Lake Worth Candidates

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I would imagine that our candidates will be getting a little more coverage than typical this election year as we are about the only city around that has local elections in November. All of them are feeling the misery of the hottest summer on record according to the National Weather Service as they canvass neighborhoods, knocking on doors and politicking.

Thanks to former Commissioner Nadine Burns who spearheaded it and Dave Vespo and Retha Lowe (a former "top worst" commission), who pushed this several years ago. They put it on the ballot knowing full well that the month of November, in the eyes of the average voter, would make sense because that is when everyone votes for President. The average guy just doesn't want to take 10 minutes out of his day to go vote and once a year is sufficient in his mind. Politicians count on these kind of statistics to push forth an agenda. That particular Commission had one and it was keeping Jeff Clemens in office for 8 additional months.

In today’s Local section, page 3, of the PB Post, there is a synopsis of the Lake Worth candidates and their priorities. The candidates running in their prospective districts are as different as night and day in their understanding of the issues and why they want to serve for the measly sum of $7,200 in salary and the same amount in expenses.

Comments below are basically on the PB Post article and no where near or close to the full picture of where these candidates stand on the issues-- their knowledge or lack of understanding. Although all may comprehend every vote and every reason for decisions made over the past few years, none other than Suzanne Mulvehill ever attended commission meetings or Board meetings with any regularity, if ever. They, of course, could have been listening over the Internet :). Even Lisa Maxwell was forced off the Planning & Zoning Board for lack of attendance.

Carla Blockson--candidate District 2: Supports lowering commercial electric rates. This is a subject that is too comprehensive to go into in this blog. Not only does she believe that we should eliminate the Conservation Program but we should return all the money to the taxpayers. Good luck on that one, Carla. The Conservation has been in effect for the past year. It had a million dollar budget with one-half going toward salaries. In the upcoming budget, the department is now at $1,454,624. That's what happens when you create bureaucracies. Departments NEVER get smaller. Teaching people to be more energy efficient can be done through a flier inserted with their utility bill. This program targets the poorer residents within our city who do not even have the money to buy more energy efficient appliances and air conditioning units. It is a revenue producing department, providing a service to some Lake Worth residents, that allowed former code officers to keep their jobs. Protecting our employees is something for which I thought Ms. Blockson approved.

Next, Carla wants fast-track permitting to encourage businesses to Lake Worth. We have that already, something Suzanne Mulvehill helped implement. Blockson wants to strengthen Code enforcement. We have a new Program that will do just that without increasing the number of code enforcement officers. I have always been FOR more code officers, not less. However, Wayne Bergman spoke at the Tropical Ridge Neighborhood Association about the new Code Enforcement Program and set me straight. Carla was at that meeting and listened to his presentation. At the same meeting she said that she would not do "favors" for her friends. We agree that all elected officials should adhere to high ethical standards and integrity. Blockson was a member of the Community Relations Board of Lake Worth and resigned to run for office. Carla works for the Social Security Administration.

Christopher McVoy, candidate District 2: Supports the completion of the beach and casino projects. Wants to crack down on banks and absentee landlords in keeping up their property and use his technical knowledge when negotiating for power rates when our contract with FMPA (our power provider) expires. He was a member of the Governor's Commission for Sustainable South Florida and is an environmental scientist with South Florida Water Management. He is for the beach redevelopment and Casino project and Chair of We Love Lake Worth Political Action Committee that petitioned to keep our beach, one of our greatest assets, public. He is an advocate of alternative energy. McVoy was a member of our Planning & Zoning board and recently stepped down in order to run for election.

Lisa Maxwell, candidate District 4: Supports reducing the size of the City budget which are her top 3 priorities--the budget, the budget and the budget. The City and the Commission, of which Suzanne Mulvehill is a part, just reduced the Budget for year 2010-2011. See Chart 11 of the City Budget that shows a reduction of 16.4% in the operating budget. She also wants to eliminate the Conservation program and return the money to rate payers but provides no viable plan to do so in a City that is in dire need of revenue. She is in favor of using the CDBG funds for roads and sidewalks, a recommendation made by the Finance Advisory Board. She has said that she might want to sell the Utility. This is not her decision; it would be the voters of Lake Worth. Ms. Maxwell was a Director of Redevelopment with Lennar Homes and is now a consultant who is forming an alternative energy company. She was a former member of our Planning & Zoning board.

Suzanne Mulvehill, incumbent and candidate District 4: One of the few elected officials that has ever fulfilled a campaign promise--she did just that when she saved the Casino from demolition and the vote to re-build it. She has a clear understanding of the importance of completing the Casino project and marketing our great city to get those tourist dollars spent here in Lake Worth. She understands the importance of being a provider (Reverse Osmosis System) of water rather than dependent upon anyone else for this precious resource. She was one of the Commissioners that reversed the bad decision of the Jeff Clemens administration that stopped our RO after spending $14 million and then going with PB County on a contract to buy water. Through her vote to reverse this bad decision, she saved taxpayers $3.5 million dollars. She supports a feed-in-tariff to stimulate solar power generation as well as lowering electric rates. Suzanne Mulvehill is our Commissioner District 4.