The Clerk of the Court’s Female Problem
BY BUDDY NEVINS
It must be interesting times around Clerk of the Courts Howard Forman’s house and office.
Howard Forman
Two of the most important women in his life are fighting to replace him in 2016.
His second-in-command at the Clerk’s Office Iris Siple and his wife Brenda Forman have told numerous Democrats they will run for Forman’s job when he retires next year.
Both of them running for the same job!
Howard Forman may end his career refereeing a cat fight at his work and at home.
“It’s every guys nightmare. His daytime wife and his nighttime wife are fighting and he’s in the middle,” one leading Democratic said.
The two women have been attending Democratic Party functions and circulating through the audience of activists to spread the word about their candidacy.
Brenda Forman has officially opened a campaign. Siple has not.
That leads to interesting questions: Which one gets Forman’s endorsement? Can he stay out of it?
Siple, also a Pembroke Pines commissioner, and Howard Forman have been close at least since he was elected clerk in 2000. She is the chief administrator in the clerk’s office.
Brenda Forman was a clerk’s office employee when Howard Forman married her after his earlier wife, Susan, died in 2011.
The job the women have their eyes on is one of the most prized in Broward politics. The clerk gets roughly $165,000-plus a year and a huge pension to run an office which handles thousands of court documents, collects fines, conducts civil marriage and takes passport applications.
With that much at stake, the two women are not the only politicians considering running for clerk. Democratic leader Mitch Ceasar also wants the job.
Howard Forman is reported to be upset by the commotion over his succession and unwilling to pick sides, several sources say.
I have known Howard Forman since he was a county commissioner 1978-1988 and he has never failed to return my call as fast as possible. This time, he didn’t want to talk. He did not return several calls made to him over almost a week.
February 12th, 2015 at 10:03 am
Iris Siple is the most qualified for job. Just being married to the Clerk does not give you the skill or the knowledge to run the Court House. And Mitch, please.
February 12th, 2015 at 10:47 am
We need an appointed clerk. Then the county commission and the judiciary could appoint a professional clerk, rather than political hacks like Robert Lockwood, Howard Forman and now either Mitch Ceasar, Iris Siple or Forman’s wife. Our system today of elected jacks is why our courthouse is far behind Miami-Dade and Palm Beach in clerk services.
FROM BUDDY:
One problem with your argument. Clerk of the Courts Sharon Bock of Palm Beach County and Harvey Ruvin of Miami-Dade are elected.
February 12th, 2015 at 10:56 am
There is no question in my opinion that Iris could easily run the courthouse. After all she’s been doing it for the last twelve years as Howard’s second in command. As for me, there is something to be said about experience, competence and loyalty that supersedes the arrogance of someone who believes marriage is a replacement for substantive knowledge. As for Mitch, who cares.
February 12th, 2015 at 11:03 am
Dear Las Olas
The Clerks in Miami and Palm Beach are partisan and elected as they are in just about all if not all the counties.
The Clerks in the appellate Courts are appointed by the judges
February 12th, 2015 at 11:12 am
I was at the Hollywood courthouse yesterday because I had gone to a office supply store nearby, and I thought I’d check my driving record since there’s some kind of amnesty program this week. I didn’t have anything outstanding, and it took an hour for me to get my turn at the window, but the digital display to show the last customer number called wasn’t working. I asked about that, and I was told that it had stopped working over a year ago, but that the Clerk of Court office has never fixed it.
February 12th, 2015 at 11:35 am
Buddy:
You forgot the least political and most qualified person for the job…Elizabeth ‘Liz’ McHugh!!!
February 12th, 2015 at 11:44 am
Article VIII, Section 1(d) of the Florida Constitution:
“COUNTY OFFICERS. There shall be elected by the electors of each county, for terms of four years, a sheriff, a tax collector, a property appraiser, a supervisor of elections, and a CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT; except, when provided by county charter or special law approved by vote of the electors of the county, any county officer may be chosen in another manner therein specified, or any county office may be abolished when all the duties of the office prescribed by general law are transferred to another office.”
So, elected unless Broward County Charter amended by Broward County voters.
February 12th, 2015 at 11:46 am
I’ll do you 3 better, Las Olas Lawyer. How about an appointed Sheriff, Property Appraiser and Supervisor of Elections? You only get as good as a popular Broward person. How about a nationwide hunt for the best damn sheriff/PA/SOE that you can find? THAT would be the way to go.
February 12th, 2015 at 12:40 pm
REPLY To Las Olas Lawyer 2-12-15.
The appointment of The Clerk of The Courts would be a travesty & disservive to the citizens of Broward County.
Appointing the Clerk would put another ‘hack’ into what is becoming a 21st century system that is destroying our voters rigehts & that is something we should NEVER do – that will undermine our country.
I’ve personally known every Clerk since the 1970s thru the present – some were good, some so-so & one or two awful. And when they are awful, or corrupt, they either by The Governor or the VOTERS
KEEP THE STATUS QUO & the VOTE
February 12th, 2015 at 1:24 pm
No to Iris Siple. We work at the courthouse. She nasty what little time she is there. Mostly works half days but is vindictive and can be very mean the staff. She blame other people for things we have no control to fix. We avoid her because she is a terrible manager. Ask and see. Plus she has family member working there so isn’t that nepotism?
February 12th, 2015 at 1:53 pm
Missūre Buddy,
Mixing “Jilted Paramours” and “Wives” in the political pudding is always messy who would have thought it would have come to this. Lets see how the pudding pops.
Ingredients
SUGAR, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, SALT, DISODIUM PHOSPHATE AND TETRASODIUM PYROPHOSPHATE (FOR THICKENING), MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES (PREVENT FOAMING), YELLOW 5, YELLOW 6, ARTIFICIAL COLOR, BHA (PRESERVATIVE).
What ingredient is there too much of?
February 12th, 2015 at 2:31 pm
If I were Iris Siple, for the rest of the year the only thing on my plate would be making sure that the transfer to the new courthouse, scheduled to begin this summer, went as smooth as grease through a goose.
It is a monumental task that I would not want to be in charge of.
If it goes smoothly no one will remember.
If it turns into a FUBAR no one will forget.
February 12th, 2015 at 2:36 pm
Forget McHugh, I hear Dan Lewis has done so and he joined team ceaser.
February 12th, 2015 at 3:31 pm
Bottom line is that the Broward Clerk’s office is the worst in the State of Florida.
Iris Siple and her family member’s day of mismanaging the clerk’s officer are over. The underground buzz is Richard Kaplan-the Clerk’s and Court Reporter’s have been encouraging Kaplan to run for the past 2 years and now it is a reality. He also has the support of the defense bar, civil bar, AG, and everyone in social services.
February 12th, 2015 at 4:07 pm
Richard…your nuts.
February 12th, 2015 at 4:07 pm
I’m not voting for Siple or Forman’s wife. If Siple and Forman’s wife are the one’s running that dump then they both need to go. Clear the house of lazy upper management, and those who hold a job because they are “family”.
I want to know why the majority of the employees despise upper management?
February 12th, 2015 at 8:03 pm
The Palm Beach Clerk runs a well oiled machine. Not sure how Bock does it, but she has best office in the try-county. Broward, not so much.
February 12th, 2015 at 8:17 pm
That is great news about Richard Kaplan. He has my vote.
February 12th, 2015 at 9:59 pm
Just for the record,
The Miami-Dade clerk is indeed elected (that was changed a few years ago… he used to be a CC appointee but the county charter was changed).
Also, the Miami-Dade clerk, like the other constitutional officers there who are elected (the Property Appraiser and the County Commission) are actually elected in NON-PARTISAN elections, per the Home Rule MD Charter.
In Miami-Dade, the Supervisor of Elections, along with the Police Director (the Dade version of the Sheriff) is still appointed by the County Mayor and approved but he Commission.
Kevin.
February 12th, 2015 at 10:01 pm
I guess that’s why the guys at the gym call Howard “tensoft”
February 12th, 2015 at 10:32 pm
I am deeply disappointed that a man who has had a stellar public career, never lost an election, never spoke ill of an opponent, and always operated above board seems to be ending his career in the shadows. He has not been open with decades-long friends and loyal supporters as to what his wife’s intentions are. Howard, your legacy needs to be better than this!
February 13th, 2015 at 7:55 am
1. As to Richard Kaplan, he’s a political zero outside of his town. And, speaking of zero, that is the chance he has of winning. He has no network, no ability to raise money, and would wilt in the face of negative attacks on his gadflyish record and views.
2. This comment surprises even me: don’t underestimate Brenda Forman and her political astuteness. While Iris and Mitch and Kaplan and McHugh gabbed for months about how they were going to run (in Mitch’s case for commission first), not a single one pulled the trigger and filed. Brenda did. And by doing that she is forcing the hands of others — particularly Iris. Now Iris must choose between running for Clerk and running for reelection before then, as Brenda boxed her in. One outside the box thought grounded in nothing: without Howard’s support, will Iris jump into the open Wexler county commission seat race instead? I think she lives in that district.
February 13th, 2015 at 8:38 am
Howard is our local JFK. A t one point a wife and at least two girlfriends we know of. Thanks god for Howard aka Hef, he makes things interesting around here. He is so the man, at this point he should come to work in pajamas and silk robe as he waves his cigar around. Howard’s legacy is that of a Player not a boring ass politician.
FROM BUDDY:
All this is alleged and just because he hung around women doesn’t mean he had affairs with them.
I never thought of Howard Forman as a babe magnet.
February 13th, 2015 at 9:25 am
Richard Kaplan is not going to win. Someone tell his wife to stop posting here.
Mitch is going to win, for better or worse, unless someone totally outside the box (a Jeremy Ring-type) files.
February 13th, 2015 at 1:32 pm
The Clerk’s office is below sub par-everyone who works there or utilizes there services (except upper managment) is in agreement. Therefore Siple or Howard’s wife will not win. I would be more inclined to vote for Liz or Kaplan, but never the stooges who currently work there.
February 13th, 2015 at 5:02 pm
FROM BUDDY: I never thought of Howard Forman as a babe magnet.
Who do you think is a babe magnet? And why?
Discuss.
February 13th, 2015 at 9:12 pm
It ain’t you, Chaz.
February 14th, 2015 at 11:10 am
Hands down Steve effman. Multiple affairs with clients and it was alleged he billed them during coitus. Plus his wife stated with him. He must be elevensoft.
February 14th, 2015 at 12:39 pm
It really is ridiculous how Foreman has allowed Iris to run the Clerk’s Office into the ground, while he used it as his own personal playground. Iris mistreats people, disrespects employees and Howard (for that matter), is deceitful, conniving, arrogant and a complete and total idiot. If you combine Iris and Brenda’s IQ scores I bet you will struggle to get out of the double digits. I would love to know what education level they each have reached. I bet there isn’t a bachelors degree between them.
But the nature f Broward Politics i such that idiots can get and keep power and mistreat their subordinates and then complain that they are victims.
Neither one of them should even bother to run, because it will be very embarrassing for them and Foreman when they are all exposed and the world finds out what has really been going on in the Clerk’s office. Hahaha! This is going to be fun.
February 14th, 2015 at 1:47 pm
I don’t know anything about Mr. Forman and the people named in the article and comments, but with only 7% of the voters in Fort Lauderdale turning out for the recent election I have ask why do people get so interested in, essentially gossip about two or three people but no one cares if 93% of the voters don’t vote! Seems people have their priorities a bit off.
February 14th, 2015 at 8:22 pm
One of the Clerk’s responsibilities relates to the processing of alimony payments, and it looks like alimony changes are coming soon. The Tampa Bay Times is reporting that after last year’s reform plan got vetoed by the Governor, this year’s revised plan looks likely to pass. It’s “child-support-esque” and non-retroactive, and “drawn from ‘best practices’ in alimony law from other states”.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/florida-lawmakers-to-look-at-new-alimony-overhaul/2217694
February 15th, 2015 at 2:07 pm
“cat fight”
Really?
February 16th, 2015 at 7:19 am
You are not mentioning other women as well. But very interesting! The serious person(s) will be appropriately putting out a Press Release shortly.
February 16th, 2015 at 10:28 am
You are not relevant to the discussion until you file. If you want a mention, then file. You have been dropping hints on here for weeks you are running , bleep or get off the pot.
February 16th, 2015 at 11:05 am
Why are people insulting Iris Siple? The blame should be on Howard Foreman shirking is duties and allowing Iris and her family to mismanage the clerks office. Question.
How much does Iris Siple make?
How much does her daughter make?
How much does Howard Foreman’s wife make?
What other family members are employed and what is their salary?
Buddy where can we get this information?
February 17th, 2015 at 8:00 am
This thing ought to be settled in the only fair way possible…………………
Pizza eating contest…Iris vs. Brenda…televised live………
February 17th, 2015 at 9:04 am
Howard would love if they ate some pie.
February 17th, 2015 at 1:19 pm
Cat fight? Buddy, if the 2 candidates were men, would you have used the same term?
FROM BUDDY:
Of course not, since the definition in Merriam-Webster is “an angry fight or argument between two women.”
February 17th, 2015 at 1:54 pm
Iris Siple makes around $163, 314.36 per year.
February 17th, 2015 at 3:41 pm
I also want to know the salary information and names of all family members who work at Broward Clerk’s Office
FROM BUDDY:
File a public records request with Clerk of the Court Howard Forman.
February 18th, 2015 at 2:30 am
#38 It wouldn’t be a Cock fight because thats done with two roosters.Buddy I will file a public records request to Clerk of Court Howard “12.5” Forman.
*12.5 denotes shoe size
February 19th, 2015 at 10:02 pm
I plan on doing a public records request.
I need the names of the family members of upper management who work at the Clerk’s office. I am asking that people reply with the names.