LAUDERDALE LAKES --

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Senator Joe Abruzzo
12300 Forest Hill Boulevard
Suite 200
Wellington, FL 33414-5785

CC: Commissioner Martin Kiar
Broward County Governmental Center
115 S. Andrews Ave., Room 417
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

Commissioner Stacy Ritter
Broward County Governmental Center
115 S. Andrews Ave., Room 417
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301

via email

RE: A Retort of the Lauderdale Lakes, FL response

The Honorable Senator Abruzzo:

Hey Joe;

Maybe by now, you may have received the City of Lauderdale Lakes response to Commissioner Stacy Ritter’s audit request. If you haven’t, their answer was something along the lines of, “Nothing to see here. Move along. We don’t want anyone else digging around, that might cause someone to get locked up. Oh, and Chaz blows.”

Allow me to retort with a couple of solid reasons why this audit needs to move forward.

1. Because I said so.
2. Several of the key players involved, City Manager Jonathan Allen and State Rep. Hazelle Rogers are currently under criminal investigation. I think it’s high time we start considering collusion and/or RICO. And I don’t mean the Suave type.
3. At Monday’s workshop, CRA Chair Leyovd Williams publicly mentioned his concern (queue the handcuffs) about an audit.

As to the technical contents of the Lauderdale Lakes reply, here’s our rebuttal.

1. Mayor Barrington Russell and Williams mention the termination of three employees, yet failed to note the Assistant City Manager (Allen), now City Manager, and CRA Chair (Allen’s frat buddy, Commissioner Eric “Deadbeat Dad” Haynes) were actively involved in the $2.5 million theft.
2. And if that $2.5 million wasn’t enough, the city still had to borrow $9.2 million from the County to pay BSO. I’d not loan these guys lunch money, let alone millions.
3. We question the overall legality of a forbearance agreement that used CRA money to pay for city operating expenses. Duh and/or hello? Anyone bother to read the applicable Florida Statutes?
4. The CRA Fund Balance in 2012/13 was $3.4 million, yet only $200,000 was budgeted. Not sure what flavor of crack they’re smoking, but this fails to meet the requirements of Florida Statute 163. A cursory look at their financial statements and adopted budgets will disclose these numbers.
5. Russell and Williams were careful not to identify glaring CRA abuses such as paying City employees from the CRA, using $3.2 million in CRA money to build the Educational Cultural Center, overpaying millions for property, questionable incentives to private investors, travel for CRA Board and staff, and donations to questionable groups.
6. According to the LAC letter dated Sep. 11, the State only reviewed the audited results of 2010, as 2011 was unavailable, and contrary to Russell’s assertion, the State’s work was not an audit.

As a bright mind recently told me, “Who could be against a review? It’s just an audit. It’s not like we’re calling the FBI.”

Yet.

Happy hunting;