Getting beaten to a pulp by the Commission majority

Comment Up

Usually punching out McVoy is NOT done with a smile

Commissioner McVoy had a lot of concerns regarding our electric fund during an August budget workshop meeting and asked in-depth questions just as he did a week ago. In August, Commissioner McVoy commented that he was tempted to walk out of the meeting because it was a waste of the Commission’s time--he meant it was a waste of a thinking man's time.

The financial numbers were not correct and it sounded to him like the Finance Department was understaffed and there was not enough of it. Even the city manager has admitted that financial numbers are wrong in some instances but it's a "living document" he uses as an excuse.

Commissioner McVoy said he was not interested in the previous presentation. A few years back, an ordinance was passed to drop the City’s rates to match FPL’s. The Burton and Associates model showed a slope of the curve, which started at plus $10 million in operating cash downward to minus $20 million. He said rates were lowered and that, if operating expenses were reduced, then the $30 million spread over that period of time showed that the Electric Utility Department was not being managed correctly. He asked that information be provided using a clear, graph format. The City would go from a Projected Operating Cash of plus $10 million in Fiscal Year 2014 to minus $20 million in Fiscal Year 2020.

The response from the Mayor and Vice Mayor, often called bullies by many residents, and the two on the dais who beat up on McVoy all of the time (using scornful looks, leaning back in a chair, shuffling papers and not paying attention, cutting him short while he is speaking, etc.) are as follows--

Mayor Triolo commented she did not want to villainize staff and asked to keep the comments professional because staff worked hard. She is the one who storms out of meetings, passes the gavel and/or often gets annoyed. Calling professional scientist and commissioner Christopher McVoy unprofessional, is well, just plain unprofessional.

Vice Mayor Maxwell commented that the City historically contributed large sums of money to backfill its revenue through the Water and Electric Funds. He asked the Commission not to beat up staff over the rate parity ordinance and said that, if a Commissioner wanted to increase the electric rate, then he could make a motion. He asked that staff not be beaten up. That's a great line coming from someone who is constantly intolerant of a different opinion, beating up the minority commissioners and even has beaten up on the public calling them liars for voting against the general obligation bond, showing absolute zero patience and restraint.

So the moral of this story is, if you have a responsible commissioner who asks questions when numbers or explanations from staff don't add up, this majority will ignore you and beat you to a pulp but you continue on to the best of your ability and do your job for the people you serve.

Is this "bully pulpit" really the kind of leadership we want for Lake Worth?