis. (Commissioner Rodstrom)

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AI-6620			Item #: 40.
Broward County Commission Regular Meeting
Date: 10/12/2010 Director's Name: John E. Rodstrom, Jr Department: County Commission
Information
Requested Action
MOTION TO NOTIFY all rating agencies immediately of a Material Adverse Change of Condition and request that no action be taken until a FY 2011Budget is approved either by an appointed Receiver, appointment by the Governor to the vacant Broward County District 8 seat, or by action of the Board of County Commissioners. (Commissioner Rodstrom)
Why Action is Necessary
What Action Accomplishes
Is this Action Goal Related
Previous Action Taken
Summary Explanation/ Background
Fiscal Impact

Csaba Kulin's common sense take on the faux newspaper in Hallandale Beach that gobbles up taxpayer funds, the South Florida Sun Times

It's hard to imagine a more ridiculous, self-serving and un-true headline than this one from August 13, 2009 in the faux community newspaper, the South Florida Sun-Times: AHEAD OF THE GAME: Hallandale Beach Mayor Joy Cooper continues to do the job residents elected her to do -once again!

Like the exclamation point at the end of the headline doesn't just prove the point that I've been making here for years about the pernicious and mendacious nature of both the mayor and the faux newspaper that takes Hallandale Beach taxpayer's money by the barrel-full, with nothing positive to show for it.

The letter below from my friend, Hallandale Beach civic activist Csaba Kulin, is a 'teaser' for what is to come in this space regarding the faux newspaper in Hallandale Beach that gobbles up taxpayer funds, the South Florida Sun Times.

On Friday, I sent that upcoming post as an email to a couple of dozen concerned people in South Florida, as well as a number of reporters and columnists, to re-focus their attention on this issue that highlights the sort of blatant cronyism and quid pro quo in HB government that has existed for years.

Yesterday, Csaba emailed this missive to the Hallandale Beach City Commission, the City Manager and the City Attorney.

I will provide the link to the 2003 article Csaba refers to below in my upcoming post on the subject, so that you can read it for yourself and add it to the accumulated mountain of evidence on how this city really operates.

It paints a very grim picture of what happens to democracy and civics when multiple members of the HB City Commission continuously FAIL to pay attention to what goes on right in front of them, in this particular 2003 case, current sitting Commission members Dotty Ross and William "Bill" Julian.
Correct, hardly Breaking News.

Trust me, the 2003 article and my post are both jaw-dropping and eye-opening, and provides an inside look at Joy Cooper's longtime modus operandi.
And yes, I really do mean jaw-dropping and eye-opening.

-----

Honorable Mayor, Vice Mayor and Members of the City Commission,

I have spoken against the $100,000.00 plus subsidy to the South Florida SunTimes newspaper during your September 29, 2009 Budget Meeting.

I have no problem with community newspapers, including this one if they serve public, to receive subsidy from the City. But our newspaper stopped serving our community some time ago. The only articles I see in the paper is the Mayor's column and an occasional historical piece by the Vice Mayor. I and others have tried to write letters to the editor without any success. Any information not flattering to the current administration is ignored and suppressed. I had to pay to get any information about an extremely important issue like the Diplomat to get in the paper while the Mayor had all the ink she wanted in the paper in favor of her views.

The South Florida Sun Times had been bought and paid for by the City using the our tax money. That is why it has no credibility in our city and loosing readership. That is why I do not support giving any money to them until they change their editorial philosophy and provide access to everyone in our city regardless of their views about our city government.

The South Florida Sun Times was not always the mouthpiece of the "official line" at city hall. For your information I attached an article by your good friend, Mr. Tony Musto written in December 4, 2004. It is certainly an eye opening article of how our city got where it is today. It should be required reading of every citizen of our city. It still appeared in South Florida Sun Times. Please look at the very end of the article where the editor invites residents of the community write a "feedback" column or "letter to the editor". What a novel idea? I wonder if the invitation still open?
I guess not.

Now I ask all of you stand in front of a mirror and ask yourself "what happened in the past 8 years" to get us where we are now?
If you know the answer, get up at the next commission meeting and change it.

Sincerely,

Csaba Kulin

President, Fairways North, Inc.

VP, United Condominium Associations of Hallandale Beach

Second Broward County 2011 budget meetingTuesday afternoon at 5 p.m.; Broward budget watch: Brittany Wallman in Broward Politics blog: Find the fat!

Above, January 26, 2010 photo of Broward County Government Center, 115 S. Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL by South Beach Hoosier

2011 Fiscal Year budget meeting

Tuesday September 28 at 5:01 p.m.

Public testimony in Room 422 in the Broward Governmental Center, 115 S. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale.

The hearing will be Webcast live on www.broward.org/video but you have to use Internet Explorer. Budget documents, including the County Administrator’s recommended budget
reductions, are posted online at http://broward.org/budget.

Before you walk into the Broward Government Center, be sure to walk to the SW corner of Broward Blvd. & Andrews Avenue and look at the County's so-called Personnel Building.

Back on March 12th, I first wrote about this disgraceful example of local government apathy and incompetency squared, here at http://hallandalebeachblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/errant-drivers-crash-highlights.html but I had first noticed it last year, dumb-founded that less than one block from the County HQ, literally, in the building next door, a govt. bldg. was allowed to become a public nuisance.

After years of being one of the most unsightly govt. eyesores in all of South Florida, have the folks running things finally figured out that having a county building caked in dirt is NOT the sort of thing give taxpayers any confidence in the management iof this county?

As I remarked at the time, "It's almost like Broward County is channeling the management geniuses at Hallandale Beach City Hall! And by geniuses, of course, I mean the motley crew of incompetents who make our city a laughing-stock."

January 26, 2010 photo by South Beach Hoosier


Same building a month later. February 25, 2010 photo by South Beach Hoosier


January 26, 2010 photo by South Beach Hoosier


February 25, 2010 photo by South Beach Hoosier

Our collective guiding principle for cutting government services and employees should be the same as the one that was mentioned by Victoria Derbyshire on her always excellent program on BBC Radio's 5 live this morning on the funding levels of British quangos, many of which are being killed outright: Is it nice to do or essential?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00tw8ms
http://www.bbc.co.uk/5live/#two
http://www.bbc.co.uk/5live/connect/index.shtml#comments

What has a quango ever done for you?

This morning, we're going to take a look at quangos, or quasi autonomous non-government organisations, to give them their full title.

Last week, we learned that 180 taxpayer-funded groups will be scrapped, and a further 180 will either be reformed or have their budgets cut. It's all part of the Chancellor's, plan to cut six hundred million pounds in a "bonfire of quangoes".

It's estimated they cost somewhere between 34 and 60 billion pounds a year. They employ more than 100 thousand people, and 68 quango chiefs earn more than the Prime Minister, with some salaries as high as £624,000.

We want you to tell us what they've ever done for you.

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Be sure to take a look at the Florida Taxwatch website, even though they are incorrect in opposing Amendment 4: http://www.floridataxwatch.org/

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Broward Politics
Broward budget watch: Find the fat!
By Brittany Wallman
September 27, 2010 08:00 AM

This is another tough year for Broward County government. Commissioners are standing over the budget with carving knives. Do any of you know where there's fat to be found in the county's $4 billion budget?

Read the rest of the post at:
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/broward/blog/2010/09/browards_budget_find_the_fat.html

Cause and effect or just coincidence? Whatever the case, Saturday's Herald Editorial puts Hallandale Beach City Hall on the grill and fillets them

Above, the Heart of Darkness in Hallandale Beach: Hallandale Beach City Hall. Looks like Monday might indeed be a night to remember for Hallandale Beach's long beleaguered citizen taxpayers, so please try to be there in person at 6 p.m. if at all possible so you can see the spectacle yourself. Everyday in Hallandale Beach this summer, we are seeing more and more proof of the sorts of unhealthy and unacceptable qualities that we do NOT want in either elected officials nor in a new city manger. The outcry and controversy over the absurd proposal to give a $15,ooo bonus to someone for simply doing their job - and, in my opinion, an unsatisfactory job at that in acting City Manager Mark Antonio's case- almost obscures one of the most appalling aspects of daily life in this small ocean-side city with the current Cooper Crew in charge, one that I have yet to hear anyone else remark upon publicly, so I'll go ahead and say it now so that others may consider it. It's actually in the form of a a question. How thoroughly perverse and contemptible is it that the only time anything in this entire city can be done quickly by HB City Hall is when THEY attempt to ramrod something truly appalling thru the City Commission without telling the taxpayers of this city about it, to allow a reasonable amount of time for public discussion? Under Mayor Joy Cooper, we have continually seen this brand of creepy anti-democratic and unethical behavior -nothing less than a power-play to thwart the public's will- over-and-over, esp. up in Room 257. Her continual, self-serving brazenness has almost lost its power to shock us. Almost. Since City Commission meetings were not scheduled for the month of August, why couldn't this matter wait until the first scheduled meeting in September, when many HB residents will have returned? You know why and so do I. In contrast to the rapidity and pace they take when there's something for them, consider yet again that THREE YEARS after the city took title to the so-called A1A Community Center from The Beach Club, just steps from the ocean, it's only been open to the public TWICE, and the bldg. elevator is STILL broken and the second floor STILL isn't finished. Why are the city's repairs(!) taking longer than it originally took to construct the entire building? Now there's a question for the ages that I'd like to hear each and every member of the City Commission answer individually, without anyone whispering in their ears. Above, March 3rd, 2009 photo I shot from A1A/ South Ocean Drive that's been anchored on my blog the past 17 months. August 6, 2010 photo by South Beach Hoosier. The view of the off-limits Community Center from the beach. August 6, 2010 photo by South Beach Hoosier Do you have some office chairs you'd like to store in a room with a beach view? In the last few weeks, someone in the city seems to have illegally removed Broward County's official warning sticker placed a long time ago near the building front door advising the public that the elevator is, in fact, broken. It was completely missing Friday afternoon when I was there, and the elevator is STILL NOT working, as there is still an artificially-created wooden wall placed between the first floor and the area adjacent to the elevator, near what appears to be an un-opened box of supplies that actually read "May 2010." August 6, 2010 photo by South Beach Hoosier Yes, the elevator to nowhere. That County sticker had literally faded under the sun's rays, but that doesn't mean the city can legally remove it and not have it replaced or at least put up a similar notice. Typical! In that case, I guess the County sticker was guilty of being a "naysayer," to use Comm. Dotty Ross' favorite frequent word to describe HB's concerned citizens when they speak the truth at City Commission meetings, to her continuing dismay and consternation. On Monday, I'll be posting to my blog some damning photos and video of the A1A Community Center, as it is now, for you to see for yourselves. I'll also have some other photos of items of interest that ought to be brought up publicly Monday night to remind the City Commission that contrary to the mayor's PR spin, Mark Antonio bears a lot of personal responsibility for why things in this city are as half-assed and poorly-run as they are. All they have to do is open their eyes, since the evidence is all around us, but they greatly prefer the world of fantasy to reality, because in that world, they are entitled to whatever they want, no matter how outrageous or absurd. Consider that when the FL League of Cities has their 2010 convention over at the Westin Diplomat from Aug. 19th-21st, do you really think that Joy Cooper or the HB City Commissioners would publicly admit that for all of their waste of taxpayer dollars on things that she and three-fourths of them agreed to over the past few years, items that were opposed by the overwhelming majority of HB taxpayers actually paying attention, there STILL isn't even ONE directional sign in the entire city indicating where HB City Hall or the HB Police Dept. HQ is located? Not one. http://www.floridaleagueofcities.com/ http://www.floridaleagueofcities.com/Events.aspx?CNID=3164 "This year’s conference will continue our focus on learning, networking and idea-sharing." But apparently, NOT listening to taxpayers. Mark Antonio is also the person who seems perfectly content to allow a very dangerous mindset to remain intact at HB City Hall, one that so many of us have been seeing for years, to our utter disgust. That is the mindset where far too many city employees, including Dept. heads and Managers, as well as individuals in the City Manager's office itself, like Jennifer Frastai, seem to believe that there is no punishment for their NOT doing their job competently and professionally. Why do you suppose that is? Perhaps because there is currently zero personal and professional accountability over there, which is one of the reasons why I started my blog in the first place a few years ago, after dutifully going thru the proper channels over there and seeing nothing happen. I knew from my conversations with people I met in the area that I wasn't the only person who saw it and was outraged at the oblivious attitudes there, especially on public safety matters, where i received nothing but lip service. This lack of accountability has been particularly notable over at DPW in the 18 months that John Chidsey has been busy mismanaging it, as one project after another languishes. For instance, to name but one very obvious example, the water fountain directly in front of the A1A Community Center has been broken and without water since LAST August. One entire year! In other cities, if they don't have the part they need, it might be ten days or so, but here, over a year!. August 6, 2010 photo by South Beach Hoosier The empty water fountain looking towards A1A/South Ocean Drive that nobody at HB City Hall ever notices. August 6, 2010 photo by South Beach Hoosier Looking at the fountain towards the HB Fire/Rescue Station next door to the off-limits Community Center. And speaking of city employees who don't do their jobs and Dept. heads who could care less, let's not forget that recycling comes under DPW, where Chidsey has been especially ineffective. There are dozens of examples I could cite here -many of you know them by heart, I know- but here's a new one. On Friday, over the entire North Beach area there was but one blue recycling bin visible. And it wasn't really on the beach where it could be used by beach visitors, but between the sidewalk and one of the showers. Why ONE for at least five acres and not near the visitors? That's the way the city employees want it. Because the DPW employees don't care about recycling or doing their job, just what's easiest for them, and for them, hiding the recycling bins or making them impractical to use is their answer for making less work. Below is a photo I snapped in the city's parking garage on Friday after parking the car. Three bins stacked on one another near the entrance. But this is actually an improvement. Two weeks ago, the day of the city's Parks Master Plan meeting at the Community Center, there were three bins stacked on top of one another VERTICALLY. That wasn't by accident, it's the way they fixed them to make sure that nobody used them. And by nobody, I mean the HB taxpayers who already paid for them It's just another example of HB city employees cheating taxpayers of an honest day's work, but then that's hardly unusual when the people at the top are among the worst offenders. In case you didn't see it last week, the excellent Jackie Bueno Sousa column in the Herald that compelled me to invite her to Monday's meeting, complete with reader comments is at: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/03/1760023/if-government-cries-poverty-take.html?commentSort=TimeStampAscending&pageNum=1 Here's the editorial that appeared in Saturday's Miami Herald http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/07/1765501/local-perspectives.html Miami Herald Editorial August 7, 2010 Local perspectives HALLANDALE BEACH IS MONEY NO OBJECT HERE? You would think city commissioners and Mayor Joy Cooper would know better by now. In 2007 the commission and Mayor Cooper gave themselves a whopping $55,000 pay raise without bothering to notify the public first. As a result, a hailstorm of outrage from local residents rained down on City Hall, and the chastised officials rescinded the raises. But now city officials are up to the same old game: Hastily and secretly spending taxpayers' money like it grows on trees. First, they were so desperate to get rid of former City Manager Mike Good that they agreed to pay him an overly generous severance package worth $366,653 in total. Now, the mayor and commission majority want to reward interim City Manager Mark Antonio with a $15,000 bonus on top of his $145,000 annual salary. And, if it hadn't been for Commissioner Keith London, they would have signed the bonus check without benefit of public notice or input. The talk of a bonus for Mr. Antonio came at the end of long budget workshop session that lasted past midnight last week. Residents had left, and while a video camera was recording the session, the broadcast of the meeting had gone off the air. The commission turned to an evaluation of Mr. Antonio and generally praised his work. That prompted the interim manager to ask for a $25,000 bonus. Mayor Cooper countered with an offer of $10,000. Eventually the $15,000 figure was negotiated. That's when Mr. London blew the whistle for a timeout, saying a vote on the award of the bonus should happen in a public meeting for residents to observe and comment on. So, eager for some reason to ensure that Mr. Antonio gets his bonus sooner rather than later, the commission set a special meeting for 6 p.m. Monday at City Hall for the bonus vote. Mysteriously, they just couldn't wait for the next scheduled commission meeting. Commissioners and Mayor Cooper had better be prepared to justify why Mr. Antonio deserves a bonus simply for doing what he was hired to do. And to explain why they're so willing to be fast and loose with taxpayers' dollars. Reader comments at:

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http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/08/07/1765501/local-perspectives.html?commentSort=TimeStampAscending&pageNum=1

Date: Thu, Aug 5, 2010 at 4:17 PM
Subject: I'm inviting you to see a City Commission that doesn't believe your Wed. column -they're giving a $15,000 bonus to an Interim City Manager for doing nothing

To: Jackie Bueno Sousa
Cc: "Gyllenhaal, Anders", "Schumacher-Matos, Edward",
Thursday August 5th, 2010 4:15 p.m.

Thursday August 5th, 2010
4:15 p.m.

Dear Ms. Sousa:

I'm writing to you today after having considered doing so many times in the
recent past after reading one of your telling, spot-on columns.

The specific reason I'm writing now, though, is your column of yesterday,
If government cries poverty, take a close look

It might surprise you to know that despite the lip service given by many
South Florida public officials to matters of tightening belts and other
budget cliches, there are, in fact, still many more cities in South Florida
that are largely in denial about both the current economy and their
own fiscal responsibilities in that new era requiring tougher choices,
and actually having to say NO occasionally.

In short, the need to spend taxpayer's money wisely in a logical and
responsible fashion with a modicum of oversight, is still a rumor to them,
as they much prefer to remain in 'laisssez les bon temps rouler' mode.

I know this because I live in one of those cities in denial:
Hallandale Beach.

On Monday night, the HB City Commission is preparing to give a
$15,000 bonus to the interim City Manager, Mark Antonio,
who has been a placeholder for barely two months, a few WEEKS
of which he was actually away on vacation, apparently, out-of-the-
country, so I'm told.
Antonio's salary and benefits already total just under $200,000
as an Ass't. City Manager for a city that's 4.2 square miles.

The last CM, Mike Good, an incompetent and unprofessional person
who was living proof of the Peter Principle, was fired by the City
Commission many years after he SHOULD'VE BEEN, on account of,
well, he simply wasn't showing up for work.
At all.

And when Good showed up, he was often late for meetings that
couldn't start until he was present, and I'm not talking about showing up
late as a negotiating tactic with a union.

No, for years he was often completely unavailable by phone to both
the City Commission and his own staff -completely incommunicado.
His wife often claimed not to know where Good was when she was
finally reached.

In fact, as Comm. Keith London noted at the time, Good was even late
for the special City Commission meeting that HE requested to discuss his
over-the-top golden parachute that was larded with things that nobody
in South Florida could get, and that for a city of HB's size, were shameful.
But the City Commission caved-in

Again, in the opinion of myself and many other pro-reform citizens
in HB that want genuine accountability and transparency at City Hall
instead of the stealthy and unethical behavior that's been the M.O.
for years, Good should've been fired for cause years ago, but
Mayor Joy Cooper ignored his longstanding problems because
Good allowed her to do whatever she wanted to, with nary a discouraging
word about her misguided policies or her routinely violating the state's
Sunshine Laws up in Room 247, away from the view of TV cameras.

This unethical and unprofessional behavior was going on for years at
HB City Hall, not that the Herald ever felt the need to see it or share
the news with your readers, since there has only been a Herald reporter
present at an HB City Commission meeting only once since June of 2008,
a complaint of mine and other HB residents that I've discussed frequently
in the past with Mr. Gyllenhaal.

(That reporter was Breanne Gilpatrick and she was only there
because it was a joint City Commission meeting with Hollywood,
her beat at the time.)

It might interest you to know that at the time that Good was fired, the
collective HB City Manager's office salaries were more than that of
next-door Hollywood, despite Hollywood being more than three times
as large in size physically, and three times as large in population.
Really.
And what do we have to show for it?

Giving that much extra money -for what exactly?- to the same person
who just a few months ago, illegally orchestrated an effort to prevent
me from accessing a public city meeting in Room 247 at City Hall,
and then canceled it while I tried to make my way upstairs to be the
only citizen present, is a non-starter.

If anything, Monday night should be an opportunity for HB residents to
finally purge themselves of all the angst and anger they've been having
to carry around all this time, and to describe in detail, in front of the entire
community, ALL the longstanding problems that have STILL NOT been
fixed or resolved to anyone's satisfaction by the City Manager's office
over the past few years, despite plenty of notice.

(Ones that are thoroughly examined in detail on my blog, complete
with photos.)

And since you're not in a position to know, it's a City Manager's
office that has included Mark Antonio ALL that time.

I'm contacting you to formally invite you to come up here on Monday night
for a 'fact-finding trip,' so you can see for herself what really happens with
taxpayer's dollars.
You will see that more than is true in most places, in HB, seeing
REALLY is believing.

Then, you can compare HB's version of "pain" to what you wrote about
in your column yesterday.

I'd be happy to talk or meet with you in the days prior to the meeting if
it's your intent on attending, and even have some other pro-reform folks
available to speak to you if you wish, since it's likely to be quite a scene
on Monday night.
This meeting is the proverbial 'last straw."

----------------------

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Keith London
Date: Wed, Aug 4, 2010 at 12:32 PM
Subject: Special City Commission Meeting Agenda for the$15,000 bonus for Interim City Manager and a Charter Change August 9, 2010 at 6:00 PM
To: "Commissioner, Hallandale Beach - Keith London" <klondon@hallandalebeachfl.gov>

Everyone,

Please note there is a special City Commission meeting scheduled for Monday, August 9, 2010 at 6:00 PM in city commission chambers.

Attached please find a copy of the Agenda as well as the back-up information.

The first agenda item is a fifteen thousand ($15,000) bonus to Interim City Manager Mark Antonio. This was approved on a 4:1 vote after midnight on Friday, July 30, 2010 during the city's budget workshop. The item was discussed after the Channel 78 broadcast of the meeting had ended.

I suggested to my fellow City Commissioners that this item be discussed only with proper public notice. They unanimously agreed and the issue will now be discussed at this meeting.

The second item for discussion is the hiring of an INTERNAL AUDITOR. There will be a discussion and decision regarding amending the City of Hallandale Beach Charter to allow the City Commission to hire an additional employee. This individual will report directly to the City Commission, just like the City Manager and City Attorney do now.

If you have any further questions please feel free to contact me on my cell phone or by email.

Thank you,

Keith

Keith S. London

City Commissioner

Hallandale Beach

954-457-1320 Office

954-494-3182 Cellular

http://www.keithlondon.com/

Special Meeting August 9 2010.pdf As I'm finishing this post it's less than 36 hours before this "Special" HB City Commission meeting is to start Monday night at 6 p.m. Guess what? Surprise! The city's third-rate website, which city taxpayers have been paying thousands of dollars for every month, STILL doesn't have the public agenda for this meeting available nor the staff document. http://www.hallandalebeachfl.gov/ But I have it for you above, thanks to Comm. London. What better current example could I come up with for why Hallandale Beach needs big changes? Be sure to also see my friend Michael Butler's comments over at Change Hallandale Beach at http://web.me.com/mike.butler/Change_Hallandale/Welcome.html

City of Hallandale Beach 2011 Budget Workshops begin Wednesday afternoon at City Hall at 4 p.m.

Like many people in Hallandale Beach with an abiding interest in the future of this city, I received a copy of this email from Comm. Keith London on Monday regarding the city's public budget workshops that begin this afternoon at City Hall at 4 p.m.. As it happens, I happen to agree with what he says.

If anything, Comm. London is being charitable about what has been going on here, especially about the favored few getting their hands on taxpayer dollars too frequently without much -if any- genuine scrutiny, public accountability or transparency.

For a city with so many self-evident, longstanding problems that have merely been kicked down the road each and every year, without much if any serious attempt to address the root cause, there was far too much back-scratching with certain people the City Manager seemed determined to cultivate for reasons that still remain unclear.

That these people made out like bandits, even as the city commissioners and the public continually were forced to find out after-the-fact about tens of thousands of dollars going out the back door to people and groups that seemed to have undue influence already, only further raises the stakes now, and puts the the public skepticism of the City Manager and his employees' honesty and professionalism right on the table for discussion.

Having attended these workshops for the past few years, they offer the rare opportunity to ask tough questions of the city commissioners and staff -to literally kick the tires and check under the hood- I can tell you that they can often be eye-raising and troubling for all sorts of reasons.

Recently, the best questions were ones never asked by the City Commission because they were afraid to know the answer, since that would require a commensurate action take place that they were reluctant to take while Mike Good was City Manager -remind him that they were his boss, and that they were the elected policy-makers, not him.

If you come to this blog even fairly often, I'm sure this last point has been made crystal clear to you by now, as the number of times that four of the five commissioners have voted no on a proposal over the past year can be counted on one hand.

But how will the City Commission act at these budget workshops in the post-Good era, with two seats up in November and so much public anger and antagonism towards them for failing to be the proper custodians of the city's funds the public expected?
Well, that's where the curiosity factor comes in...

See also: http://www.changehallandale.com/

-------------

Everyone,

Please plan on attending the City of Hallandale Beach Budget Workshops scheduled for this Wednesday, July 28, 2010 and Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 4:00 PM at city hall. The workshops will include a review of our millage rate and property taxes. This is your opportunity to voice your concerns.

For too long, the elected officials in Hallandale Beach have provided residents and business owners their “spin” on the city’s budget.

While calling themselves fiscal conservatives, our elected officials have allowed the city’s budget to increase by $46.6 million over the last five years, a 48% increase!

During the same time, vital services have been cut, while fees and assessments have increased. And our property taxes continue to increase. Last year alone, Hallandale’s millage rate increase, on a percentage basis, was the highest increase in Broward County.

In the past five years, the city’s property value has increased by $1 billion, but instead of seeing tax decreases, the residents and business owners have seen increases in their taxes and fees.

It is time to stop the unnecessary spending, and reduce the city’s inflated budget.

Tell your City Commissioner’s to stop wasting your tax dollars. As your commissioner, and as I have done in previous years, I will vote NO on the budget if I see continued waste in our budget.

Tell your City Commissioner’s not to raise the millage rate, and to realize that the taxpayer is not an endless stream of money to be wasted by them. I will vote NO if the millage rate is raised.

The following are just a few examples of waste and abuse of your tax dollars:

• Charitable contributions should be made only to organizations providing essentials, like food and shelter. Strict accountability must be attached to every dollar so the taxpayers know their money is being used wisely.
• Stop spending taxpayer’s money on needless visits to Washington DC and Tallahassee.
• Stop buying band uniforms for charitable organizations.
• With people struggling, and even some losing their homes, its time to reduce taxes and let taxpayers choose to whom they want to make charitable donations!
• I will vote NO on charitable contributions if there are donations that go beyond the basic necessities.
• Hallandale currently pays the Sun Times over $50,000 a year for advertising, FIVE times what the city spent with them just a few years ago. Who is benefiting from this unnecessary expenditure? And why was it never voted on by the city commission?
• I will vote NO for the budget if there is money for the Sun Times.
• Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) loans made with NO collateral in direct conflict with our policy and rules. Our city attorney did nothing to prevent our own rules from being broken. This breach of the public’s trust cost “our” city $75,000 last year.
• This vote was 4:1 I was the only NO
• Spending tax dollars to end a contract with former city manager Mike Good, despite him being “FIRED” for not coming to work. The city attorney and mayor signed this contract each year since 2003. Due to our city attorney’s failure to address severe contract deficiencies, and the Mayor’s refusal to address them, the taxpayers must now pay:
• Nine months severance
• Health insurance for him and his family for the next 19 years
• All costs to earn a masters degree
• This vote was 4:1 I was the only NO vote
• This year, the city must spend $100,000 for the City Attorney’s pension plan
• The City Attorney earns over $200,000 annually
• The City Attorney outsourced over $350,000 to outside council in order to avoid political heat from the mayor
• “Our” city attorney is more concerned with keeping his job than following the law.