Last week’s Town-Crier contained a short article on 19 years of service by former Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District chair and now town council challenger Dave DeMarois. Traditionally a town government obstructionist, DeMarois went to Tallahassee to petition the state legislature to deny town incorporation.
Affiliated with other town public officials who won their respective elections without opposition, DeMarois, with his colleagues, developed a single mindset that they are the only ones to be in charge of Loxagrovia. DeMarois being on council will dash the town’s hopes and offer additional bars to prevent community residents from enjoying what the residents want: safe and passable roads.
DeMarois failed to win either of two available seats by a 2-to-1 margin in last June’s LGWCD supervisor election, as residents demanded a change of public officials to instill new ideas and to release the death grip of former LGWCD supervisors John Ryan and Ron Jarriel. As LGWCD chair, in 2014, DeMarois allowed LGWCD labor and equipment to provide 3,000 cubic yards of dredged material to be delivered to Jarriel and DeMarois. DeMarois filled a pond on his property even though his property is in noncompliance with the Unified Land Development Code as his perimeter fencing encroaches the town road right-of-way by as much as 12 feet.
DeMarois said he supports the transfer of LGWCD roads to the town so residents can get them paved more easily, because the town has access to funds to pave them, which the LGWCD does not, other than through an assessment on residents.
“Everybody has had use of those roads, and rather than taking all the roads immediately from the LGWCD, do it as we can afford to take them over, and work with the LGWCD,” DeMarois said.
DeMarois would also like to improve some of the private roads.
Public funds cannot be used to make improvements on private roads. DeMarois’ is suggesting to continue using the LGWCD road turnover program, turning over roads one at a time upon being paved. In 2016, the town council requested that the LGWCD to turn over all remaining LGWCD designated roads. Led by DeMarois, the board voted not to honor the town’s request.
Under DeMarois, the LGWCD unconstitutionally land grabbed a portion of West D Road to use as a storage yard, and the community’s roads received the disastrous hard surfacing known as OGEM.
Councilman Jarriel, combined with DeMarois and Councilman Ryan Liang, will monopolize the council. Jarriel supports growing government (bringing district employees into the town), going into debt, doesn’t support people’s property rights, is anti-business and believes in greater government control of your life (code enforcement) — does this sound conservative? This is versus the low tax, low regulation, low impact and a low expense approach by Vice Mayor Tom Goltzené?
When a candidate has a 19-year record of failed leadership, no accomplishments and a track record of wanting to run a road maintenance operation instead of a water control district, it is relevant. And when that same candidate has steered projects and improvements to benefit (free of charge) himself and his political cronies without extending the same benefits or improvements to others, it is essential information. Think about it.
Keith Harris, Loxahatchee Groves
