Politics takes another Great Volunteer

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Linda Davis, Appraiser for Palm Beach County, just tendered her resignation to the Planning & Zoning board. But after what this new trio commission pulled, who can blame her. It is totally appalling to me to have members of this Board treated in such a way to all be declared irrelevant...all for politics, not even allowing some of them to complete their appointed terms. Ms. Davis is so highly qualified, it isn't funny. We were lucky that she wanted to serve. She is funny and smart, analytical and fair, with every decision of hers made for the betterment of Lake Worth. I personally will miss her a lot. My only thought about resignation letters is that it is too bad that you have to be "politically correct" in its message. With that, I have posted Linda Davis' resignation letter:

Dear Mayor Triolo and Commissioners,

I have unfortunately had another health issue which has sidelined me today. I have arrived at the conclusion that my employment, my own health, and that of my father, currently requires that I devote more time to my personal and business life.

It is with a mixture of both sadness, and also some guilty relief, that I resign from the Planning and Zoning, Nuisance Abatement, Community Appearance Boards, and the Sign Board of Appeals. I think it tells a tale that I THINK I am resigning from the newly appointed interim term from May 1 until ? If I am not, please feel free to apply this to my other prior unexpired 3 year term.

It is hard to buckle down, quietly "interim", and take one for the team with the feeling that your foot, or those of others that you have worked with and admire, are gripping on a banana peel. Are they working in vain? I sincerely hope not. No one wants to see years of work, buckets of money, and the almost completed LDRs and Comp Plan amendments go swirling down the drain, just when having an understandable, workable, and functioning code is within the City's grasp. I think that would be a horrible waste.

I feel that I have served the city in an able manner for almost three years and can look at myself in the mirror without regret. It has been my pleasure to sit with the other board members and talented staff who have selflessly devoted their time and knowledge to our much loved City. These have been great folks to work with.

One of the advantages of such a varied board was the precious gift of being pulled out of any tunnel vision and being forced to analyze all aspects. "One never knows when one may learn something", as my dad would tell me. It would certainly be valuable, in my opinion, to keep on any of the current members that might choose to apply for the "new" board. The value of their continuity, arduous work effort, and demonstrated ability to weigh all sides of an issue, would serve you well. Lack of trust in the government by the public is a perpetual problem. The selection of your "new" board members will send a message...what will it be? I trust that it will be to keep faith with the very long work effort and put its timely completion first, for the good of the City.

I wish you all very good luck in what is a difficult position and at a difficult economic time. We all love Lake Worth!

Linda A. Davis