The CRA Cookie Jar, full of Crumbs

The Lucerne, in the CRA District

One reason why we get in so much trouble in this City is that the decision makers do not have all of the facts, do not remember all of the facts or all of the facts are not revealed to them by Staff and by their politically appointed Boards. Decisions are then made. The Commission depends on Staff to give correct and complete information. There are so many factors that go into the process of decision making and when there are bits of information that are covered up or just conveniently left out of a staff report in order to subjugate the Commission, then we are in a whole lot of trouble.

I am constantly bothered by some who “spin” the argument without telling the entire story. Take the CRA’s hiring of an additional sheriff deputy for $90,000 for eight months left into their budget year, as an example. Some on that Board continue to give the argument that it had a budget of $350,000 for their own deputy and only spent $90,000 therefore it has saved $250,000. It is a line item. You saved nothing. Just because it is budgeted does not mean that you absolutely MUST spend it there.

If you take the entire cost of going with the Sheriff’s Department, we have spent so much more money than we ever realized to get the SAME ninety-one men. The CRA’s argument had no merit the other night. Actually there are members on that Board who don't have to try very hard to find ways to spend our money, like 10% raises during the worst recession, probably depression, in our life time.

Right now the Sheriff decision has cost Lake Worth taxpayers over $1 million a year for the next three years. Plus, we gave them all of the assets we owned relative to police. It just cost us police radios for which we still owe $450,000. Now on Tuesday’s agenda, the Sheriff Department is requesting that we turn over forfeiture funds in the amount of $212,109.46.

If there are members on the CRA Board who continually have tunnel vision and only think things through to this extent, then take back the CRA. They have not brought anything to the bottom line. If abolished, we will still get millions of ad valorem that is much needed in our City, not for questionable projects that may or may not ever happen or are not needed now. Spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on projects in addition to the millions on The Gateways for their vision of what Lake Worth should look like or become, is ridiculous at any time but especially during this economy.

We have a city in shambles but the CRA is spending $13 million on 6th and 10th. The CRA is in control of a big budget. At least with elected officials we can vote them out of office if they are doing a lousy job. Those on the CRA Board are appointed for 4 year terms--way too long in anyone’s book but theirs.