Hallandale Beach commissioners spar at budget hearing

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HALLANDALEBEACH— Commissioners did their duty Thursday night and approved next year’s budget, but not without the usual sniping and sparring for which CityHall has become known of late.

Three of the city’s five commissioners are under investigation by prosecutors.

Bill Julian stands accused of accepting favors from a developer. A second investigation was launched by the Broward State Attorney’s Office after Mayor Joy Cooper accused Keith London and Michele Lazarow of violating the state’s Sunshine Law. The fallout has not been pretty.

During Thursday’s budget hearing, London told Cooper in a booming voice to “shut up!”

London’s outburst came after the mayor spoke directly to a woman in the audience she later accused of heckling her. The woman, AnabelleTaub, is challenging Julian in theNov. 8 election.

A police officer approached Taub to remove her from the meeting, but was called offat the lastminutebyPolice ChiefDwayne Flournoy. The drama continued after the meeting, with the mayor questioning whetherTaub lives inHallandale Beach.

“She’s sitting here like she knows city business,” said Cooper, who backs Julian in the election. “We have no idea where she’s from.”

“You don’t know government,” Cooper toldTaub before heading for the door.

Themeetingwasfieryfromthestart, with London saying he’d pushed for a lower tax rate butwas outvoted.

“The budget keeps exploding up here,” London said. “It’s other people’s money. Nobodywants to tighten any belts up here.”

Commissioner Anthony Sanders accused London of playing to the camera and reminded him that the commission had spent months discussing next year’s budget.

In the end, the commission majority voted for the $69.7 million budget and a slightly higher tax rate.

London voted no on the budget and tax rate. Lazarowvotednoonthetaxrate, saying she toowanted it lowered.

Many homeowners will see higher tax bills next year because of an 11 percent increase in property values and a $58.5 million parks bond approved by voters two years ago.

The base property tax rate will remain at $519 per $100,000 in assessed value. But the overall tax rate will go up by $61 for every $100,000in assessedvalue tocover the parks bond.

Hallandale plans to use $4.5 million in emergency reserves to balance the budget.