LAUDERDALE LAKES --

Well, when we got a note from Joel Ramos (Legislative Assistant to Sen. Jeremy Ring) indicating Gov. Rick Scott called for an outside audit of Lauderdale Lakes, we were both excited and confused. While we welcomed the movement, we thought it strange Scott’s involvement.

Seems that Ramos got his facts mixed up as Scott’s not called for an audit, rather the call has originated with the Legistatlive Auditing Committee (LAC).

MAOS inquired to Ramos about the procedure, sharing our concerns about the possiblity of Tallahassee accepting City Auditor’s rod harvey accountabuddy‘s “word for it.”

Mr. Ramos;

The city’s audit is performed by a CPA who is close personal friends of the City Manager. To depend on those numbers begs all logic. If the LAC proceeds with this route, they are doing more damage than good. They will skip over all of the issues and this will embolden the folks in charge of Lauderdale Lakes. What needs to be done is a through examination, as was done with Hollywood. Just redo what Sen. Sobel got…

Unless you examine behind the numbers, you might as well just issue City Manager Jon Allen a golden ticket now and save the taxpayer money being wasted by your Tallahassee staff. Allen, by the way, is under a criminal investigation thanks to my complaint.

For instance:

1. The City took $1.4M the entire City had (I know this from public records requests) in cash and turned it into almost $3.2M. Look at the financial statements and footnotes. Miracle or just fiction? In addition, the City used $1.6M in cash from special assessments during the process.
2. This is also on top of the $9.2M loan to the County for BSO debt and the $2.5M pilfered from the CRA.
3. Current ongoing violations at the CRA.
4. And I have about 30 other issues.

I am certain that Broward Commissioners Stacy Ritter and Marty Kiar did not sign up for a Tallahassee rubber stamp of the Lauderdale Lakes financials. I am also willing to bet Sen. Abruzzo wants to get to the bottom of this… I’d bet good money your boss, Sen. Ring, also wants to learn the truth.

Lauderdale Lakes has willfully violated many laws. I expect the LAC to fully investigate. Anything short is a joke and a waste of taxpayer money.

All of this, mind you, started because of my year-long investigation. Should this continue in this fashion, I want NO PART of this.

No worries, say Ramos, “I can assure you it won’t wither and die since the audit results are coming due during the 2nd half of session, we could easily get things started before the summer if it is the will of the committee.”

Game on fuckers.