“Piggybacking of construction projects is not encouraged” was the message of the inspector general before a session of the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council and prior to the council’s approval of recent town road improvements. Currently, the Office of the Inspector General is scrutinizing the town’s piggyback contracts for that work.
Apparently, the inspector general suspects that the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District has its hand in the town’s cookie jar. The Groves vice mayor, a LGWCD supervisor emeritus, instructed the LGWCD administrator on “how to get the cookies” at the LGWCD meeting of July 2013.
Loxahatchee Groves is to respond to a complaint to the Office of the Inspector General by Aug. 8. The complaint concerns the Groves’ expenditures of gas tax revenue to the LGWCD. Questions of concern include, but are not limited to: the town funding the LGWCD to maintain LGWCD roads; town promises to Palm Beach State College to improve a LGWCD road; and the legality of the town funding the LGWCD $150,000 of gas tax revenues to maintain drainage culverts.
The looming question of the OIG is, “assuming the transfer of gas tax funds to the LGWCD is legal, has the transfer of funds for drainage purposes occurred or is it planned to occur?”
The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council would not respond to a citizen’s request for an open council session to develop the town’s responses. The matter was turned over to the legal counsel. The town council’s action is moot as the town has already received legal counsel’s opinion on LGWCD/gas tax issues.
The gas tax revenue is 25 percent of the town’s annual income. Town legal counsel has stated, “The Town of Loxahatchee Groves’ entitlement to gas tax revenue requires the town to rescind existing interlocal agreements with the LGWCD in order to insure future receipt of it.”
Loxahatchee Groves’ future relies on the town charter’s mission statement of self-determination, not the determination of the LGWCD. The town’s checkbook requires regular deposits of gas tax revenue.
The independent LGWCD must become dependent to the Town of Loxahatchee Groves.
Keith Harris, Loxahatchee Groves
