City Center Finances

The EEOC and the Florida Commission on Human Relations are reviewing the sworn
testimony of a former Flagler Beach employee who filed a complaint (June 2008) against
Bernie Murphy. If 50% of the alleged statements are true, then Bernie Murphy must be
fired, or all the Commissioners should be recalled for dereliction of duty. Hopefully a
decision will be forthcoming soon.

General Fund employee salaries increased 142.28% from 2000 to 2008, not including
fringes. Flagler Beach population in 2000 was 4954. Estimated 2005 population is 3179
(source: citytowninfo.com). The U.S. Census Bureau lists 2007 estimated population at
3446 City employees numbered 55 in 2000, 84 in 2008 – an increase of 56%.
Population down, employees up.

As recently as the 2007 Audited Statement, pg.6, our property tax revenue increased
$801,152, yet we are now deleting all depreciation, changing 4-year rotation on police
vehicles to 5 year (saved $128,000) and switching monies from various accounts,
Enterprise funds included, to show that all can balance. Yet they complained $400,000
has been lost on interest that we received on our large surpluses – they seem to forget you
cannot spend the surpluses, which they did, and have them bring in interest. They also
transferred $370,000+ from Enterprise Funds into General Fund Finance Dept. This
supposedly is the cost of meter reading, and issuance and collection of water bills.
However the entire budget of the Finance Dept. is only $305,041 (pg.37) Meter reading,
gasoline, truck maintenance, etc., has all been moved out of General Fund back to
Enterprise Fund. At the same time, in Bernie’s letter to the Commissioners, he is stating
we will have to increase water rates substantially again as he supposedly had told them
one year ago – ha! ha! We received a 15% property tax increase if they accepted the
latest budget figure. Which supposedly gives more income to the city than previously
received; so just where is all the money going??? Remember, if Bernie wants
something, he says it will come FREE.

Sanitation rates increased 23% with automatic increases from here to eternity. Water and
sewerage rates to be increased again – have gone up about 57% in last two years, plus the
10% tax on water keeps the General Fund happy.

Now, here comes the FREE City Center, consisting of new City Hall, Museum and
Community Room, to be built on “prime property” next to the Police Station in a basic
swamp. Bernie Murphy’s highly paid cronies did all this without a whimper from
citizens.

PLAN NOW TO ATTEND THE COMMISSIONERS WORKSHOP MEETING TO

DISCUSS THE CONCEPTUAL PLAN FOR THE CITY CENTER ON NOV. 10, 5:30
pm AT CITY HALL!

Cg 10/25/08