City of Deerfield Beach Looks to Sue Residents Opposed to the Imposition of the Utility Tax

Here's another complaint about the City and their wasteful spending practices, but the City is wasting our time talking about possible mismanagement at the DBHA, when the taxpayers and residents have many incidents of proof of actual mismanagement at the CODB, and yet they have not yet once stated that they will have themselves audited by a third party source.  

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Hello Burgess and so-called Stewards of our money,

Another complaint. Can you please advise who negotiated the Hillsboro contract? i was recently looking at the landscaping contract part. I was looking over this because of the quality of the trees you were putting in there and the constant mistakes being made from the soil mix on up. But what I was astounded by was what you paid for a Medjool palm as well as many of the others. I called several reputable nursery s  and the highest price quote I received was $4500 a piece. Can you confirm that they are actual Medjool Palms as well?
Outrageous how you are spending our money.

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These  people Burgess Hanson, Keven Klopp, Peggy Noland, Marty Popelsky, Bill Ganz, and now Ben Preston and Joe Miller on the behest of Burgess Hanson have given the City Manager authority to obtain the services of a outside attorney to look into filing lawsuits against the Rescind Unfair Taxes, Political Action Committee and the individuals that are circulating the petition that would have this unfair tax rescinded.  When you think about it the Commission and City staff were asked to reconsider this tax before it was approved, they were asked to do more research and they refused, they imposed the tax while ignoring the pleas from over 50 residents and business owners stating they know what is best for the residents and this tax is it.  The original purpose of the tax, as the City stated it, has been scrapped and a new plan was instituted without talking to the residents and yet now those same people are going to spend taxpayer money that they claimed the City doesn't have to sue citizens who were forced into action because of the blatant arrogance of the commission thinking they have a mandate from GOD to cut the residents out of the political process and outside of those three ladies who seat in the front row right each Commission Meeting it is obvious that the other residents are not so enthused about being blatantly cut out of the political process, here in Deerfield Beach by our elected officials.  


The Commissioners are stating the petitioners are lying and are spreading false information to the detriment of the residents...WOW!!!


I challenge each of them to go back and look at the minutes from the June 7 meeting were the voted for the Utility tax and the purpose, reasoning and objective of the tax and see today if any of those things still exist.  The only thing that they have kept too is the polarizing statement so "everyone pays their fair share".  and they continue to be the driving divisive force in this City by trying to pit the Districts against each other by stating that one District or the other is footing the bill for the entire city which is a total falsehood and has been dis-proven many times.  The City was not engineered by the residents, land usage codes are not decided by residents, property values are not calculated by residents, so why now is this blame being put on certain residents in certain districts by the City in a vagrant attempt to gain support for a tax that our City has done without for years.  


This City has no concern for it's residents, which has become evident to me at every City Commission meeting when the residents and the audience are consistently cut out of decisions and banned from talking on the subjects.  They tell us to work with them, but then at every turn they shut us out.  They are 5 individuals who have perked out this City and handed control over to developers, the Fire Union, and private interest and said "To HELL with the residents" we know best, we are in control, we give the speeches around here, so we have the Power.  They wastefully spend taxpayer dollars in a time when they claim that we are broke and have to make deep cuts in the pockets of our non-uniformed employee, who many are taxpaying residents, all while hiring individuals at exorbitant salaries.  If the City Manager had any sense at all, he would know he has trained individuals that have worked for the City for years that could have done the job for less with better results b/c they live here and actually care about this City.  If they had any sense or care for this City and its residents at all they wouldn't be going around initiating $10,000.00 worth of renovations on a City office with an outside source when we have an actual City Department and Employees that could have done the job for less, especially in this time of financial need of the City.  From the City's actions it would seem that we are in a dandy position and our City Manager and staff are doing to us what the City Manager and Staff of Lauderdale Lakes did, which eventually lead to the bankruptcy of the City and it's residents now having the highest property taxes, fees, and service taxes in Florida.  Do you want to end up like Lauderdale Lakes?  I know I don't, but if we continue on this road with wasteful spending by the administration misleading information from staff and the withholding of reports by staff and the shutting out of residents in the political process we will surely be another Lauderdale Lakes and Burgess Hanson and staff will leave this City in a shambles with a lovely severance package of about $300,000 and he will be off on to destroy the next City while we the residents are still here stuck to foot the bill for their arrogance, ignorance, and financial irresponsibility.


We have to start speaking up for ourselves as residents.  We voted for these people, but we still want to be heard and have our opinions, ideas, and concerns considered and not just blatantly disregarded and have these 5 individuals and City Staff treat the residents like second class citizens and imbeciles who need help from elected officials to tie their own shoes.  


When this lunacy stop?


PS.  To City Commissioner Ben Preston scorecard so far, 3 to 6.  The ground you gained you just lost.  We have a lot of work to do to repair the damage you just caused with last nights performance and blatant disregard for the feelings of your constituency.  I think what all of the elected officials have forgotten is that they serve at pleasure of the residents and voters, and not the other way around.  I've said it before it's time to bring Democracy back to Deerfield Beach.  Who's with me?  Cause it's obvious that our elected officials have decided that democracy in CODB is to much of a hassle dealing the opinions of those pesky voters.  With their complaints and opinions, and ideas...