Recent articles had former Delray City Commissioner Jon Levinson stating that he and others on the commission made it clear to City Manager David Harden that they wanted a fair and open process to select bond underwriters.
I’m not aware of any documentation that supports his claim, and in fact, just the opposite is well documented. Minutes of the meeting of March 20, 2007, show that Mr. Levinson himself made the motion to approve the $50 million bond issues as a negotiated, not competitive, sale.
This is classic, pointing the finger at someone else while he was the one who made the motion.
City Manager David Harden is as honest as the day is long, and most Delray residents know this.
They appreciate 18 years of dedicated service and trust him. Mr. Levinson, for some reasons he never made clear, opposed the City Manager for years. Many believe he wants to be the kingmaker of the City Commission, as evidenced by fielding his own slate of candidates for the March city elections.
City staff does not decide on bond issues, and only the voting commissioners make that decision. Staff can only recommend. It appears that Mr. Levinson is suggesting that he followed the staff recommendation like a lamb.
Commissioners receive information days before a meeting and question staff on issues of concern before the meeting. In fact, no staff in their right mind makes recommendations they believe are not supported or even encouraged by their commissioners.
I have not seen it stated that Kevin or Mary McCarty have violated any laws in regard to his doing bond business in Delray Beach. It seems to me that he had a perfect right to do business here. While I have not always agreed with her on every issue, I have to say that Commissioner McCarty had always taken excellent care of all of her constituents and the cities in her district and she will be sorely missed by many. I wish her and her family well.
Carolyn Zimmerman
Delray Beach
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