Financial Advisory Board

The City wanted the Financial Advisory Board to discuss the Capital Improvement Plan so that it could go forward to the City Commission for approval.

After listening to sidewalk improvements for 30 minutes, Bill Thrasher wanted to get into the nitty gritty—we don’t have any money. He said that it was unacceptable that the City can’t find money for 2010 projects.

Saying that we have “lost our ability to govern our City,” Mr. Thrasher came up with ideas that would immediately allow Lake Worth to provide the basic things and save millions of dollars:

1. Develop our own police department
2. Privatize our Fire Department
3. Strive for defined contributions immediately with the Unions
4. Limit the CIP to those items that benefit Home Rule.

Mr. Thrasher wants to look at all components and have an estimated Revenues and Expenditures list. He said that without this information, any recommendation to the Commission would make the Board look foolish. John Pickett agreed. Steve Carr, Finance Director, said that we were starting off with a $2.7 million deficit and that estimates on Revenue and Expenditures were not yet available.

The Board then drifted back to sidewalk discussion. That’s when I left.