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Look what a neighboring CRA did...just another BAD decision of wasted taxpayer dollars in the amount of $1 million that went poof in the night--Click here for Channel 12.
In 2007, the Boynton Beach City Commission voted to revert Agency oversight
from a seven-member independent board back to the City's governing body
(City Commission). The Boynton CRA Board is legally accountable to not only the City Commission, (themselves??)
but also the Palm Beach County Commission, the State of Florida
Department of Community Affairs, the Palm Beach County Tax Appraiser and
the State of Florida Auditor General. What about the taxpayers and the people they serve?
At least Lake Worth has some control due only to economic circumstances--we have less money than does Boynton and therefore our CRA gets less. The difference in our CRA and Boynton's is that ours is NOT an elected body. This unelected board can go out and spend and borrow millions.
On December 31, 2012, the CRA entered into a modification agreement on the interest on the 2005 private placement revenue note of $8 million...I believe that this was money for the Gateways that was supposed to attract development. All we got out of that was the affordable rental PROJECT being built on the FEC railroad tracks. The note is due in annual installments of $616,230 to $1,676,601 through 2016. The city, being the nice guys that they are but still are on the hook if the CRA can't pay, then entered into an agreement with the CRA to support the final payment. They still owe $2,938,738 according to the CAFR.
11 comments:
corrupt anyway you look at it--the women in the video Vivian also work for the cra in old northwood--that should be looked into also
" Mark Karageorge · Property Manager at Neighborhood Renaissance, Inc. - Property Manager
Most of this occurred to the Commission sitting as the CRA at the time and allowing Cornerstone to change the Preserve from home ownership to Section 8 rental, thus causing values to drop and people to be upside down and the economy also going in skids. Staff was against this change being allowed but the corrupt officials at the time allowed it, and did not disclose that they had gotten campaign contributions from Cornerstones attorney."
This is the comment that follows the video on the link. So the "elected" board of the Boynton CRA is more accountable to the tax payers?
Please explain.... Oh, that's right, you can vote them out.
The section 8 part of the comment is very valuable in what is happening right here in Lake Worth. It is more important that the properties are managed strictly whether Section 8 or not.
Thank you Jeff Clemens and Shannon Materio-the darling of the West Palm Beach city commission- ( among others on the CRA at the time)for having the "let them eat cake" mentality that got our stupid city into this ridiculous debt.
Lynn , can you please list the infamous CRA board that played us all ?
Joan Oliva -Saint Joan of the highly paid- is still the CRA leader, no?
Yet another argument against the "un-elected board". Both Jeff and Shannon went on, despite such egregious spending while "un-elected", and got elected to their current positions.
So NOW they are accountable. Right?
Tell me how that works again Suzanne.
Yup, it's mighty hard to fight corruption and the developer crowd. Can't fight it or the spend, spend, mentatlity that goes on in our nation in general.
Hi anonymous at 10:22 am. Joan was not the CRA director then, Mr. O'Gorman was and Shannon Materio was not on the board at that time and Jeff Clemens did not join the CRA until after those projects were approved and funded. Carry on with your non-sense.
10:31--I really wish you people would know what you're talking about before you post here.
Back in January 11, 2005, the CRA had a resolution to support and pledge, financially, on the 6th Avenue South and 10th Avenue North construction. Clemens most certainly was on the board. In fact, Clemens was the chair. He did approve of the projects along with the rest of the board.
Dear Blogger,
Nobody said that Jeff Clemens did no approve of the projects, but he was NOT on the board when the projects were initially approved. He then came on the board when the design, contractors etc were being picked as a new board member, not as chair. Jeff inherited the projects and oversaw their construction as the Chair. And Shannon Materio? are you disputing that also? How about Joan Olivia? There were two others before Joan O, Corey O'Gorman and Rachel Bach both were involved with the Gateways long before Joan came on board. So yes please, a little research from the Blogger to straighten uninformed people is greatly appreciated
I addressed Clemens only---not the rest of your comment. So, no, I am not disputing that so stop reading into something that I did not address.
Go somewhere else for your spitting contest.
As said, this CRA commission in Jan 2005 consisting of Clemens, Arevalo, Palen, Bott, Mittner, Constantine and Massing voted to support the resolution on the Gateways--to go forward with it and finance it. If it were not for them, it would have been dead. this has always been their CLAIM TO FAME. Gorey O'Gorman was the CRA Director at that time. Did I ever talk about Joan?
The reason for Joan's name is the other poster mentioned her in a somewhat derogatory manner along with Vivian Brooks, who happens to be a fantastic CRA director in Boynton. So No Dear you didn't talk about Joan, but she was mentioned erroneously as the CRA director during the Gateway project approval. She wasn't. Again though the concept and vote to move forward with the Gateways was solidified long before Clemens! Carry on with rewriting history :)
Wes, for a relatively young guy, you can't possibly have dementia so soon, can you? You really need to eat your own words. The only one I know who loves to twist history and always be right is you.
Re-read what I wrote...all true. That CRA could have stopped the Gateways right then and there but they were crazy in love with spending $15 million for a few twigs to attract development that NEVER came. :)
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