Susan Bucher has a memory like an elephant

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It was a two hour meeting that should have lasted only an hour.  Commissioner McVoy changed that when he complained that he had not been recognized by Mayor Triolo prior to the vote, (who now has the distinction of being the biggest bully on the dais with John Szerdi coming in at second place). He wanted to pull two items for discussion that were on the Consent Agenda. The prevailing vote can bring it back and that's what the Vice Mayor did with a vote of 5/0.  Glad he did, as it was the only thing on the Agenda that was interesting other than Greg Rice's Planning & Zoning report. But wait a moment--the mayor totally forgot the Electric Utility portion of the Agenda which is placed near the end of the meeting and poor Clay, the Utility Director, waited there for two hours to speak.  So, it probably would have been a much longer meeting after all.

The city wants to amend the city canvassing board as Susan Bucher will not be a party to that service for Lake Worth that she provides to all the other municipalities.  Gee, do you think it had anything to do with the city's demands after the general obligation bond vote this past August and treating her like an ogress?  Did it have to do with the city, in its outrage for losing the election, looking to find fault anywhere it could even going so far as to have citizens bring in their horror stories as to why they could not vote? The State said that the 14 provisional ballots should have been counted in that election and Glen Torcivia, city attorney, told Bucher that the city would not pay the cost of her legal fees. Lake Worth also demanded copies of documents that the SOE wanted to charge $400 for and the city balked.  The city also suggested that the Canvassing Board (Bucher and two county Judges) were in violation of Florida Sunshine Law, allegations that were unproved and unfounded. Or maybe it was the icing on Bucher's cake when Bornstein called her "condescending."

On January 6, 2015, the City Commission approved Resolution No. 02-2015 designating the City’s Canvassing Board and amended agreement with Susan Bucher's office for vote processing equipment use and election services believing that all was well with the SOE and it would be business as usual--forgive and forget. Shortly after the Supervisor of Elections received the agreement from Lake Worth, the City received word that Bucher was declining to serve on the Lake Worth City’s Canvassing Board.

So, the city manager was forced to come up with its own canvassing board. His suggestion was that it should be comprised of  the City Clerk or her designee, Community Redevelopment Agency Chairperson or his designee, and an attorney practicing law in Palm Beach County or his/her designee. Commission McVoy suggested the city clerk, our Internal Auditor and an attorney or a retired judge with Vice Mayor Maxwell suggesting a retired judge with a Constitutional law background.  McVoy's suggestion passed on a 5/0.