Headline Surfer videos and photos by Henry Frederick / A town hall-style informational meeting at the Brannon Center turns into near bedlam as angry unincorporated residents question the City of New Smyrna Beach's motives for trying to get them to become part of the municipality.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH -- Mayor Adam Barringer stood front and center before 500 strong Thursday night at the Brannon Center promising them their taxes would go down if they were willing to incorporate. But within a matter of minutes an angry citizen shot out that he actually checked that out earlier in the day and was told his taxes would actually go up.
It got ugly from that point on with citizens openly questioning the veracity of the city.
The city known for its charm was more like the WWE's "Monday Night Raw" with both sides letting their emotions get the best of them.
At one point, City Manager Pam Brangaccio talked down one angry woman, letting her know in no uncertain terms, "Ma'm you're in my home -- This is the Brannon Center, You're in the City of New Smyrna Beach."
At one point, City Manager Pam Brangaccio talked down one angry woman, letting her know in no uncertain terms, "Ma'm you're in my home -- This is the Brannon Center, You're in the City of New Smyrna Beach."
Controversy is nothing new to Mayor Adam Barringer, shown here at left during the annexation meeting at the Brannon Center. The snapshot graphic above describes how he got into an argument with police officer Ralph Hunnefeld before the start of the 2012 city Christmas parade. This led to the second of two ethics complaints against the mayor. City Manager Pam Brangaccio, shown at far left during the annexation meeting, also is facing two ethics charges.
The 6 p.m. annexation meeting was scheduled for two hours, but within the first hour, residents began walking out en masse, openly disgusted as to the true motives of the city for such a bold step in seeking to add as many as 2,800 parcels that would nearly double the size of the city.
The meeting actually broke up at 7:15 p.m. with city officials shellshocked and avoiding Headline Surfer, the only media outlet at the meeting.
One city official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the 24/7 internet newspaper the city sees annexation as a means to drum up badly needed revenues, especially with the CRA district sun setting in 2015 and the prospects for a new one "looking less and less promising."
We're top heavy in salaries," the official said, adding, "the revenue stream from property tax assessments aren't what they were five years ago and there is little left in reserves."
The meeting had been heavily promoted by the Daytona Beach News-Journal, which has received CRA advertising, with the newspaper pointing out in one story that city mailers marketing the benefits of annexation, including increased trash pick-up, "direct representation at city commission meetings" and lower taxes.
The city wants to annex the parcels over the next 10 years and has agreed to waive fees over the first year for those who are willing to join the city.
This snapshot graphic of the map at left shows New Smyrna Beach's incorporated territory in grey with the pink areas being parcels outside the city limits. In the inset photo, a sign describes how at least one outside citizen feels about annexation.
One longtime citizen who knows all too well the city's desire to increase revenues through annexation is Muriel Lamee.
She openly challenged the mayor and city manager to tell the citizens what their real motivation was with annexation: "Money."
LaMee told Brangaccio the meeting was a sham, saying what the city really desires is "taxation without representation," to which the city manager sarcastically told her she was better off staying in the county.
At that point, Barringer demonstratively took a step forward in her direction before backing off.
Muriel Lamee questions the motives of New Smyrna Beach officials in seeking such a large-scale annexation.
"I felt that all questions were skirted and there was nothing more than double talk," said LaMee, who last appeared before the city a year ago in support of employees of the closed Kmart.
"All these city officials want is more money for themselves and to fund their Flagler Avenue parties for their friends," she said after Thursday's meeting.
"Everyone saw how Pam took over the floor with her unconcern of the people who had real concerns," LaMee said.
"This group of (elected officials and city administrators) are hard nosed and have learned how to skirt the Sunshine Law," LaMee continued, "I moved out in the unincorporated area just so I did not have to deal with any of the city B.S. This meeting showed me and everyone else how cloudy the officials are to the voters of this town."
Holly Smith, who makes $60,000 annually writing press releases promotional to the New Smyrna Beach CRA, is shown here taking a photo of one of the cops outside the Brannon Center after a grueling town hall-style meeting over annexation that left many of the 500 attending unhappy. The city brought out its police and fire equipment to showcase its services to unincorporated residents it hopes to woo into annexation.
And while Brangaccio tried to assert herself over those loudly trying to talk over her that New Smyrna Beach has one of the lowest tax rates among Volusia County's 16 cities and towns, LaMee said afterwards many of her friends know all too well that the city handsomely pays its municipal personnel and looks out for its insider friends.
In a city with less than 23,000 residents, Brangaccio makes $125,000 and nearly a dozen other senior administrators make six figure salaries, led by City Attorney Frank Gummey who is paid in excess of $215,000 a year.
The controversy at the Brannon Center is far from the first for Brangaccio and Barringer, who are both facing state ethics complaints for holding a private party at Barringer's So Napa wine-bar restaurant in November for retired City Commissioner Jim Hathaway with a city credit card used to pay up-front costs for meals for nearly four dozen city and private citizens.
Barringer is facing a second ethics complaint for making a sexual reference to NSB cop Ralph Hunnefeld when he tried to cut through a closed side street prior to the 2012 city Christmas parade. Hunnefeld's complaint is shown above the photos of Brangaccio and Hunnefeld. Hunnefeld served in combat in Iraq before he was hired by the city. Barringer has refused to publicly apologize. The ethics complaints were filed by New Smyrna Beach citizen watchdog Bob Tolley.
Barringer also has come under media scrutiny for helping secure a $60,000 CRA grant last fall for boyhood friend Dave Fernandez's Traders Bar on Flagler Avenue. The mayor also got another longtime friend, Steve Sather, appointed to a seat on the city's planning & zoning board, even though he pleaded no contest in Circuit Court 20 years ago to trying to buy a large quantity of cocaine from an undercover cop. Adjudication of guilt was withheld because it was his first felony.
Two years ago, Barringer got a consulting position with the CRA for yet another friend, Holly Smith, to write press releases promoting the so-called "Do the Loop" CRA marketing campaign. Smith has been paid close to $120,000 in CRA funds and is now on the city payroll as a permanent employee.
Barringer and his elected colleagues have spent more than a million bucks since 2009, in CRA monies for improvements to bars on Flagler, the North Causeway and Canal, and for alcohol-fueled street festivals on Flagler.
A Port Orange mother of three young girls was killed just after midnight of May 5, when the pick-up truck she was driving, smashed into the concrete median on the South Causeway Bridge, ejecting her and her husband with the vehicle landing on her. They had been drinking at the Cinco de Mayo festival on Flagler, the husband said in a published report.