On the Agenda for tonight’s North Miami Beach Council meeting is Resolution No. R2015-20, which establishes “a comprehensive policy governing travel and expenditures for the Mayor and City Council.”

As we all know by now, certain current and former elected officials have been known to abuse the already flawed travel reimbursement policy now governing reimbursable  expenses.

The most famous violator is none other than Frantz Pierre, who billed taxpayers thousands of dollars for his trips to “Boston, Chicago, Baltimore and Washington DC.” for National  League of Cities events, soccer coach conventions and a presidential inauguration, and most recently, his trip to Haiti so he could learn all about Haitians.

Need I also remind you that North Miami Beach residents also shelled out hundreds of dollars so that EX-Mayor/Felony Defendant Myron Rosner could spend child-free, Kosher weekends at local hotels with his wife, CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE SARAH ZABEL?  That’s money you’ll never get back!

In the interest of stopping the fraudulent bleeding of public money by the likes of L’il Frantzie P, as well preventing any future elected officials from going down that dark path, the North Miami Beach Mayor and Council are proposing legislation designed to ensure that “travel-related expenses incurred by the City’s Elected Officials shall be for reasonable necessary expenses incurred while engaged in activities or travel which serves a public purpose which benefits the City of North Miami Beach residents and property owners.”

In other words, if L’il Frantzie P wants to attend the 2017 presidential inauguration, he’ll have to do it on his own dime.

Once this Resolution is passed, elected officials will only be reimbursed for travel expenditures “while performing official duties,” which may include:

• Dade Days (an annual event in Tallahassee);
• Chamber of Commerce Conventions;
• Florida (not National) League of Cities Conferences and Meetings;
• Public employees Pension seminars and conferences;
• Committee on the Status of Women meetings; and
• Legislative lobbying meetings.
• Ethics education and training to comply with State and County regulations.

Sorry, Frantzie.  No more soccer coach conventions for you!

Meals and other travel related expenses are also addressed in the Resolution, and will be reimbursed in accordance with federal and state laws, which are clearly spelled out.

As a bonus round, “travel expenses that are paid with City funds will be posted on the City’s website.”

Because I’ve already annoyed City Clerk Pamela Latimore enough with my endless public records requests, all of which she has cheerfully fulfilled.

With a smile!

So here’s the thing.

This is good legislation.  Not only is it good, it’s a no-brainer law that should have been thought up and passed decades ago.  But, considering how little former administrations concerned themselves with fiscally responsible spending, we all know why it wasn’t.

This Resolution will finally force elected officials to be more accountable to the residents for the spending of their hard earned tax dollars.  The Mayor and Council should pass this legislation with a minimum of discussion … or squawking from the Yellow Parrot in residence.

But, this is North Miami Beach we’re talking about.

During campaign season.

Where EVERYONE  has an agenda.

Especially the Yellow Parrot.

Start popping your corn, grab a soda, pull up a chair, and let the circus begin.

This should be fun.

Stephanie Kienzle
“Spreading the Wealth”