Lake Worth Commissioners steer clear of the public - cancel public meetings

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Response from City Clerk

Everyone is wondering why Tuesday July 15th city commission meeting was cancelled. Debbie Andrea in the city clerk's office did not know.  City Hall is notorious for not returning calls. People are also wondering why the August 5 meeting was  cancelled. The last meeting we had was a Special Meeting that lasted a total of one hour on July 8 in order to set the millage.

Sharon Parsons, the woman who analyzed the citizen survey, said that the people believed that city hall was not transparent.  Instead of getting better, they have become worse. Wouldn't you think that they would be reaching out to all those who pay their salaries--their bosses or to the public at large, those they are supposed to represent?  Nope, instead they have made sure that there will be  absolutely no interaction with the public at a general meeting for six weeks. This is not a commission that is" public friendly" unless, of course, you agree with them.

INSTEAD, THEY WANT TO STRANGLE YOU WITH 30 YEARS OF DEBT AND VOTE FOR $63.5 MILLION ON AUGUST 26 and take all the reserves (savings) right along with it.

They are the least transparent commission in my memory--clever too when it comes to avoiding the public. There is no way that they want the residents to come to city hall and weigh in on their money grab. I would assume that cancelling scheduled commission meetings is by design and as no one is talking, what other assumption can one make? Soon, we will be receiving their $50,000 investment paid by the taxpayers on this referendum, the only biased communication that you will get.

On the city web site, the hours and days of meetings are posted. What is NOT posted is a reason for cancellation.
City Commission Meetings
1^st & 3^rd Tuesday of Each Month at 6:00pm
Lake Worth City Hall – Commission Chambers
7 North Dixie Highway
Lake Worth, FL 33460

The Charter says the following:

Sec. 8. Procedure.

(a)

Meetings. The city commission shall meet regularly at least once in every month at such times and places as the city commission may prescribe. Special meetings may be held on the call of the mayor or of a majority of the members upon no less than twenty-four (24) hours notice to each member and the public, except for emergency sessions, which shall not require twenty-four (24) hours notice.

(b)

Rules and order of business. The city commission shall determine its own rules and order of business. A majority of the city commission shall constitute a quorum; a smaller number may adjourn a meeting or recess a meeting to a time certain. No ordinance, resolution, or motion shall be adopted except by the affirmative vote of at least three (3) members of the city commission.