Hallandale Beach is running off rails

In a countywith 31 cities, it can be easy to overlookHallandale Beach, a 4-square-mile, beachside community of 37,000 people known for its sky-high condo towers, sad city center and spectacular horse-racing park.

Then something blows up, as it did last week after the city’s vice mayor appeared to have left an inadvertent message on a robocall answering machine. On the recording, Bill Julian seems to suggest he’d made a secret deal with a big-time development attorney doing business with the city— a deal thatwould benefit the local food bank, and himself, personally.

Then you see the video of the City Commission meeting, whereMayor Joy Cooper asks a police officer to escort two commissioners off the dais. Their crime: breaking Robert’s Rules of Order for demanding a discussion of the blow-up. “You’re taking bribes” you hear CommissionersKeith London and Michele Lazarowscream. “Stick a sock in it,” replies Julian, between bites of rice and beans.

Then you learn the county’s inspector general has requested documents about a city program that gives bonus points to developers and vendors who offer sweeteners to win contracts.

Then you remember the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency just cut its $25 million budget by $7.4 million for what City ManagerDaniel Rosemond calls “an accounting adjustment.” Board attorney Steven Zelkowitz has a different take. “The CRA has been budgeting with money it doesn’t have.”

And suddenly you can’t take your eyes off the train wreck unfolding inHallandale Beach.

What an embarrassment this three-ring circus has become for our region.

The politics inHallandale Beach is as bumbling, corrosive and potentially corrupt as anythingwe’ve seen. And it’s a testament to why people have shaken trust in government.

Fortunately, the city isn’t an island unto itself, and taxpayerswanting oversight have champions on the scene.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office and Broward State Attorney Mike Satz are investigating the matters surrounding Julian, who inMarch joined a commission majority in approving a $450 million condo and hotel project at the Diplomat Golf& Tennis Club. The project includes four high-rise towers, two standing 30 stories. The neighborhood’s height limit had been 10 stories.

After the meeting, a robocallwent out criticizing Julian for his vote and for failing to make the developers fund a new park, public parking, historic preservation and a new firetruck.

As reported by Channel10 reporter Bob Norman, Julian called the number back and apparently failed to hang up after the beep. What sounds like his voice on the recording says: “What they don’t knowis they’re buying the food bank a frigging van that I couldn’t tell anybody.”

WhenNorman played the recording for Julian, he didn’t deny the voicewas his. He also said he’d accepted the developer’s promise of campaignworkers for hisNovember election. “My opinionwas, ‘Oh, yeah, well, I’m going to need them.’ ” (The attorney has denied making such a promise.)

Julian didn’t return our calls for comment, but said even more in the interview withNorman. “What do you think the other commissioners are doing? They’re all asking for their wish list.”

Really? Is that howHallandale Beach rolls?

If not, you can understandwhy two commissionerswanted to discuss the matter at their next meeting— their first chance to talk to one another under the Sunshine Law.

Yet with Rome burning, Mayor Cooper refused to allowany discussion of the matter because itwasn’t on the agenda. She went a step further and asked police to remove London and Lazarowfor being disruptive.

“My meetings have been hijacked,” Cooper told us thisweek.“We can call a special meeting on the topic. But tome, this is under investigation.”

Yet Cooperwas quick to tell us that London, her opponent in the last mayoral election, is under investigation “for using public assets for campaigns. So there are serious matters going on.” Indeed, itwas Cooper who took the cellphone video of London using the city’sXerox machine to make copies of campaign checks. London admits the error and says he reimbursed the city $1.05 for four copies, plus a ream of paper.

“What I did pales in comparison to everything else going on here,” he says. “Joy is really good at distraction.”

Thisweek, London sent Gov. Rick Scott a letter asking for Julian’s suspension. He said the governor’s office said itwould await Satz’s move.

Meanwhile, Broward Inspector General John Scott is looking into aHallandale Beach contracting program that gives extra points to companies that promise to hire city residents, buy supplies locally or offer other sweeteners.

The Community Benefit Program falls under the Community Redevelopment Agency, which gets tax incentives to redevelop the city’s blighted core. The CRAwas created 20 years ago, before Florida voters approved casino gambling at then-downtrodden dog- and horse-racing tracks. Today, theHallandale CRA is one of the state’s largest and most lucrative.

Mayor Cooper says the Community Benefit Program helps keep city money in the city. For example, she said a hotel would agree to offer training seminars for handymen or an architectural firmwould offer internships to residents interested in architecture. “A lot of contractors don’t like it, it makes one more step, but if youwant city business, you have to have some skin in the game.”

London says the concept is great, except thatHallandale Beach has a large retiree population and a smallworkforce. He wants proof that city residents have been hired. He suggests contracts are being steered to politically connected companies. He calls the program “a license to steal.”

The benefits program sounds tricky to execute in a small community, andwe’re glad Broward’s inspector general is looking into it. He’s requested proof of benefits, voting conflict memos fromcity commissioners and much more.

You might remember that when Scott’s office last investigatedHallandale’s CRA— just three years ago— it found the city had “grossly mismanaged” $2.1 million in funds.

We encourage Scott to add to his investigation the $7.4 million hit the CRA just took to its budget. Mayor Cooper says the city and the agency failed to properly reconcile records. But howis that even possible, after the recommendations offered in the last blistering review? We shall see howthis all ends. But today, it’s clear something remains seriously amiss inHallandale Beach. And anyone thinking of moving or doing business therewould be justified to think twice.