South Florida Sun-Sentinel by Lisa J. Huriash
April 30, 2021
TAMARAC — It wasn’t bad enough that a small Broward County city quietly considered heaping perks on its elected leaders. Now the city will spend more taxpayer money to find out who gave away the secret.
Tamarac city commissioners decided this week to hire an investigator to figure out who leaked the proposal to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
There was no dollar amount yet set for how much the city will pay for the investigator.
Under a recent proposal, commissioners would’ve made the city pay for their health care coverage, education, as well as new retirement benefits and a technology stipend, among other perks. But those plans fell apart after the Sun Sentinel obtained a city memo and brought the matter to light two weeks ago.
Commissioner Mike Gelin on Wednesday night demanded to know how the city memo got publicly released and asked for an investigation. “We should find out who is responsible,” he said.
Of the five commissioners, only Mayor Michelle Gomez voted against hiring an investigator. “You are worried about embarrassment,” she said. “But there’s a reason why we were obviously embarrassed.”
The commission’s latest decision further erodes confidence in them, said Kevin Borwick, president of the Woodlands Homeowners Association. He said he was thankful for whoever “had the guts to release this info and ensure the public had visibility into the money grab that’s occurring in City Hall. I think it’s a mistake to vilify people who are trying to do the right thing.”