In Pompano, the emphasis is suddenly on “No.”
The once-cantankerous Broward city has worked diligently for years to re-brand itself as a friendly, open, even hip destination. But all of a sudden, it’s in danger of being undone, as barely a month after an election, Pompano Beach is in serious political disarray.
A surprise shift of just one seat in the November election carries serious implications for residents, city workers and a thriving city’s image. Commissioner Andrea McGee lost by underestimating the strength of a novice challenger — her cousin, Audrey Fesik.
Overnight, Fesik’s upset victory in the beachfront District 1 race created a party of three openly hostile to the status quo, with Commissioner Beverly Perkins and the opposition leader, Vice Mayor Alison Fournier. It’s a recipe for chaos and controversy.
Mike Stocker/Sun Sentinel
Steve Bousquet is a Sun Sentinel columnist.
Because Pompano oddly has an even-numbered six-member city commission, and a tie vote defeats any proposal, the city is struggling to move ahead on the most routine matters.
The enormity of this mess came into full view at a six-hour session Tuesday that was a full-fledged political circus.
The Fournier faction defeated one routine item after another, from a state grant for police overtime to ratifying a new contract for city employees that had already been approved by a previous commission.
“These financial shenanigans have got to stop. We’ve got a city to run here,” said Mayor Rex Hardin, who took to Facebook to vent and repeatedly named the three naysayers.
The three blocked a pass-through sewer rate increase from the county that the city says is needed to maintain the system’s reliability.
They refused to extend for one year a decades-old agreement with the Sands Harbor Resort & Marina, which uses a nearby city parking lot and guarantees the city a minimum amount of monthly parking revenue in a deal that benefits both parties.
Two weeks before Christmas, Fournier held up a pay raise in a new contract for city workers. She objects to Pompano’s four-day work week, which she said imposes burdensome delays on residents who need building permits and other approvals.
City officials vehemently denied that, and cited a survey of residents to prove it, and City Manager Greg Harrison noted that the four-day, 40-hour work week was negotiated as a separate issue, outside the union contract.
“The employees were extremely disappointed that they may not see retroactive checks … in time for Christmas,” city spokeswoman Sandra King wrote in an email.
An obvious subtext here is Fournier’s frustration with the city manager, who at one point on Tuesday called her “borderline ridiculous” because of her persistent opposition.
In an interview, Fournier said she has lost faith in the manager and would vote to fire him, partly because of “the way he treats people,” including her. She said that when she emails the manager with her specific concerns, he blows her off with “We’re on top of it, thanks for your interest.”
Harrison, said that in his 11 years as city manager, “I have never before had anyone ever accuse me of being disrespectful.”
Parking is a main concern of Fournier. She’s critical of city staff for not providing sufficient background on agenda items. She wants workshops on homelessness and other issues.
Her refusal to be a rubber-stamp is understandable, but she and her allies need to be much more strategic in how they bring city government to a standstill. So far, all they have done is stir chaos.
“There’s going to be some growing pains here,” Fournier said. “It’s not all gloom and doom. I’m not as pessimistic as the others.”
On a couple of issues, all six officials did work in harmony. They were effusive and unanimous in their praise for City Clerk Kervin Alfred, who got rave reviews and a 5% pay raise, and the City Hall chambers erupted in loud cheers when commissioners approved a new skateboard park, a project that has moved swiftly through the city bureaucracy.
As one agenda item after another went down in flames, City Attorney Mark Berman repeatedly warned that the strident opposition by Fournier & Co. could trigger expensive lawsuits; jeopardize the city’s bond rating, making it more expensive to borrow money; and draw complaints of unfair labor practices from a city union.
Berman urged the three to rescind their opposition and change from “no” to “yes,” and their answer was a firm — and predictable — no.
Said the attorney: “This is like Star Trek, where no man or woman has gone before.”
Steve Bousquet is Opinion Editor of the Sun Sentinel and a columnist in Tallahassee and Fort Lauderdale. Contact him at sbousquet@sunsentinel.com or (850) 567-2240 and follow him on X @stevebousquet.