Confirmed today by the Florida Commission on Ethics is the receipt of two complaints filed last week against Robert Weinroth and George Brown.
The complaints challenge the appointment of these individuals to the Boca Raton Airport Authority. Assignment to an FCOE attorney for legal sufficiency will now take place. If legally sufficient, the complaints will proceed to establish probable cause and the assignment of an investigator.
This process is time consuming, at least weeks if not months. Below is a letter published to the City Council requesting that they delay the appointments pending the outcome of the ethics complaints.
If these appointees are allowed to be seated on the BRAA, all actions taken in which they cast a vote may be called into question when the ethics complaints are sustained.
(email/letter to follow)…..AZ
May 21, 2015
To the Mayor, City Council Members, City Manager, and City Attorney,
Please be advised that I have filed two complaints with the Florida Commission on Ethics and have confirmed their receipt by that agency in Tallahassee. The individuals named in these complaints are Councilman Robert Weinroth and Deputy City Manager George Brown.
The complaints are confidential and will remain so until a later stage in the process. At this time, these complaints are being assigned to an agency attorney leading to a probable cause determination and, then, the assignment of an investigator. This process will take weeks, if not months, to proceed.
At the public hearing where the appointments were made, I requested that the council revisit these appointments arguing their inappropriateness while I also raised ethics concerns and challenges. The council disregarded my request.
Since then, the City Attorney has published a letter arguing that the appointments are appropriate. I respectfully disagree and suggest the resolution of these issues is within an outside agency; to wit: The Florida Commission on Ethics.
The Boca Raton Airport Authority is not due to reconvene until the third Thursday in June. The exiting board members are set to step down from the board on June 1 with the replacement appointees expected to be seated at the next BRAA meeting.
Contained here is my second request for the City Council to reverse itself on these highly controversial appointments. Community sentiment across the board is overwhelmingly in opposition. Please act accordingly….
Short of that, I request that the City Council delay these appointments until such time as the Florida Commission on Ethics comes to resolution on the two pending ethics complaints.
Thank you for your prompt action on this troubling situation.
Al Zucaro
Attorney at Law
I am troubled and puzzled as to how it is possible for Robert S. Weinroth to hold the positions of deputy mayor, council member and airport authority member? I am dismayed that one man can hold so much power within a small city like ours. I am very concerned about these multiple positions and power wielding ability of one person. Doesn’t it seem awfully strange?
It’s not only strange, it’s shameful. At current course and speed, the council will not only double as our CRA and the Airport Authority. They will the Planning and Zoning Board, the Downtown Advisory Board, the Community Appearance Board, and every other board that matters. It’s our fault; we elected them. Or at least some of them………