{City of Margate}
By Kevin Deutsch
The office tasked with uncovering government corruption in Broward County is investigating Margate’s use of pandemic stimulus funds for its Property Improvement Program.
The Broward Office of the Inspector General has asked for copies of numerous records concerning Margate’s PIP program as part of its investigation, including “any record providing a list of all Property Improvement Program (PIP) Applications the city received as a result of the city receiving grant funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA),” according to a December 7, 2023 letter from the OIG obtained by Margate Talk.
The OIG probe appears to involve a Margate driveway expansion program, which the city made part of its Property Improvement Program and used ARPA money to fund.
The other materials requested by the OIG include a copy of all processed and approved PIP applications; the backup documentation submitted by each PIP applicant; the name of the contractor each of them used; and all documentation related to the evaluation and selection process of applicants who received ARPA grant funds through the city’s PIP.
Investigators also requested “all copies of city payment records associated with allocating ARPA grant funds to city residents, including but not limited to invoices, proof of partial and final payments to the contractor, and checks from the city to the applicants, etc.”
The OIG said it also wanted copies of city commission meeting agendas and minutes of meetings during which Margate’s driveway expansion programs and PIP were discussed.
The launch of a recent Margate driveway expansion program followed the commission’s passage of an ordinance in September 2022, allowing homeowners to widen their driveways. At the time, Commissioner Tommy Ruzzano – Margate’s current mayor – suggested a slightly larger driveway would give families with four or more cars some reprieve from parking space issues. The final ordinance passed 3-2.
Broward Deputy Inspector General Amy Schmidt wrote the OIG letter to Margate on behalf of Broward Inspector General Carol Breece. Margate Talk obtained the letter from the city on Friday through a public records request.
Schmidt asked that Margate provide the requested records on or by December 21, 2023.
A city spokesperson did not respond to an email seeking comment Friday.
The OIG is an independent watchdog for Broward County residents and investigates misconduct allegations including fraud, corruption, abuse, and gross mismanagement in government. The office can seek criminal prosecution, civil recoveries, administrative and monetary sanctions, and ethics sanctions of those responsible for fraud, waste, and abuse.
The office recently investigated Margate in a separate case concerning the city’s purchasing of services.
According to the OIG’s April 6, 2023 report, investigators found that Margate’s purchasing rules do not require a competitive bidding process when the city purchases most services.
“The City of Margate’s code is concerning, as, at the very least, it leaves open the door for the appearance of favoritism and a lack of public confidence in the purchase of services,” the report states. “At worst, it opens the city up to something more nefarious such as fraud, waste, and abuse.”
The earlier OIG probe began in response to a complaint over a $25,000 city purchase for resident surveys. Investigators in that case did not find that any city employee or official engaged in misconduct or gross mismanagement.
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