Loxahatchee Groves resident Todd McLendon is challenging incumbent Councilman Jim Rockett for Seat 2 on the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council. The election is on Tuesday, March 15.
McLendon recently sat down with the Town-Crier to explain why voters should choose him for the council seat.
Born and raised in the West Palm Beach area, McLendon runs a business maintaining computerized air-conditioning control systems. He also raises parrots and other exotic birds. As his aviary collection grew, he moved to Loxahatchee Groves 10 years ago, since it was recommended as the best place in the area for bird breeders.
He moved to the community just prior to incorporation, and he was against the idea.
“I was very concerned about local politics. I had no interest in being involved in politics before. Really don’t have an interest, per se, in being in politics right now, but the situation has put me where I feel like I don’t have a choice but to be involved with politics,” McLendon said.
Shortly after the town incorporated, a neighbor became disgruntled with McLendon’s birds and their noise, and began working toward getting him to leave the area. But McLendon said he had no intention of leaving.
“There’s hundreds of years of agriculture in Loxahatchee Groves,” he said, noting that there have been dozens of bird breeders in the community over the years. “This is the first time that I’m aware of that there’s a neighbor this disgruntled about having an aviary next door.”
Rules and regulations were adopted by the town after incorporation, McLendon said, particularly specific ones initiated by his neighbor, that the council used in an attempt to shut him down.
“I came to find out that those rules and regulations were against Florida’s constitution and they were against general Florida law. I spent a lot of money trying to correct and come into compliance with the new codes that were completely different than the codes that were under Palm Beach County,” he said. “I had to jump through a lot of hoops trying to ward off the Town of Loxahatchee Groves coming down on me.”
If the rules were applied equally to everyone, McLendon said, it would be one thing, but they aren’t.
“They are applied in one circumstance, and that’s it. Some of these council members, they save themselves, they save their friends, and they save their relatives against these codes,” he charged. “When they want to apply them to somebody else, then they apply them to somebody else. That sort of behavior needs to stop.”
McLendon said that he is currently in compliance with state law and town codes, and bristles at attempts to paint him as a single-issue candidate looking only to protect his interests.
“The council doesn’t have a sword that they can hit me with anymore because of the years that I’ve been fighting this. My business, and my occupation, is safe from the council as it stands right now. There is no benefit in that aspect to run for the council at this point,” he said. “I’m safe because I fought this battle for years and years trying to show that what they were doing was improper. And I’ve been successful in that.”
Moreover, he feels vindicated since some of those rules have been eliminated. “In fact, they’ve removed some of these codes and laws from the books upon the advice of their attorney, who said they’re violating Florida’s constitution by having these codes in place,” McLendon said.
McLendon ran against Rockett three years ago, narrowly losing to the incumbent. Now he’s back and feels that he has a better case to make.
“Jim Rockett is up there to serve himself and his family,” McLendon charged. “He is not up there to serve the people.”
McLendon believes that there is a need for change on the council, particularly when it comes to Rockett. He feels more confident now than he did in 2013.
“There are a lot more disgruntled people this year than last time,” he said, asserting that many of those who voted for Rockett in the past are ready for change. “I know all of the issues in Loxahatchee Groves. I’ve been here since before incorporation. I came to Loxahatchee Groves because I appreciated the rural, distinct character Loxahatchee Groves had and what it offered. There’s not many people in the town who are going to stand up to these people… I’m willing to do that.”
Some of the concerns from the public, he explained, stem from the unresolved bitterness of the 2015 election.
McLendon lists his two children as his top accomplishments, as well as proving that the town’s rules and regulations against farms were contrary to state law. He is also proud of having encouraged others to become involved in town affairs.
According to McLendon, the top three issues in this election include the town management contract, problems with code enforcement and trying to get the road situation — “a deplorable mess” — straightened out.
Grant money, he suggested, could help alleviate, although not altogether eliminate, the costs associated with road paving.
“I don’t see any way around that. The town can’t afford, with the budget it has, to improve all these roads,” he said. “What we’ve gotten so far, with the OGEM projects that have been done, is a mess. It’s not a good situation at all.”
The town has taken over responsibility for maintaining roads that residents along those roads paid for, McLendon said, explaining that most people seem to want something other than dusty roads.
“I think it should be up to the people who live on each road to make that determination,” he said. “I think each road segment should have their own say.”
The Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District, he said, should not be independent, but rather should be dependent on the town.
“The town is currently responsible for over 70 percent of the roads in the town,” he said. “I think that’s how it should continue, to take a piece at a time, let the town absorb it, get used to it and move forward onto the next thing.”
Currently, he said, the town does not have proper code enforcement, which is a service that should be provided. “We have nobody enforcing any laws out there,” he said.
McLendon hopes Okeechobee Blvd. will remain two lanes, with a decreased speed limit.
“I have been pushing for a long time that the speed limit needs to decrease on it,” he said. “The town has the authority to change the speed limit on Okeechobee Blvd., and they have not done so since incorporation.”
McLendon said that he has been working behind the scenes to decrease the speed limit and work to keep Okeechobee Blvd. from becoming commercialized, which would increase traffic. “Commercializing some of it is only going to make that situation worse,” he said. “Any commercial you add on there will increase traffic.”
Any commercial development should happen on Southern Blvd., he explained.
He is happy with the job being done by Underwood Management Services Group, but would prefer that the council give a priority list to the management company. Bill Underwood, the current manger, is an improvement over the previous town manager, Mark Kutney, who had more of a closed door mentality.
McLendon said that he wants to keep the government as small as possible, suggesting that the code enforcement process be redone. The Unified Land Development Code is a mess, he said, and what it cost the town in money, it would have been better adjusting the county’s code, he suggested.
“One of my biggest pet peeves is there is money in the budget to donate to nonprofit charities, and it’s almost like a slush fund for council members,” he said. “This money is given away to different entities. It just boggles the mind that they argue that they need to keep the millage rate a certain amount to run the town, but somehow they have a surplus in there to give away. I don’t think that should be there; that should be removed immediately.”
The council has not upheld the town charter by preserving and protecting Loxahatchee Groves, McLendon said when asked about his vision for the future of the town.
“I think we need to protect what’s in Loxahatchee Groves,” McLendon said. “We need to preserve and protect what we have.”
When he ran three years ago, McLendon was aggressively fighting against the development of Palm Beach State College’s new campus on Southern Blvd. However, the campus is now a done deal.
“I hope Palm Beach State College succeeds,” he said. “I hope they do fantastic there. I hope they’re a good neighbor, moving forward.”
McLendon’s top strengths, he said, include being very involved, knowing the history of Loxahatchee Groves and diligently checking the sources of information brought to the council.
His weakness, he said, would be time. “I spend a lot of time now, behind the scenes, lobbying things,” McLendon said. “I hope I have the time to do what some of these council members do… I won’t have a choice but to step up and do it.”
However, McLendon does not think people should make a career of it. He favors term limits. “We have some career politicians who would be there for 100 years,” he said.
McLendon was sharply critical of his opponent, Rockett.
“He cannot get along and look past his personal beliefs or feelings dealing with people. Town management is a prime example,” McLendon said. “He simply cannot work with town management, specifically Bill Underwood. That’s why he wants to get rid of Bill Underwood. It has nothing to do with whether they’re doing a good job for the town. He doesn’t feel they’re doing a good job for himself. He needs to look past that.”
However, he did give Rockett credit for using his background to help the town on financial matters.
“Most of the things that he harps on are financial, and a lot of times he is correct on the financial issues,” McLendon said.
Asked why voters should vote for him, McLendon said that he is a good listener.
“I listen to the people. Whether I agree or disagree, I am willing to sit down with you and talk about it,” McLendon said. “My opponent will not do that. If he disagrees with you, he doesn’t even want you in the same room. I’ll work with anybody and try to come to a resolution.”
