Dr. Peter Licata was just hired as superintendent of the Broward County school district, but only after the School Board reduced the salary he had previously negotiated with the board’s vice-chair (from $360,000 a year to $350,000).
The board also refused to agree with him that only a supermajority of the Board (at least six of nine votes) could fire him without cause. Licata expressed his concern, given the board’s recent history in disposing of superintendents who displease board members. Thus he remains at the mercy of a simple majority of five.
He’s also being required to relocate from Palm Beach County to Broward, or establish a second home in Broward.
A helpful hint for Superintendent Licata: Rent. Don’t buy.
Jeff Light, Coconut Creek
Imagining Pompano’s future
The new Pompano Beach Downtown Innovation District between Dixie Highway and I-95 will be the new attraction in South Florida, and maybe the country, for people to live, work, play and visit. But for it to live up to its name, it has to be much more creative than what is being proposed.
As the largest landowner in the district other than the city, I propose a futuristic Architectural Smart City to represent my vision and the people of Pompano where startups can show off their high-tech innovations and tools while people enjoy using them for a new futuristic downtown & entertainment lifestyle. However, developers bidding on this project are only proposing mere boxes or human warehousing just to fill up space in the only place left to develop in the best most accessible and dense location in the country. What a shame.
People in Pompano Beach want a place they can be proud of. I am doing that. They need to let their representatives know that they need to be more creative by possibly initiating a public referendum. Imagine the beauty of a futurustic city while riding down I-95 or Dixie to pull everyone in, and the taxes that will be generated from such a place that will benefit all the people living in Pompano Beach — instead of mostly vacant lots as it is now.
Jay Pirincci, New York, N.Y.
A memo to Disney’s CEO
I stand with Disney in its ongoing battles initiated against it by Gov. Ron DeSantis. However, on Friday the Sun Sentinel reported that Disney CEO Robert Iger’s new contract will pay him $31 million yearly. Really?
As of this writing, Disney stock sits at $88.62, about $38 below its 52-week high of $126.48. Disney still pays its stockholders a 0% yield.
Mr. Iger, I think it’s time you ‘woke’ up and stand up for the stockholders who have stood behind you for so long.
Frank Alioto, Cooper City
All those Disney do-overs
Your article on the latest in the Disney vs. DeSantis dispute highlights the many blunders by DeSantis.
The first was to direct the Legislature to dissolve the Reedy Creek Improvement District. After DeSantis learned that this would burden taxpayers with $1 billion in Disney debt, he directed the Legislature to pass a new law, undoing the dissolution, renaming the district and allowing him to name the new board. At a publicly noticed meeting the day before that law took effect, however, the old board signed agreements that preserved Disney’s control over development.
The new law specifically provided it would not affect contracts in existence at the time the law was passed. Since the contracts between Disney and the old board were signed the day prior to passage of the new law, they were arguably enforceable.
The new board sued, claiming the right to reject the agreements, and DeSantis directed the Legislature to pass yet another law allowing an incoming board to approve or reject contracts signed less than three months prior to its naming. Disney now reasonably argues that the new law moots the old board’s lawsuit by delivering the identical relief sought by the suit.
How many Mulligans does DeSantis get?
Michael K. Cantwell, Delray Beach