Broward Legislative Delegation Chair Targets School Board
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Broward County Legislative Delegation Chair Evan Jenne wants to combat the rampant corruption, over-spending, incompetence and lack of public confidence at the Broward County School Board.
Jenne is drafting a bill which would put the School Board under the county’s newly-created ethics czar – the Inspector General.
For the first time School Board members would have an independent, impartial expert looking over their shoulders.
“People don’t have confidence in the School Board. They’ve had systematic problems that cannot be ignored, whether it is problems with construction or straight-up corruption,” said Jenne, D-Dania Beach. “If there is someone keeping an eye on them, it will do a lot for public perception.”
The Inspector General – created by voters angry at the repeated accusations of corruption in local government – has the power to investigate wrongdoing in cities and the county government. But the School Board got a pass in the original legislation.
“This county should have uniform (ethical) standards across the board,” Jenne said.
Citizens with complaints about wrongdoing or ethics violations at the School Board now must go to the State Attorney’s Office or a federal agency. Under the new law, anyone would be able to file a complaint with the Inspector General.
The Inspector General could then investigate the allegations. If criminal violations were uncovered, they would be referred to law enforcement authorities.
The new legislation would also include a ban on accepting gifts from lobbyists or vendors and a prohibition against an office holder lobbying other agencies in Broward.
Jenne has two questions to answer before the legislation is fully developed: Will adding the School Board to the Inspector General’s responsibilities overtax that office and who will pay for any investigations of the School Board?
“We need a funding mechanism because I’m not going to take one school book away from any child to pay for an investigation,” Jenne said.
He quickly added that the funding question “can be overcome.”
He plans to hold a series of meetings with the Inspector General’s office to talk about its work load.
Any local legislation must first pass the Broward County Legislative Delegation and then get approved by the full Legislature. Jenne said his bill would also require approval of the voters, maybe in the November 2012 election.
Jenne hasn’t told the School Board about his idea, yet.
“I talked to their representative in Tallahassee (lobbyist Georgia Slack),” he said. “I plan to meet with each of them individually.”
Eventually.
October 11th, 2011 at 1:17 pm
It is about time!
October 11th, 2011 at 3:50 pm
This is a great move. It is clear that the audit department of the schools were hampered by Board politics and a lack of independence. They tried hard and could not change the system. The system has cancer and needs a doctor to cut it out.
October 11th, 2011 at 4:35 pm
great idea Evan. politics at school board are a problem. let’s bring them under control with politics at the county commission. stacy will luv this. a bunch of democrats (and lil’ ol me) telling Barteleman & Co how to act. can I appoint the inspector general? it’s good to be the king(maker)!
October 11th, 2011 at 5:01 pm
Corruption will drop exponentially when the school board and county commission are not (almost) exclusively controlled by one political party.
For too long folks have looked the other way when their friends are on the take. Political opposition tends to frown upon that activity.
October 11th, 2011 at 5:17 pm
Listen to Jenne here, have you forgotten your “old man” was the biggest crook of them all-but that’s ok right? Mind your business.
FROM BUDDY:
I don’t believe you can blame the son for the faults of his father.
Also, I don’t believe that Ol’ Man Jenne was “the biggest crook of them all”.
He didn’t take cash in an envelope, like a School Board member. He didn’t have a developer pay his golf course membership, like a County Commissioner. His relative didn’t get a job to influence his vote, like several others. He didn’t write phony checks, like another local pol. He didn’t get paid for a no-show job, like several other pols. I could go on….
Ol’ Man Jenne didn’t pay taxes. Not admirable, but not “the biggest crook of all”.
October 11th, 2011 at 9:22 pm
I like the idea. There is something so simple about it. How about letting the money returned by the inspector general’s investigations be deposited directly in the their operating budget for every school board case? That would not put additional tax on the taxpayers and would immediately hold the thieves accountable. The money would returned would afford the IG more staff. It is so simple.
October 11th, 2011 at 9:30 pm
“Jenne is drafting a bill which would put the School Board under the county’s newly-created ethics czar – the Inspector General.
For the first time School Board members would have an independent, impartial expert looking over their shoulders. […]
The Inspector General – created by voters angry at the repeated accusations of corruption in local government – has the power to investigate wrongdoing in cities and the county government. But the School Board got a pass in the original legislation.
“This county should have uniform (ethical) standards across the board,” Jenne said.”
AWESOME!!!!!
October 11th, 2011 at 9:48 pm
Great idea! Wouldn’t that put Ritter and her crew over the school board’s $4 billion budget?
October 11th, 2011 at 10:45 pm
The school board needs major changes…some has taken place and more is needed in this next election. People need to change and the culture needs to change…if not, it will b the same ol cycle. Fact!
October 11th, 2011 at 11:20 pm
Thank you Representative Jenne! Together with Representative Kiar, who next year should be Senator Kiar, this kind of leadership in Tallahassee can solve alot of what can be done only at the state level. Then it is up to us here in Broward to follow through. Every current board member should endorse this plan — or come up with something better, which they have already had plenty of time to do.
It should be the first of many cooperative efforts with our state representatives and senators.
October 12th, 2011 at 6:27 am
Mr. Walsh, that may be the single most ungentlemanly and unwarranted comment I have seen written on this blog. What purpose could such a comment serve?
October 12th, 2011 at 7:39 am
Buddy:
Walsh is right. Boy Jenne is no saint. He got his hand spanked for accepting contributions above the legal limit several times. Plus he had ethics complaints filed against him. There could have been more but I got tied up with Franklin Sands and the corrupt democratic machine.
Do not make boy Jenne out to be an angel.
October 12th, 2011 at 8:36 am
I am confused. The School Board has put policies into place that address many issues that have been problems in the past. Every time some one doesn’t like a decision, some one screams corruption. Every time some one makes a mistake, the chorus is corruption.
I am not minimizing the serious problems of the past. But, I find it interesting that we obsess over buildings, when some the real problems lie in administering the state wide mandates that have proven to be failures. NO one gets worked up over the fact our graduation rate speaks to the disconnect between elementary, middle and high school with regard to rigor. No one is concerned that many of the non-title 1 schools technology is sinking into the past and we haven’t been on the cutting edge of anything in quite some time.
The majority of the Board is brand new and we have a new Superintendent. At what point do we allow those measure to work begin working before we say they aren’t? When are we going stop making new Board members and the employees stop paying for corruption and mistakes of those that no longer represent us or work there?
Do we ever get past it or do those that cannot let go of the past doom the entire system to failure?
October 12th, 2011 at 9:40 am
Great News, it’s about time!
Of course, this should have happened about 15 years ago instead of now!
Most of all the Cities and also County Commission as well should be under investigation.
There is to much “crap” happening here in Broward County which is not right or fair!
Just hope Evan knows what he’s doing because he’s done some wrong doing as well.
I just wish all Politicians would just be HONEST!!!
October 12th, 2011 at 2:13 pm
Let’s not fool ourselves into thinking this is the answer to corruption. It won’t stop corrupt officials like Beverly Gallagher who took a bribe or Stephanie Kraft, who got a job for her husband. It is a step, but electing honest School Board members is the anwser. Find candidates who have a lot of money or careers outside of the School Board. Those have a better chance of honesty.
October 12th, 2011 at 3:58 pm
To Buddy, and”Smart Move”. First of all Buddy i agree w/ your opinion that basiccly everyone derserves a secound chance(except me), however to esp.” Smart Move” just look at that Command Center w/ telephones in the John, to the solid oak that Jenne had ripped out what twice. i mean the County Comm. that approved Jenne’s budget at the time was duped. i’m sorry when you have zero tolereance for the taxpayer, that just can’t be ignored. Again the Comm. was duped. Mr.Jenne NEVER told them about the details of his little game room. Plus his connections to Scott Rothstein (yeah Rothstein hired him because he felt sorry for him) speaks for itself. As far as me being out of line, Hell no, the remodeling etc. for the Command Center at BSO, is more than just concerning its sickening. So as far as for the son(Evan) stay far away from your “Old Man” as far as you can. Don’t feel bad my ‘Old Man” was the biggest drunk,you would ever want to meet. Live by the sword die by the sword.(look at Bernie’s friend Whitey Bulger, own girlfriend turned him in & not the Feds-sure the lady from Iceland , you recongnized Whitey from the APB. out on him. Sure-2million dollars later & richer). Besides Bernie or myself NEVER robbed the taxpayer like KEN JENNE did. And from the other comments,Mr.Jenne was lucky he didn’t get like 10 yrs.in the slammer.
October 20th, 2011 at 11:39 pm
How about looking at why Marchetti with high school diploma is getting $90K? Why I was getting paid over $75K just for looking at semi-porn during my work hour. How Marchetti’s buddy Rhodes is a director without a college degree gettting $80K?