LAUDERDALE LAKES

City manager is fired

Facing a $9 million deficit, Lauderdale Lakes fired its city manager, with leaders saying it was necessary to get Broward's help.

By Georgia East

Sun Sentinel

Seeking to deal with its budget crisis, Lauderdale Lakes fired its city manager and said it plans to seek help from Broward County.

City commissioners this week said they could not keep Anita Fain Taylor because of mounting problems with the city's finances and lack of communication across the board. They said they had to make changes in leadership to be considered for a bailout from Broward County.

Director of Public Works Jonathan Allen became the interim manager of the city, which expects to have a $9 million deficit at the end of this fiscal year. It already owes millions to the Broward Sheriff's Office and the county's taxpayers might have to make up the gap.

The Sheriff's Office alerted the state to the crisis in April, calling it "tantamount to a financial emergency."

The state contacted the city after receiving the Sheriff's Office letter and offered to provide technical assistance but no money — an offer the city rejected.

The city does not have a firm plan on how it will pay what it owes by year's end. Officials are scheduled to meet with Broward County on June 7 to seek help, such as a loan. They are also considering a lease-back program, where the city mortgages its equity in city property and uses that money to pay down the debt.

Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness, who represents Lauderdale Lakes, said on Wednesday, "there is still extensive work that needs to be done'' before a bailout could be considered.

He said the city has to ensure costs have been reduced and operations streamlined. In addition, he said, officials may need outside help from consultants to resolve the shortfall. "We're not sure if it's $10 or $15 million and how it's going to be made up,'' he said. "We're going to have to work through the process together."

Taylor, 49, who earned about $150,000 annually, is entitled to six months of salary, along with health insurance and disability benefits under her contract. She had been with the city since 2002.