By BOB TOLLEYNEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- Here we go again.
Well, it has been less than two years since I last wrote on this important topic headlined, Could NSB municipal gov't take over utility with car dealer Jack Holcomb on board?
But now with all of their cronies in place, the City has moved very quickly to accomplish their intended goal of taking control over the Utilities Commission with its ratepayer finances and using those revenues to benefit their developer friends.
Never mind that this is in direct violation of the enabling act and is unethical as well – but it’s okay because most people don’t even know about it or even care for that matter. Wake up NSB – you are about to get higher utility rates, thanks to your city commissioners and their hand-picked patsies on the UC.
Not only has the city accomplished most of its major goals as shown in original posting, but they have also been able to get their puppets to go after the western acreage owned by the UC! The ratepayers of New Smyrna Beach have no representation on the current Utilities Commission, which is by design since they are appointed by their puppetmasters on the City Commission.
Ratepayers wake up! The City, through its surrogates, are even going after the reserve funds, which are supposed to be used for repairs, required projects and unexpected expenses – such as in the event of a hurricane. Now of course, the City has convinced these surrogates that the UC could borrow money if they needed –after a hurricane – and that would increase rates, but who cares?
Not only has the city accomplished most of its major goals as shown in original posting, but they have also been able to get their puppets to go after the western acreage owned by the UC! The ratepayers of New Smyrna Beach have no representation on the current utilities commission which is by design since they are appointed by their puppetmasters – the City Commission.
Ratepayers wake up! The City – through its surrogates are even going after the reserve funds, which are used for repairs, required projects and unexpected expenses – such as – in the event of a hurricane. Now of course, the City has convinced these surrogates that the UC could borrow money if they needed –after a hurricane – and that would increase rates, but who cares?
The City is so inept at controlling its own finances and the UC is so good at it – that it just seems a no-brainer for the henchmen to give the reserves to their captors. You wonder how these things happen: Well, ladies and gentlemen, it’s all about greed and corruption. By his own admission – the UC chairman has been a busy boy – talking to any and all prospective partners in this caper: Glenn Storch, Deb Denys, Jim Hathaway, Jim Russell, Pam Brangaccio, Khalid Resheidat and Dale Williams, to name a few. The list goes on and on. And by the way, this is all on the YouTube streaming feed of the UC from Aug. 21.
Do the UC commissioers themselves, including their chairman, Bill Biedenbach, ever talk to the professional staff at the UC? Oh, no. What good could come from speaking to the professionals? Only the politicos are needed for this scam. And of course, the UC commissioners want an outside opinion again! When you don’t like what your attorney and staff tell you – go to the outside – at ratepayers' expense, of course.
Talk about dereliction of duty – or is it misfeasance, malfeasance and or nonfeasance. Or perhaps it's all of the above.
I’ll close this the same way I did back in September 2015 with my last post: It is apparent now more than ever, that the "corruption, collusion & cronyism” are not only alive and well at New Smyrna Beach City Hall, but thriving, too. The real games have just begun.
Editor's Note: Bob Tolley's opinion is his own and not that of Headline Surfer.