I only attended last night's meeting for two hours but it's a good thing I had something else to do as the meeting was contentious and lasted until around 10:30 in order to get a final vote on the Budget. Motions were kicked back and forth.
As I watched it from home later, it was clear that a few commissioners were losing their cool. There was NO compromise on the part of the Mayor, and Vice Mayor Maxwell used his favorite political slogan blaming everything on "poor management of the past" even though in August there was consensus (3/2 vote) on everything presented last night. He was part of the Nay vote then and didn't like it one little bit.
This city has to make revenue to stay afloat; it's their obligation. The electric rate, however, has always been political with Maxwell and Triolo...they had voted on rate parity with FPL and have been rip roaring ticked off that we use utility funds to support our general fund. How can a little utility compete with a huge conglomerate on price? It can't. If we can't use funds from our own utility fund to help operate our city, then what are we supposed to do? The answer is to cut spending and that's something this commission can't/won't do. The city is within 4.79% of FPL's present rate. It was pointed out in a workshop, by looking at the numbers on the graphs, that we can't continue to reduce rates or have them stay the same. We need to raise rates or we will be losing tons of money and robbing reserves.
They have been reducing our electric rate, thus our income, over the past three years. After last night, the electric rate will stay the same and per the Electric Utility report of August 11, we will lose $1,276,208 in income next year. As asked before, why would any commission approve of a budget to purposely LOSE money. This is a business. It shouldn't be about politics. It is no wonder our city is in such bad shape and it's no wonder that commissioner McVoy was mad. McVoy also wondered about $8 million being moved from the Self-Insruance Fund to balance the budget. An explanation was provided by Nerahoo Hemraj,Finance Director but no one understood it.
Also a bone of contention was the parking rates at the beach. In August, there was consensus to raise the parking rates. The following analysis shows only a $29,965 deficit after raising expenses for lifeguards and custodians.
This was approved by Commissioners McVoy, Amoroso and Maier to be evaluated after one year ending September 30, 2016. Maxwell, once again, was complaining that parking was NEVER to have been used to support the casino restoration loan from ourselves of $6 mil and refused to budge on raising parking rates. It's as if he wants the casino to fail so he can continue to say, "I told you so."
Motions upon motions were made with no seconds to the motions. The budget part of the agenda was moved to the end of the meeting in order to vote and discuss the rest of business. Later a motion was made by Maxwell to revisit the electric and beach in six months. The motion failed on a 2/3. The Mayor passed the gavel and made a new motion to review only the beach financials in six months and bring it back for discussion if needed (she is adamant about parity with FPL even if it costs us millions). That motion passed on a 3/2 (McVoy and Maier dissenting) to approve the $178.9 million budget.
So, the irony of it all is the "visionary" commission's objection to an additional $339,942 in beach parking revenue but voting to lose $1.276 million in electric revenue and Maxwell blaming it on past management instead of taking responsibility.
It was politics at the expense of the Lake Worth residents and rate payers.
