It appears as thought the waterways are not the only things filled with poop in the City of Fort Lauderdale. As REDBROWARD reported, even though he says residents should not play the “blame game,” Mayor Dean Trantalis (D-Hapless) continues to blame previous city officials for the sewer and water issues across the City. Trantalis insists his administration and his fellow Commissioners made infrastructure their top priority from day one. But a key vote held while Trantalis ran for Mayor calls into question his true commitment to fixing Fort Lauderdale’s failing sewers.
On January 23, 2018, the Fort Lauderdale City Commission heard an item regarding $200 million funding to fix infrastructure issues. Agenda item R-2 concerned bond money to fund water and sewer pipe repairs across the City of Fort Lauderdale. The list of projects to be fixed included sewer mains in the Rio Vista and Victoria Park neighborhoods. Several residents spoke in favor of the $200 million dollar bond.
Mayor Dean Trantalis’ only comments on the matter dealt with the bond payments. Trantalis asked what would happen if the City did not have money in eighteen years to pay the principle on the bond.
Without any further discussion, the vote was called. Mayor Jack Seiler, Commissioner Romney Rogers, Commissioner Robert McKinzie, and Vice-Mayor Bruce Roberts voted to fund sewer repairs.
Then-Commissioner Dean Trantalis was the lone vote against funding the projects.
If it was such a top priority for him, why did Dean Trantalis vote against the $200 million dollars?
Trantalis did not even bother to explain his vote. He could have easily said, “I want to fix sewers, but….” Instead, Trantalis voted no.
Since the sewer breaks in December 2019, Trantalis claims he has been “very aggressive” in his approach to fix infrastructure.
On Tuesday, Mayor Trantalis scolded a resident who asked why he has not done more to fix sewergate. “We weren’t sitting on our hands, not waiting for a break to happen,” Trantalis said. “Unfortunately, it got ahead of us.”
But since his election in May 2020, Trantalis had $200 million dollars in the bank to use on sewers but he’s done nothing.
Even though Trantalis voted no, the money was there for him to use on day one. What if he started work in Rio Vista in June 2018? Could the City avoided pumping 200 million gallons of raw sewage into Fort Lauderdale waterways?
What was Dean Trantalis waiting for?!?
Now, Trantalis wants federal taxpayer dollars to bail him out. Will Mayor Dean Trantalis actually use that money?
Is this the real leadership Fort Lauderdale needs during this crisis?
Doesn’t Fort Lauderdale deserve better?
REDBROWARD 