By Tim O’Meilia

                  The South Palm Beach Town Council rejected June 21 an offer from Manalapan Mayor Basil Diamond to supply police and dispatch services to the town.

                  In a June 6 letter to the Town Council, Diamond outlined two options that he said would save the town $401,000 to $730,000, or 43 percent to 78 percent of its police and dispatching budget.

                  Mayor Donald Clayman disputed the estimated savings.

                  Councilman Joseph Flagello said, “One of the great things we have is our Police Department. I’m not going to have another municipality run our police force.”

                  Other council members agreed. “Quite frankly, I strongly support our town police force,” said Councilwoman Stella Jordan.

                  Clayman already had written Diamond a letter declining the offer. “They don’t want to give us anything. They want to take,” he said.

                  In other business at its June 21 meeting, the council:

                  • Postponed consideration of buying a new $25,584 Ford Crown Victoria police car to replace a 2005 model that is out of warranty. Council members were concerned that the purchase wasn’t in the budget and the money would be taken from the beach renourishment account. The Ford model is being discontinued and Police Chief Roger Crane said the town could save $5,000 by switching equipment from the old Ford to the new and save $3,000 on a trade-in. The new equipment likely would not fit in another model, he said.

                  • Approved on first reading a series of definitions for abuse, fraud, misconduct, mismanagement and waste to be applied in interpreting reports that may come from the new Palm Beach County Inspector General’s office. The inspector general has not approved any definitions yet.

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  • Mayor Clayman does not own property in South Palm Beach- his wife Natalie does.

    She claims her homestead exemptions and also an extra $25,000 senior exemption which is extended to the poorest of our Florida seniors. Mrs. Cayman’s total taxes paid to the state of Florida are $1,049 and from that amount South Palm Beach receives $192.05 per year:

     Yes, Mrs. Clayman pays $192.05 per year towards the Towns $3 million plus budget.

    Mayor Clayman (retired podiatrist) also claims this condominium as his primary resident which means between them they pay a total of $16 per month towards all of the expenses in this Town; that’s $8 each to live in this Town!!

    This man, Mayor Clayman couldn’t care less how much our Police Department or anything else for that matter in this Town cost. because he and his wife surely are not paying for it; they are living off of the backs of the residents who are paying through the nose to keep this Town running.

    South Palm Beach has the highest taxes around- and that’s because the voters are apathetic and do not vote – therefore allowing the same clique to run the Town for decades.

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