Mayor and Commissioners,
City of DeLand,
120 N. Florida Ave.,
DeLand, FLA 32720.
Honorable Mayor & Commissioners:
At the last meeting, some harsh words were spoken by several people. For my part, I wish to apologize and hope that the City can put this behind it.
Mayor Rigsby said that he ‘‘bitterly resented’’ criticism. This is my fault: I should have remembered that he can not take anything other than flattery, and should not have offered any advice on how the City might improve. I am sorry that I forgot about his temper, and shall certainly try to remember the new Mayor’s distaste for criticism in the future.
The new Mayor also bitterly resented my involving the City in the Athens Theatre scandal. Again, my fault. I should have known that you needed prior warning about attorneys who work both sides of transactions. I’m sorry that I got the City into a deal where they have promised the attorney a profit, and that they are already sending CDBG money his way.
The Attorney indicated his displeasure with my attendance at City Commission meetings. There is no one else but me to blame here. If I had chosen a City Attorney who understood that the public will occasionally show up at these meetings, we would not now have an unhappy lawyer. I’ll try to do better in the future.
As a note of consolation, I see that the repair crew did a good job of fixing the ceiling where Mayor Rigsby hit it last meeting. Sorry about that. I’ll have to watch his blood pressure in the future.
Finally, let me say that I hope to do better in the future. I’ll try to avoid hiring attorneys who dislike the public at public meetings, and will try not to approve deals where the City gives an insider a guaranteed profit plus grant money. I hope that the City Commission can forgive me for, as Mayor Rigsby put it, ‘‘getting the City involved in this scandal.’’ I apologize for being a concerned citizen and certainly hope that no other citizens make the same mistake.
Fake Disclaimer
I'd be prouder if I didn't have to admit that
the Mayor who blows his stack,
the Commissioner who got a no-bid contract
and sore about its discussion,
and the City Attorney who negotiated with himself
are all real persons who did the acts described above.
Legal Mumbo-Jumbo
The text is a real letter to the City Commission;
its presentation here is in the nature of a
paid political advertisement
provided by
P.O. Box 1208,
DeLand 32721.