I had already left the chamber but I understand the conversation went something like this:
Katie Mcgiveron: Out of 35 to 40,000 residents, you're going to base a ballot question on 200 (two hundred) hand-picked voters?Although Clearview only polled 200 people, we had 37,097 residents in 2014 according to City Data.
Scott Maxwell: You want public input? You go vote "for" or "against" the ballot.
Clearview polled the following:
White Caucasian: 78%
Black/African American: 6%
Hispanic Cuban Descent: 2%
Hispanic, not Cuban descent: 2%
Other/Refused: 12%
In actuality we have:
Lake Worth Median resident age: 35.7 years
Read the Survey and answers: Lake Worth Bond Issue Survey and make your own conclusions as to whether this exercise was worth the money and the time. The commission will immediately go into a resolution to have the ballot language for one of the two bonds suggested--$40 million or $50 million for 30 years at a rate never discussed.
City Manager Michael Bornstein suggested that it go on the November 2016 ballot. Expect this Resolution to appear soon at one of our regular city commission meetings.
Channel 12 was there last night. Click here for video.
Click here for the PBPost article
37 comments:
Unless you're white ,retired and still own a land telephone line,YOU DON'T Matter in Lake Worth! Out of 35,000 residents a poll of two hundred handpicked friends of the majority commission is going to be used to have an election in November.Mike Bornstein said this 8,000 dollar "survey" was done to find out the best time to have the election.So with absolutely zero public input, Mayor Pam Triolo,Commissioner Scott Maxwell and Commissioner Andy Amoroso are going to ask you to give them 50,000,000 for roads. At least that's what they say it's going for. We don't need and are not going to get any details. Just shut up and sign the check. Like Commissioner Maxwell told me after the excuse for voter fraud that the terrible trio called a workshop last night,"You want the public to participate in this ? They can go vote for or against this bond."Katie Mcgiveron
The mayor was the biggest bully there.
It was apparent--the commission does not want anymore discussion on potholes or why it needs the homeowners to pay for a 30 year bond. Even though the roads will only last 15 years, we will be paying for the bond for 30. The commission feels that everything was discussed in 2014 and no more is necessary. And besides, they say, they only lost by 25 votes on August 26, 2014. They are telling us--we must have the money and you must pay for it. No more discussion. NO details given. Then they come up with a survey (supposedly NO commissioner even knew that the city manager was doing this...how odd) that they now will tout as proof that the majority of residents want to pay for all of this in heir ad valorem.
They are asking for $40 million or $50 million. the last bond was for $63 million but with the interest over 30 years it was going to cost the taxpayers $131 million. This is an important detail for those who are going to pay for it all.
Yes, we do need our roads fixed but it just gets more and more incredible.
It sounds like they are relying on the votes from renters in this city, who can vote, but don't own, so they do not care. I never got a call and I am white, but no landline. If they put it on the ballot, I still will not vote for it, they need to get the taxes from all these new developments all over to pay for this, not us. I do not trust them, I do not like what I saw last night with the mayor talking to that lady the way she did, it was not nice, nor is it allowing citizens to have a say. Andy, Scott, and pam do not want to listen to us at all. Shame on them all.
People are making all these outrageous and stupid comments on Lake Wroth Voice, the worst community page ever.
Once again this majority commission starts off with a bs sales pitch based on a nonrepresentative survey of citizens hand picked by what we are told is the absolute "best" polling company in the nation (huh?that you have never heard of) costing us $9000. Which the Mayor says is "nothing" and claims she knew nothing about this. And this illustrious best company ever also cannot even guestimate any margin of error, because their sample is too small. And only given to those with land lines hand picked with certain demographics. So if you live in Lake Worth and don't happen to be over 65 and still have a land line, you, my friend are just SOL. You don't count at all but YOU WILL PAY. And this new dog and pony show is PROOF POSITIVE that you want this. Even though of course there is no information to be had re any details of where this money is going, at what rate, and who is going to be responsible for distribution. There you go Lake Worth. Another wonderful sales pitch telling you what you want and you'd better just shut your mouth and open your wallet. See, we've just proven that you will do this.
I think we all agree the roads need fixing. But I like to know what I am buying before I pay for it. Why is that considered irrelevant? And why am I irrelevant if I am paying for this?
I still don't understand why a commissioner from St. Lucie was the presenter. In Lake Worth?
@10:19--the city manager loves to bring in supposed experts on a subject. We have studies after studies and now this 200 voter survey to support a $40-50 million bond. 200 people are speaking for the over 15,000 registered voters here. This was to make their argument more credible in their minds and in the minds of those listening.
And the show kept going after the meeting was adjourned. I thought Scott was going to haul off and slug Richard Stowe. Jamie Brown intervened. Not particularly confidence boosting behavior for a commissioner. Maybe anger management? Or more meds?
Well guess what? They just convinced me again that they are not representative, and if possible, even less credible.
The "expert" was a friend of City Manager Mike Bornstien. Incestuous little group ,right??
What I saw last night were TYRANTS at work.
Don't ask what we want/need but ONCE AGAIN telling US
what we are getting! The CM isn't smart enough to do
that survey on his own and to tell the people you rep
your only chance to voice concerns/ideas is at the
ballot box...really! Such HUBRIS! (a great or foolish
amount of pride or confidence)! 37,000 residents in 7
square miles and only 200 people ($8,000 or $40 each)
were polled and results produced were NOT an accurate
reflection of our community!
I'm personally insulted 3 reps acted in the exact same
fashion (7.7) as the King we declared our Independence (7.4)
from. in part for
"For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable
laws, and altering fundamentally the forms of our governments:
For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves
invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever."
Those the poll surveyed were from the voter rolls...
I guess mostly white, older folks vote and the others don't.
Don't worry about the comments on the Lake Worth ASS site.Dingle and his wife Caca don't have half a brain between them.Katie's right . They are sheep.
I love how Katie lost it at the meeting, yes it shows her passion and yes she made an ass of of herself, again... ;)
She was not allowed to give commentary on the commission's intention to make taxpayers pay $40-50 million dollars. I think that is something to be ticked off at. She speaks up...better than being a sheep.
You go Katie!!!
Scott Maxwell seems to be suffering from the D.T.s.
He wants to be on the dais at Dave's or Callaro's rather than in the Commission room listening to the citizens who would pay.
Ballot provision for Nov. 2016? On a 50 million bond. Is that enough time to get a provision approved for the ballot and enough time for people to learn about it, do they plan to spend more of our tax money "educating" us that this bond will only cost us a cup of coffee? Or will they be transparent and let us know that it will cost X and will be capped (I hope) so that we can adequately assess it.
Last night they told us that they don't care about anything but putting it on the ballot. They have another month and watch all the PR's propaganda) go out from this new Communications Specialist.
I would never give money to anyone that demonstrates such total lack of fiscal responsibility and corruption that this city has. Stop trying to buy on credit and learn to save for a rainy day. Stop the wastefulness and working so hard at trying to pull the wool over the community's eyes.
I MUST say that I regret terribly having voted for Maxwell. This is the WORST buyer's remorse I have EVER had about ANYTHING in my ENTIRE life. Flat out. For Commissioner Maxwell doesn't even TRY to conceal his disdain for his EMPLOYERS - the Electorate. He must be made to understand that he is actually "the Help".
Unless of course, there is some OTHER Employer Commissioner Maxwell believes he has an arrangement with.
I guess they didn't learn anything from the defeat of the last bond. The bullies don't care if you understand the financial debt. Amoroso doesn't even pay property taxes, he rents.
WHAT do the vote NO citizens want the Commission to do?
The Commision are not magicians. Do you really think they have alternate, viable plans up their sleeves but just don't want to say?
WHere is all the $ supposed to come from people?
Where are the Vote No Commisioners alternate plans?
In the last 2 years no-one has come up with a better solution.
No-one.
I'd like to hear who could be elected who has a different, viable plan?
Just name one...or even two.
We are a poor city and all of us have to chip in to keep us going.
There IS no other solution.
IF there was, it would have surfaced by now, don't you think?
The last bond had a lot of problems with it and what the city wanted to use the millions for. This time, and hopefully, the Park of Commerce will NOT be included and the $3.2 million ($800,000 to each district commissioner) will also be excluded.
Having said that, we don't know as they didn't say. No specifics were given in particular. The cost for the roads that were on their Power Point, totaled $13,994,013.59 if I read it correctly. Repairs are going to cost over $9 million more from 2014? The entire commission has been stone cold silent on potholes for the past 2 years not even allotting more money in the budget for repairs. It was this commission t6hat reduced the road maintenance budget. And nothing was said about the millions that were in the CIP to be used for this project.
We have to repair the roads. The point, however, is to make the taxpayer feel good about your decision to spend their money. That would include involving them in the process and valuing their input instead of dissing it, calling it a conspiracy and nearly accusing people of derailing it on purpose. Give them the details and the facts.
And one last comment, I was totally offended with Bornstein calling McVoy politically naive. He had all the right questions and all the right statements. Ryan Maier was also brilliant. Thanks to you both...job well done.
Again, where are the other solutions?
McVoy and Maier should have come up with something alternative, no?
THe no voters seem to have a rallying cry that they don't "trust" the 3 on the Commssion to handle the funds properly, if procured.
Is that a fair assessment of the majority opinion of no voters?
I guess you're asking me. I would have no idea what the majority of the voters think other than they want the roads fixed. McVoy and Maier were there to DISCUSS the Survey...that is all. They try to be cognizant of OPM.
But Lynn, WHERE are their solutions?
(McVoy and Maier)
But ANONYMOUS, they were only there for a workshop to hear what the city was presenting and the survey. It was NOT about solutions. What is the TRIOS's solutions? To grab $40 or $50 million dollars of your money for 30 years? Is that the best they can do? I don't know. You tell me. Perhaps we will find out more but it sure doesn't seem like it according to the Mayor, Maxwell and Amoroso. They just want to grab the money with little detail. And they even had to fudge the duration of a road surface by saying 20 to 30 years when we know it is 15. Why the lie right off the bat?
Ever since the crooked cash grab failed,Pam Andy and Scott have been SILENT! They have spun on their thumbs! You would have thought,like Mcvoy said,that they would have tried to understand and CORRECT whatever problems the people saw with the bond. Instead the trio decided to punish us all. They didn't get their way (and their 800,000 dollar slush funds) so they sat in their corners and pouted!Pam Triolo,Scott Maxwell and Andy Amoroso have let our roads ROT since the last bond! SCOTT Maxwell is the reason our roads are now more expensive to fix! If Scotty had done what the people wanted to do with the bond IN THE FIRST DAMN PLACE and LISTENED to the PEOPLE we wouldn't be in this mess today!BUT NO,Pam Andy and blow-hard Scott were arrogant,they canceled meetings, only allowed one sided propaganda and stole 50,000 to lie with.
Mayor Pam Triolo: ZERO comments /solutions for our roads for the past two years.
Commissioner Scott Maxwell:ZERO comments/solutions for our roads for the past two years.
Commissioner Andy Amoroso: ZERO comments/solutions for our roads for the past two years.
Commissioner Christopher Mcvoy:Told to shut up by Pam Andy and Scott every time he tried to make a suggestion for the past two years.
Commissioner Ryan Maier: Told to shut up by Pam Andy and Scott every time he tried to make a suggestion in the past two years.
Well said 9:30! And to 4:13 above, yes, Scott is working for someone else. That is the rich b_tches that financed his election to the tune of well over 3 times his salary. You don't get that money for nothing. He is representing them, make no mistake. And with all his eye rolling, making faces, and posturing at commission meetings he makes it quite obvious that he feels very slighted and put upon to even have to show up. And he is damn well determined that he WILL get that million dollar finders fee and install the Braves at John Prince Park at all costs. I want to know how much of this bond will be siphoned off destroying out park. Already 3 projects in the works at our expense to benefit the Braves. (6 Ave bridge, electric upgrade "for the Braves" in the campground, and test case to open Lantana Airport to jets)
@9:30
McVoy and Maier "were told to shut up" so they did?
What is this, 3rd grade?
So they took their brilliant plans and went home with their tails between their legs?
C'mon -
That is ludicrous.....I hope.
I think we know who is "ludicrous" and it isn't those two commissioners.
There were lots of alternatives suggested at the post-mortem at Compass after the failed 2014 bond. One suggestion, which the city attorney confirmed would be feasible, is to do a special assessment rather than a bond. This shares the cost across all properties, not just the handful that pay taxes. Another suggestion was to start with a small area -- one that would have the biggest bang for the buck in terms of bringing in buyers who would in turn increase the tax base. Achieve a success there, which would build public trust, and then ask for more.
The idea of handing over $40 million or $50 million to a commission that lacks any management or business acumen is beyond frightening. Guarantee that if this passes, 5 years from now, we'll be hearing the sad tale of how this commission mismanaged $50 million and the roads are still a mess.
The city attorney has said that there can NOT be a special assessment on roads and infrastructure. But I agree with you on the money.
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