Santamaria wants to keep “discretionary” $$

Published June 29th, 2008

By John Johnston
Managing Editor

When he rode his anti-corruption white horse into the Palm Beach County Government Center on North Olive Street in West Palm Beach, it was to replace disgraced and now imprisoned former commissioner Tony Masilotti. As such, one would have expected Commissioner Jesse Santamaria to stay as far away as possible from even the appearance of anything that smacked of power playing politics.

Which now has some folks raising eyebrows at Santamaria, not only embracing the continued receipt of what Palm Beach County Republican Committee Chairman Sid Dinerstein has called a “slush fund” (to) dole out favors” – Santamaria has actually reduced to a written plan his desire to keep and use those monies. 

In a memo to the commission, Santamaria wants to rework what has almost become synonymous with cynicism about Palm Beach County politics – the must discussed “discretionary funds.”

“Discretionary”

 Discretionary is defined as: “up to the individual.”

And in the case of Palm Beach County commissioners those funds – believe it or not -- formerly totaled in the millions.  But in 2007, commissioners eliminated that element: $7 million from gas-tax revenues split among the seven commissioners for beautification and road building projects.

However, the board decided to keep the remaining discretionary funds --  $1.4 million in property tax receipts -- split seven ways at $200,000 each, and used primarily for recreation and other pet projects.

Entering this year’s budget talks, County Administrator Bob Weisman had recommended that the discretionary fund era should cease, and that the $1.4 million should remain in the general budget. Just prior to the beginning of last week’s opening round of budget talks, Commissioner Mary McCarty agreed, telling the Boca Raton News “I won’t be supporting it, and I won’t be fighting to save” continued receipt of the $200,000 by each commissioner.

And no sooner had McCarty’s voice died in withdrawing her support for continuation of the discretionary fund, than did Santamaria draft and distribute his plan -- he wants each commissioner to now get a $100,000 yearly stipend to spend as desired on what he termed "critical county needs, such as the homeless."

At the same time that McCarty withdrew her support for continuation of the remaining discretionary funds, she also said, “I will not be supporting a tax increase.”

County Administrator Bob Weisman has proposed an 8.43 percent tax hike for this fiscal year, while cutting the $4 plus billion county budget by five percent in each department.

Asked which projects might be untouchable, McCarty said, “I don’t think that anything will escape”, adding that some departmental cuts “may be deeper” than others.

McCarty reasoned that in the final analysis, “and with such a high percentage of voters voting for Amendment One, it would be disrespectful to ignore the message that was sent to us.”

Santamaria on the other hand is playing the heartstrings harp in calling for retention of at least $100,000 annually in discretionary commissioner funds.

In the meantime, the first budget workshop was held June 18 and at which Weisman’s call for a tax hike was rejected. A second workshop has been scheduled for July 14 at 9:30 am – followed by two public hearings in September for preliminary and final adoption of the 2009 budget.

Will Santamaria’s colleagues agree with him about retaining $100,000 for each commissioner?

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