Broward Politics

Broward's Ritter: Apply Sunshine Law to state Legislature

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:48:01 -0500

In case you missed Broward County Commissioner Stacy Ritter's opinion piece this morning, I'm offering it here. She explains what many of us already knew: that the Sunshine Law requires the County Commission's debates to take place in public. (We're big fans of the Sunshine Law over here.)

She also advocates for the same laws to apply to the state Legislature. Sounds good to us.

Click here to read it.

Broward 911 dispatch group meets again -- dispute over who should pay continues

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:18:20 -0500

The dispute in Broward County over who should pay for 911 emergency dispatch continues. A task force from many of Broward's cities meets today, again.

Hallandale Beach Mayor Joy Cooper said she's fed up with Broward County not taking responsibility for the service, after voters approved a countywide system years ago.

Click here for a little background on this. Fort Lauderdale is the biggest affected city, of course.

Click here for the Fire Chiefs Association of Broward website, which has more background info on this.

Lawsuit filed to contest new congressional districts

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:06:02 -0500

A lawsuit has indeed been filed, as was threatened late yesterday, to contest new congressional districts approved by the state Legislature.

Click here to read my colleagues' story about it.

Women voters will sue over new congressional maps

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:35:17 -0500

The new congressional district maps caused all sorts of shuffling, as we've reported in recent days (such as: Allen West goes north). But today the League of Women Voters announced it will sue to seek to have them redone.

Here's a news release about it:

Groups Intend to File Suit Against Congressional Redistricting Map
Tallahassee, FL -- Today the Florida Legislature passed a Congressional redistricting plan that does not comply with the new FairDistricts standards in the Florida Constitution.

If and when the Governor signs the Congressional plan into law, The League of Women Voters of Florida, The National Council of La Raza, Common Cause Florida and four individual plaintiffs will file the attached Complaint in Leon County Circuit Court seeking to invalidate the Legislature's Congressional Reapportionment Plan. The Defendants in the case will be Kurt Browning (Florida's Secretary of State), the Florida Senate and the Florida House of Representatives, as well as their respective leaders, Mike Haridopolos and Dean Cannon.

Tamarac's Talabisco says Chaits gave her nothing of value

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:42:49 -0500

Suspended Tamarac Mayor Beth Flansbaum-Talabisco accompanied by her attorney, Larry S. Davis at a prior court hearing. (Susan Stocker, Sun Sentinel)

My colleague Paula McMahon reports that Tamarac ex-Mayor Beth Flansbaum-Talabisco is trying to make the case that she got nothing of value from the Chaits, the father-son developer team whose unorthodox efforts to get approvals from public officials brought down quite a few of them on corruption charges.

Click here to read her story.

Coral Springs reveals the secret: The agenda for Saturday's workshop

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 12:38:28 -0500

By Lisa J. Huriash
Coral Springs officials say their agenda at a day-long workshop on Saturday is really no mystery after all.

There was no official list of topics up for discussion that have been made public – until now.

City Manager Erdal Donmez said Thursday the schedule is flexible but will begin with a discussion about ethics and a presentation by the internal auditor; a break for lunch at 12 p.m. and resuming at 1 p.m. for a status report on city projects, a legislative update and any other topics the commissioners want to discuss.

The retreat is 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Economic Development Foundation, 11805 Heron Bay Blvd.

Springs retreat agenda a mystery

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 17:11:11 -0500

By Lisa J. Huriash
The public is invited to a day-long Coral Springs workshop on Saturday – but you’ll never know in advance if the subjects interest you.

City officials said there is no formal agenda in advance of the retreat, which is 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Economic Development Foundation, 11805 Heron Bay Blvd.

Mayor Roy Gold referred questions to City Manager Erdal Donmez, who would only say what will be talked about is a “variety of topics that the commissioners have expressed interest in discussing.”

Sheriff Lamberti on Facebook: "Thinking about retirement''

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:44:39 -0500

When you're running for re-election as sheriff, that's not a good time to post on Facebook that you're thinking about retirement, unless you really are.

Sheriff Al Lamberti posted this morning that "34 years is a long time to work for one agency'' and he was "thinking about retirement."

Lamberti claimed he was just waking everyone up. It worked.

Some of his morning greetings aren't exactly zingers.

His morning greeting Saturday was: "Looks like rain today. Plans anyone?''

On Sunday, he wasn't on Facebook. And Monday, he seemed depressed that no one missed him.

He wrote that he "took the day off from Facebook yesterday and no one noticed. Good Tuesday morning everyone. Have a safe day and be careful with the wet conditions on your ride to work or school.''

Come Wednesday, he made sure his presence was known, with his comment that he "is thinking about retirement this Wednesday morning. After all, 34 years is a long time to work for the same agency. Good morning everyone. My meteorologist friends advise more sun and less rain today. Make it a great day.''

Of course, his phone started lighting up, including with text messages from this fine newspaper.

One woman had this interesting comment for him: Maybe you need a vacation get-away *** and a little "something-something!" before the election goes full-swing! Lots of folks love having you as Sheriff. ♥

Lamberti had to follow all of this up with a note that he "was not seriously thinking about retirement. I was only trying to stir conversation on a bleak Wednesday morning. Thanks for the concern. My phone has been ringing off the hook for the last couple of hours. Have a great day."

Former commission candidate urges Springs to un-do county ethics law

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:35:07 -0500

By Lisa J. Huriash
Mark “Doc” Gendal, an optometric physician who lost a bid for the Coral Springs city commission in November, urged city leaders Tuesday night to un-do ethics laws passed by Broward County.

“I believe that you as a commission are being forced into an ethics rule by our county that is wrong,” said Gendal.

The new countywide Code of Ethics had banned elected officials in all Broward cities from moonlighting as lobbyists and appearing before their elected colleagues in other city halls. It also required politicians with outside jobs to reveal who's paying them, and how much. The reform went into effect Jan. 2.

“Their recent ethics law went much too far,” said Gendal, who owns Vision World in Coral Springs and lost his bid for the District 4 seat to incumbent Claudette Bruck. “I think it’s unfair and will have a chilling effect on business owners who want to run for office in our city.”

Moody's gives "negative outlook'' to Broward's BankAtlantic bonds

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:36:26 -0500

The financial picture for the Florida Panthers and Broward's tourist tax caught the attention of Moody's bond rating agency, which tacked a "negative outlook’’ onto the county's bonds for BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise.

The bond rating itself is a good one: Aa3. But the negative outlook attached to it is not.

Broward County taxpayers are inextricably connected with the Florida Panthers; both are
paying off bonds that built the BankAtlantic Center where the Panthers play. The Panthers run the arena for the county.

Click here to read County Administrator Bertha Henry's memo about it, plus Moody's draft version of the analysis.

Click here to read Moody's final report.

The bonds are backed by Broward County tourist taxes paid by hotel guests, and that tax income plunged in 2009 by 17 percent. That's the wrong direction. Though the hotel bed tax, or tourist tax, has been on the rise the past two years, Moody’s noted that it is an “economically sensitive’’ source of funds.

Moody’s also cited the Panthers “recent inability to pay’’ the county its annual debt payment, in 2010. Broward County commissioners agreed in 2010 to give the Panthers a $6.5 million loan, and gave the Panthers another loan, of $7.7 million, last month. Both were cited by Moody’s, whose analysts were concerned about it.

Lauderdale Lakes making "serious'' financial progress

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:01:09 -0500

At one point, Lauderdale Lakes' continued existence as a city appeared to be in jeopardy. Tuesday, the signs it was returning to solidity were hopeful.

The city was once again before the County Commission, as it seeks to repay a bill for Broward Sheriff's Office protection that rang up into the millions. Repaying the $9 million is expected to take the small, flagging city four years.

City Manager Jonathan Allen, (shown here with Broward Commissioner Dale Holness), said the city's making "serious'' progress.

Click here to read his memo.

An excerpt:

"The city has faced a financial crisis,'' Allen, son of local attorney W. George Allen, wrote. "However, the city is making serious progress toward improving its overall financial condition and resolving concerns about its ability to pay for BSO services.''

Commissioners voted 8-1, Ilene Lieberman dissenting, to provide another three months of BSO service. Lieberman had wanted the county to be provided with monthly financial statements from the city, and not wait three months to see those numbers again.

Broward will pay costs for Wilton Manors' duped voters if they want to sue

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:54:04 -0500

Wilton Manors, Hillsboro Beach or Sea Ranch Lakes that weakened the new Broward Code of Ethics?

If so, go ahead and sue. You’ve got a free attorney. County commissioners voted 5-4 Tuesday not to go to court themselves, but to pick up the costs and use county attorneys if a voter feels duped.

The successful Jan. 31 ballot question asked voters whether public officials should be “part-time” and allowed to “engage in outside/concurrent employment consistent with Florida law.’’ What it didn’t say is that Florida law is more lenient than Broward’s new Code of Ethics, and now public officials in those cities can be lobbyists.

On the jump, see the Broward County Commission conversation that led to this 5-4 vote. The nays: Commissioners Dale Holness, Chip LaMarca and Barbara Sharief, and Mayor John Rodstrom.

County authorizes condemnation if needed for Airport Hilton, marine business

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:12:36 -0500

Two thriving businesses worth $50 million or more will be bought by Broward County, shut down and demolished so the new runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport can open in 2014. Whether the landowners like it or not.

Broward County commissioners on Tuesday authorized the seldom-used method of condemnation – forcing the sale of private property using government’s eminent domain powers – to purchase the Griffin Road properties. Airport officials made the choice clear: Either the county buys the properties so the new runway can open, or they don’t and the $791 million runway doesn’t get built.

The vote was unanimous. Serious negotiations will now begin.

Aviation Director Kent George said if a deal can be reached, he won’t have to use the courts — an option that can be costly and time consuming and puts the cost ultimately in the hands of a 12-person jury.

“I hope we don’t,’’ George said.

LINK: New congressional maps for Florida

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:51:56 -0500

Want to see which congressional district you're in? Or which one you should run for office in?

Click here for a link to the new, state House-approved maps for United States congressional districts. The Senate still has to vote.

Ex-Sen. Dawson plans to plead guilty of tax evasion

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:24:20 -0500

My colleague Paula McMahon reports that former state Sen. Mandy Dawson will plead guilty in the income tax evasion case against her.

Click here to read it.