Requesting an AGO investigation

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Sunday, December 9, 2012

Broward County Commission Offices115 S. Andrews Ave., Room 421

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301Attention: Commissioner Stacy Ritter

Chaz StevensMAOS / The Broward Post1600 S. Dixie Highway #300Boca Raton, FL 33432

RE: The Lauderdale Lakes CRA

Madam Commissioner;

On behalf of the taxpayers of Broward County, I ask you to do the following:

1. Demand the City of Lauderdale Lakes immediately refund $3.2M in TIF money.2. Request an Attorney Generals Opinion regarding the $2.5M misuse of Lauderdale Lakes CRA

money (transfer, use, forbearance loan, etc.).

3. Request the Florida Auditor Generals Office perform a forensic audit on the Lauderdale LakesCRA.

4. Request an immediate investigation of Eric Haynes, Jonathan Allen, Gary Rogers, and MarieElianor by the Broward Office of Inspector Generals Office over allegations of fraud, falsifyingpublic records, destroying public records, and general douche-baggniess.

5. Request an immediate investigation of Haynes, Allen, and Elianor by the Broward State AttorneysOffice over allegations of fraud, falsifying public records, destroying public records, and generaldouche-baggniess.

In support of these requests, I offer the following from the City of Lauderdale Lakes Fiscal Year 2011audited financial statements:

Page 17 notes the CRA advanced $2.5M to Citys General Fund, a 2011 $50,000 loan payment,with the CRAs fund balance at $3.39M.

Page 18 also notes the CRAs fund balance at $3.39M. Page 35, Note 6A indicates the CRA advanced $2.5M for the purpose of supplement funding.

Of particular interest:

September and October 2010 noted transfers of $1.7M to the Citys General Fund accounts.


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Lakes.

He loves to spend other peoples money, just not his as he fails to pay child support for hisdaughter.

What a miserable little prick.

Nothing, and we mean nothing, went on without his okay and blessing.

When things started to unfold, he immediately went into cover-up mode.

The Legal Formation of a CRA

Chapter 163, Part III, Florida Statutes authorizes the creation of a redevelopment agency after certainconditions are met. Broward County gave approval, as required by Statute, to the formation of theLauderdale Lakes CRA, and the use of tax increment financing (TIF) to meet certain defined expenses.

Broward County, as an approval authority for the CRA, must ensure all legal requirements are being met.

Lauderdale Lakes, through its actions, is willfully, intentionally, and repeatedly violating those sameFlorida Statutes.

Editorial:

The external auditors, Harvey Covington and Thomas, allowed the $2.5M theft to be shown as anadvance.

Where was the authorization for the advance when the financial statements were prepared?

Are we to believe this loan met Florida Statute requirements?

WTF.

How can you justify using CRA money for general expenses?

This was not the only issue with these financial statements. There was $2.9M in cash overstated inthe general fund even after this 2.5M CRA issue.

The FY 2013 CRA Budget

Exhibit A (page 2 of 2) to the Resolution shows $268,000 of fund balance was re-appropriated.

The Citys 2013 budget indicates the CRA was expecting a $3.39M fund balance as of 9/30/12, with only$268,000 re-appropriated.

Florida Statutes Section 189.403 requires CRAs to include fund balances brought forward from the prior


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fiscal year in the adopted budget. This allows for transparency in the use of TIF funds, to demonstrate thelegal and authorized purposes as identified in Section 163.387(7), Florida Statutes.

2012, the CRA balance brought forward was $3.4M. 2013, the CRA balance brought forward was $3.4M. 2012, the CRA only used and identified $158,000 of the $3.4M. For 2013, the CRA only used and identified $268,000 of the $3.4M.

This absolutely and categorically violates both Section 189.403, FS by not properly identifying availablebrought forward fund balances and Section 163.387, FS by not showing that expenses clearly met thelegal and authorized requirements of that section.

The Audit of Hollywood

Findings 11, 12, and 13 of the audit by the Auditor General Office of the State of Florida for the City ofHollywood and Hollywood Redevelopment Agency identified:

Adopted budget not including prior year fund balances. CRA expenditures were not in accordance with law; Expenditures were not documented accurately or properly. The CRA was not in compliance with Section 163.387(7) of Florida Statutes.

Brought Forward Fund Balances-

Compared to Hollywood, I have come to the conclusion Lauderdale Lakes problems are much worse. Asshown above, $3.2M in brought forward fund balances was not budgeted in 2012 or 2013.

This is a flagrant violation of Florida Law, and not something that can be explained as unintentional and/orthrough sheer utter incompetence.

CRA Expenditures

Ive uncovered numerous questionable CRA expenditures:

1. The $1.6M Ireland property purchase from the City. This was way over the appraisal amount. TheIreland property now is home to a community tomato garden. Bravo!


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2. The CRA funding of the Lakes Mall and Broward Meat and Fish. I opine private investorsbenefitted. The forensic auditing firm Kessler International was onto something here, but was shutdown by Eric Haynes.

3. Theres $100,000 worth of a non-bid contract to pave the library parking lot.

Poor record keeping and/or something worse(r).

Kessler noted salaries, benefits, and expenditures not being properly and/or accurately documented.

1. I wonder how many trips were funded by CRA money solely for the purpose of Haynes and Allentraveling to far away places with the intention of violating the Mann Act.

2. Wed be remiss not to mention trips to Las Vegas and New Orleans by John BillingsleyandDavid Shomers.

3. Donations to Broward Black Elected Officials which directly benefitted Levoid Williams.4. Money to Kiwanis, and in turn, Barrington Russell.5. Funding of Gospel Fest and Unifest.

I ask, where is the CRA connection with Section 163, FS?

The Players

Section 163.356(3), FS authorizes CRA to employ technical experts, and other employees as it requires.

Lauderdale Lakes Finance Director Marie Elianor, with zero prior experience, and a recent reject from theCity of Oakland Park, is blisteringly incompetent. Her ability to get the numbers wrong is Rainman-like.

Gary Rogers, at one time in charge of the CRA, now professionally tending a tomato garden, seems tohave been intentionally complacent. Rogers, I opine, worries over his job (and the hardship of finding newemployment), thus providing him with possible motive to look the other way.

Hazelle Rogers -- under criminal investigation regarding a $50,000 stipend from a contractor doingbusiness with the CRA. Shed not be really keen on further probing of the CRA.

Celeste Dunmore - Economic Development Manager. Allen moved her to be the Special Assistant to theCity Manager, and then Interim City Clerk, all the while paid by the CRA. I will be filing a complaint with

the OIG over this nonsense.

City Manager Jon Allen and his cohort, Commissioner Eric Haynes. Theyre the Factory Seconds ofFactory Seconds of Government Officials.

Exactly which of these individuals do you trust? Would you loan any of them twenty dollars? What about$3.2M?


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In conclusion, lets recap.

All this makes whats happening over in Hollywood look like small potatoes, doesnt it?

The Lauderdale Lakes CRA is not in compliance with Florida Statute Section 163.387(7). $2.5M has been

illegally diverted to the citys General Fund. A 2010 TIF payment of $855,000 was never made.

Commissioner Ritter, on behalf of the taxpayers of Broward County, I ask you to do the following:

1. Demand the City of Lauderdale Lakes immediately refund $3.2M in TIF money.2. Request an Attorney Generals Opinion regarding the $2.5M misuse of CRA money (transfer, use,

forbearance loan, the works).

3. Request the Florida Auditor Generals Office perform a forensic audit on the Lauderdale LakesCRA.

4. Request an immediate investigation of Haynes, Allen, Rogers, and Elianor by the Broward Office ofInspector Generals Office over allegations of fraud, falsifying public records, destroying publicrecords, and general douche-baggniess.

5. Request an immediate investigation of Haynes, Allen, Rogers, and Elianor by the Broward StateAttorneys Office over allegations of fraud, falsifying public records, destroying public records, andgeneral douche-baggniess.

As many within Lauderdale Lakes think poorly of my efforts, I ask that you reply back to this email,confirming your intentions to proceed with the above. I welcome the opportunity to shove this right uptheir collective asses.

Along with you, I look forward to taking the fight to the other guy, guy(s), gal, gal(s), or (e) all of the above.

Happy hunting;

Timothy Chaz Stevens818-468-5433


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Requesting an AGO investigation

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