Palm Beach Politics

County agrees to more independence for inspector general

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:48:11 -0500

The latest version of ethics reform gives Palm Beach County’s scandal-ridden county commission a lesser role in picking a new full-time government watchdog. Since 2006, three former county commissioners have gone to prison on federal corruption charges, prompting a slate of proposed ethics reforms. Key among them are establishing a new Ethics Commission as well as hiring an inspector general, who would be charged with investigating corruption and government waste. County officials and community groups had differed over how much power the County Commission would have over the new Ethics Commission and inspector general. A previous version called for the independently appointed Ethics Commission to recruit and choose the new inspector general, but left it up to the County Commission to approve the selection. The new county proposal allows the Ethics Commission to pick the inspector general, and then leaves it to the county attorney’s office to negotiate a contract with the chosen candidate. The County Commission would still have to approve the contract, at least for the initial inspector general. Removing the inspector general would still require a supermajority vote of the seven-member County Commission, after a review by the Ethics Commission and two public hearings. The ethics reforms go for an initial vote before the County Commission on Dec. 1, with a final vote scheduled for Dec. 15.

Rep. Maria Sachs, D-Delray Beach, heads for Berlin tonight

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:28:45 -0500

State Rep. Maria Sachs, D-Delray Beach, is traveling to Berlin Monday evening to attend the 10th Annual Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, which convenes this week to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall. In an email sent by her office, Sachs said she will give a speech on the impact of human trafficking in Florida. Sachs is a member of the Florida's Task Force on Human Trafficking. She said that bringing the problem to the attention of the summit's attendees "will go a long way toward exposing the issue to the world," Sachs wrote.

County Commissioner Steve Abrams thanks local residents for contributions

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:22:28 -0500

Palm Beach County Commissioner Steve Abrams met with residents and staff of the Broken Sound community Thursday to thank them for their donations benefitting the animals at the county's Animal Care and Control shelters and the Tri-County Humane Society. Abrams posed for a photo with the residents, who donated items such as food, blankets and toys. A local veterinarian, Flavia Tomkins of Boca Village Animal Hospital, also donated 25 gift certificates.

Santamaria fires off $4,000 check to frustrated constituent

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:25:44 -0500

Palm Beach County Commissioner Jess Santamaria keeps trying to put his money where his mouth is. Santamaria this week wrote a $4,000 check to a constituent who was frustrated over the county’s refusal to pave a neighborhood road near Wellington. In the past, Santamaria has offered to use his $92,000-a-year commission salary to help pay for everything from the county’s biotech recruitment efforts to hiring a staffer to oversee economic development in the Glades. Last year he donated the equivalent of his commission salary to homeless programs. Santamaria’s check dated Nov. 4 was made out to Andy Schaller, a resident of Palm Beach Ranchettes. Schaller for months has sparred with county officials, Santamaria in particular, to try to get Fargo Road paved. Schaller has argued that Santamaria flip-flopped and backed off commitments to support the road paving. Schaller in August floated the possibility of a recall vote to remove Santamaria from office, which Santamaria dared him to try. After another back-and-forth with Schaller at Tuesday’s commission meeting, Santamaria sent Schaller a letter acknowledging that he had previously offered to reimburse Schaller for expenses Schaller incurred trying to get Fargo Road paved. With the letter was a $4,000 personal check. Santamaria, however, said he would not be paying $10,000 to help cover Fargo paving costs. “I wish you much luck in all your future endeavors,” Santamaria, a developer-turned-politician, wrote to Schaller. A commissioner sending a personal check to a vocal critic is certainly unusual. This transaction was made publicly and came with "no strings attached" so it shouldn't conflict with the county's pending ethics reforms, County Attorney Denise Nieman said. "He's just making good on something that he said," Nieman said about Santamaria. "He's not paying him off to do anything for him."

Santamaria questions corruption reform plan

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:09:17 -0500

Palm Beach County Commissioner Jess Santamaria so far isn’t buying a key part of the corruption reform plan intended to restore public trust in local government. Santamaria contends that the plan still fails to give enough independence to a new Ethics Commission and inspector general, which would serve as watchdogs over county government. Santamaria just doesn’t trust future county commissioners to keep from meddling with the inspector general’s investigative powers. He doesn’t want the county commission to have a say in the hiring, firing and funding of the future inspector general. Since 2006, three former county commissioners have gone to prison on corruption charges. That prompted the ethics reforms going before the commission for a vote in December. The latest version of the county’s plan calls for an independently appointed ethics commission to recruit and choose a proposed inspector general, with the County Commission then voting yes or no on that selection. Removing the inspector general would require a supermajority vote of the County Commission, after a review by the Ethics Commission and two public hearings. Santamaria contends that the scandal-ridden county commission should have no power over the inspector general. He proposes that the inspector general answer to the planned Ethics Commission, which he says should be mostly made up of former judges. “What’s happening is we have a (proposed) inspector general that will pretty much be under the control of the county commission,” said Santamaria, elected in 2006 after running on an anti-corruption campaign. “There’s no compromise in independence,” he said. “You are either independent or you are not independent.” The county’s reform plan has yet to be finalized. County Attorney Denise Nieman has said she remains open to adding more safeguards to insure independence for the inspector general.

Aaronson wants felons to fess up before winning county appointments

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:38:49 -0500

Felons should have to come clean if they want a seat on a Palm Beach County committee or advisory board, according to Palm Beach County Commissioner Burt Aaronson. Volunteers being considered for appointment by the commission would have to disclose if they have been convicted of a felony and explain what led to the charge, under Aaronson’s proposal. Commissioners could then decide whether that criminal history should factor into choosing a candidate. “All of these boards have a reflection on us,” Aaronson said Tuesday. “We should know.” The move comes amid a slew of ethics reforms and new disclosure requirements being proposed to try to restore public trust in county government after three former commissioners since 2006 have been sent to prison on corruption charges. The county so far doesn’t plan to invest in criminal background checks for appointees. Aaronson said he hopes just posing the question on applications would serve as a “deterrent” for potential appointees with criminal pasts. The county has more than 90 committees with about 1,300 people who weigh in on everything from zoning rules to libraries. While Aaronson pushes for weeding out felons, Commissioner Shelley Vana wants to reduce the number of committees and boards to try to improve efficiency. In addition, new Commissioner Priscilla Taylor has called for her fellow commissioners to choose more minorities and women to serve on committees and advisory boards. That has county officials considering adding descriptions of race, ethnicity and gender to the lists of nominees that go before commissioners.

Marjiuana the prescription to Palm Beach County budget woes?

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:01:58 -0500

Marijuana could help solve local governments’ cash flow problems and ease jail overcrowding, according to Palm Beach County Commissioner Burt Aaronson. During a dreary discussion of the county’s continued financial woes, Aaronson made the surprising suggestion to legalize marijuana. Taxing the sales of the popular recreational drug could help pay for the cost of local governments, said Aaronson, the elder statesman of the county commission. Ending prosecutions could also free up jail space, he said. Palm Beach County is in the midst of paying for an expensive jail expansion at the same time that property tax revenues are down due to the struggling economy deflating property values. “Maybe one day this country will go ahead and legalize marijuana,” Aaronson said wistfully during Tuesday’s budget talks. The county faces a more than $100 million budget shortfall next year, even after boosting property tax rates nearly 15 percent his year. Aaronson’s off-the-cuff suggestion caught his fellow commissioners by surprise. Commissioner Steven Abrams joked that while legalizing marijuana could free up jail space, the county might end up having to pay for more deputies on road patrol to deal with erratic driving.

Republicans planning debate for Wexler's congressional seat

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 18:11:47 -0500

In a bid to fill the void left by the resignation of Democratic Congressman Robert Wexler, the Boca Raton Republican Club is already marking its calendar for a candidates debate on Dec. 14. The club will host a debate for Republican candidates at 6:30 p.m. at the Boca Raton Marriott, 5151 Town Center Circle. The territory of the coveted District 19 congressional seat stretches across Broward and Palm Beach counties. The Republican candidates so far include: Joe Budd, Josue Larose, Edward Lynch and Curt Price. Wexler this month announced he was resigning to take lead a public policy group focused on the Middle East.

Palm Beach County Commissioner Steve Abrams announced funding awards

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:05:30 -0500

County Commissioner Steven L. Abrams announced that Palm Beach County recently approved federal funding agreements for several projects in his district. The Boca Raton Housing Authority will receive $405,000 for hurricane hardening projects at the 93-unit Banyan Place, at 2950 NW 5th Avenue, Boca Raton. Delray Elderly, L.P. will receive $136,547 for the purchase and installation of generators for their residential buildings and club house at 600 Lindell Blvd, Delray Beach. Abrams said the federal funds require no local match or contribution and will be used to make these housing facilities safer for their residents. The funds are part of the ongoing 2005 Disaster Recovery Initiative that was created to help repair damage incurred during the hurricane season.

Developer of Villages project made contributions to two on Delray Beach City Commission

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:20:13 -0500

DELRAY BEACH - Mayor Woodie McDuffie pointed out what some already knew. "I've been very cautious with this because a number of people have brought up that Auburn contributed to my campaign," McDuffie said at a City Commission meeting earlier this month when a controversial affordable-housing project was approved. "So I have walked on eggshells with this project and I have checked and checked behind the scenes to try to make sure everyone is telling me the truth." The Auburn Group, a South Florida developer that has built more than 4,000 affordable apartments in the area, went to great lengths to court city officials for approval of Villages at Delray, a rental community for low-income families. It also made significant contributions to the campaigns of two of the three city commissioners who approved the project. A Sun Sentinel analysis of campaign contributions found that nearly $1 of every $5 McDuffie and Commissioner Adam Frankel received in the March election came from an Auburn-affiliated business entity or individual -- almost 18 percent of Frankel's contributions and 17 percent of McDuffie's, according to campaign finance documents.

South Florida Tea Party leader on "Hardball"

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 16:14:12 -0500

"Who are the patriots and who aren`t the patriots, sir?" That was how Chris Matthews kicked off his "Hardball" interview with South Florida Tea Party leader Everett Wilkinson last night. Wilkinson faced a flurry of questions from Matthews, verbal jabs to elicit political inconsistencies or ideological contradictions. "You know there is an inconsistency here between what you espouse as a conservative and what happened under Bush, big spending, TARPs, bailouts, payoffs, doubling of the national debt, going to wars of choice?" Matthews asked, according to a transcript. That prompted some back-and-forth about spending under Bush. At first, Wilkinson said Bush was not a "fiscal conservative." Matthews pressed the question: Was Bush a true conservative? "No," Wilkinson said. "I do not believe he was a true conservative." "OK. Great," Matthews responds. Lively stuff. Watch the rest:

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Still, Wilkinson can take heart from Matthews' closing comment: "You stood your ground."

Compromise brewing between competing Palm Beach County corruption reforms

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 18:21:45 -0500

The standoff over dueling Palm Beach County corruption reform plans could be moving closer to compromise. County officials have agreed to accept a key component of the competing reform plan pushed by a coalition of business and community groups. Specifically, the change would create more financial independence for a new ethics commission and inspector general intended to provide more oversight of local government. Corruption scandals plaguing the county in recent years prompted a state grand jury review that called for creating an office of inspector general to ferret out waste and wrongdoing. The community groups want the county to agree to a dedicated funding source for an ethics commission and inspector general, so that the county commission doesn’t have the power to cut off money needed for the new government watchdogs. As the community groups and grand jury suggested, the latest version of the county’s reform plan now calls for committing a percentage of the money spent on county contracts to help pay for the ethics commission and inspector general. In addition to the money behind the new reform efforts, the community groups want the county to give the hiring and firing power over the new inspector general to the proposed ethics commission. The community groups pushing an alternative reform plan include the Economic Council, Business Forum, Voters Coalition and Leadership Palm Beach County. The group leaders have said that if they can’t reach a compromise with the county by next month, they plan to push ahead with their own proposed charter amendment that would compete with a county-version in the November 2010 election. County staffers and group representatives meet Thursday to continue talks to try to agree on a compromise reform plan. “Hopefully we can close the gap (and) get it done,” Assistant County Administrator Brad Merriman said.

Diversity push could add race, ethnicity descriptions to Palm Beach County committee nominees

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 21:30:46 -0500

Answering a call for more diversity, Palm Beach County Administrator Bob Weisman proposes adding descriptions of race, ethnicity and gender to the list of nominees for county committees and boards. New Commissioner Priscilla Taylor last week called for her fellow commissioners to commit to choosing more minorities and women to serve on appointed committees and advisory boards. The county has more than 90 committees with about 1,300 people who weigh in on everything from zoning rules to libraries. County staffers researched Taylor’s concerns and found that 50 percent of those committee members could be identified as white, 12 percent black, 2.6 percent Hispanic and less than 1 percent Asian. About 35 percent of the committee members were identified in the diversity “breakdown” as “unknown.” “Because of the large number of ‘unknown’ designation, it is difficult to assess how closely our appointments reflect the diversity of our population,” Weisman said in an e-mail to commissioners Friday. Weisman proposes that the county start including a “racial/ethnic designation” on the lists of future nominees that go before commissioners. He also suggested including a description of the “racial/ethnic/gender breakdown” of all sitting members of committees when vacancies come up for a vote. Weisman plans to implement the new approach during the next two months, unless commissioners voice objections. A 2008 U.S. Census update reported that the county’s 1.3 million population was 59 percent white, 18 percent Hispanic, 16 percent black and 7 percent with various designations.

Robert Wexler to resign from Congress

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 17:38:43 -0500

Posted by Anthony Man on October 13, 2009 04:48 PM U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, who represents Broward and Palm Beach counties, plans to resign from Congress. He plans to announce his plans at a news conference Wednesday at 10 a.m. in Boca Raton., A Democratic source with knowledge of Wexler's plans said he is likely to take a public policy job that deals with the Middle East. Wexler, a senior member of the House Foreign Relations Committee, has long been involved in issues involving Israel and Turkey. Check SunSentinel.com for updates on this story.

Senate candidate withdraws, shaking up race

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:36:10 -0500

Posted by Anthony Man on October 13, 2009 04:09 PM One of the most watched races for the Florida Senate was shaken up Tuesday when one of the three Republican candidates dropped out. Nick Loeb, a Delray Beach businessman, said he would no longer seek his party’s nomination in the 25th State Senate District, which takes in primarily coastal Broward and Palm Beach counties. Loeb has never been elected to anything before, but his presence in the primary race, which also includes two Republicans well known in political circles – state Reps. Ellyn Bogdanoff and Carl Domino – made the contest unpredictable. Check Broward Politics for updates to this story.