LAUDERDALE LAKES --

To: Senator Joe Abruzzo
CC: Senator Jeremy Ring

via email

Recently, the City of Lauderdale Lakes has taken upon itself (and perhaps through their lobbyist Ron Book) to produce a series of talking points on why the State of Florida should not undertake a review/audit of the county/resident taxpayer’s money.

In 2011, this issue was investigated through an independent CRA Forensic Audit that was requested by the CRA Board of Directors. The City and CRA acted and initiated corrective actions for all the major findings listed in the independent CRA Forensic Audit and the OIG Report.

Bullshit.

Here’s what Mike Kessler, CEO of Kessler International, had to say:

The original scope of Kessler’s forensic audit of the City of Lauderdale Lakes Community Redevelopment Agency (“CRA”) was reduced from three years to one.

Kessler’s review of CRA’s financial transactions with the City for the period October 2009 through September 2010 (“FY 2010”) disclosed questionable transactions involving fund transfers, questionable payments by the CRA of expenses presented by the City and payments destined to the CRA deposited in the City operating account.

Despite numerous requests, Kessler was not provided complete documentation. Kessler did not review travel expenses, out of state conferences, charitable donations, credit card payments, and agreements with private developers.

Given this, the Kessler Audit should not be viewed as a full-scale investigation of the City of Lauderdale Lakes CRA.

Team Jon Allen paid for a very modest review, didn’t cooperate with the investigation, yet now wants everyone to believe they went Full Monty.

No deal fuckers. We ain’t buying.

*

PS By the way, the person who did provide Kessler with information? None other than Gary Rogers, CRA chief.