Regarding the Letter to the Editor, “Kudos To Judge Brunson” by Karl Witter (March 27), I fully agree with the contents of that letter. Thank you, Karl, for your honest, factual and unbiased writing. Many of us readers of the Town-Crier look forward to and enjoy reading your informative letters, none of which have ever been challenged.
On this occasion, however, you omitted one very important aspect of the funding of the Office of the Inspector General, and that aspect is the “vendor fee.” On one of those rare occasions, the commissioners voted 7-0 for vendors who do business with the county to pay one quarter of one percent toward the funding of the OIG. The vendor fee works successfully in Broward County and is the answer to funding the OIG.
The claim by cities and towns of double taxation lacks merit, and they should be made accountable immediately. Quit stalling and start paying! All the legal maneuvers will not stop the full finding of the OIG.
Like Karl said once, many of the elected officials and others lack virtue.
I would love to hear the views of the county commissioners and members of the public, not only on Judge Catherine Brunson’s ruling, but also on the vendor’s fee. I call upon all honest elected officials and all Palm Beach County residents: let’s make sure that the vendors fee doesn’t suffer the same fate as TDRs (transfer development rights). Developers have had things their own way for far too long! Why is it that the vendor’s fee is not a talking point by anyone? I smell a rat!
Alma Sato, Wellington
Miami Dade OIG has no authority over local governments.
“To help restore public trust in County government, in 1997 the Board of County Commissioners created the OIG to be a watchdog over County practices.”
$4 million for salary employees on a $5000 budget for Miami Dade less than half the funding comes from fees.
in the end taxpayers will pay the increased cost of doing business for government contractors.