Deerfield-News. com-Deerfield Beach, Fl-Nothing is a more flagrant violation of the public trust than not producing public records. In a state where Tallahassee has been tinkering with “Public Records” pertaining to COVID-19 deaths, one expects better from our city. Florida has very broad public records request laws, and they should be adhered to. The public records laws are laws, not suggestions and they should not be cherry-picked to suit a political need.
The OIG report implicates the Deerfield Beach City Clerk and the H.R director failed to produce properly requested documents.
Deerfield-News.com on occasion has also had issues with the city producing documents requested and sometimes it took some arm twisting to get them. The city should know better and do better. As the old saying goes it all comes out in the wash. Below is the report from the office of inspector general
BROWARD OFFICE OF THE INSPECTOR GENERAL
John W. Scott, Inspector General
One North University Drive, Suite 111 • Plantation, Florida 33324 • (954) 357-7873 • Fax (954) 357-7857
www.browardig.org • (954) 357-TIPS
To: Honorable Bill Ganz, Mayor, City of Deerfield Beach,
and Members, City of Deerfield Beach City Commission
From: John W. Scott, Inspector General
Subject: OIG Final Report Re: City of Deerfield Beach Officials Withheld Public
Records Regarding Retiree Health Benefits Misspending, Ref. OIG 19-010-M
Attached please find the final report of the Broward Office of the Inspector General (OIG) regarding
the above-captioned matter. The OIG substantiated allegations that city management withheld
information from residents who queried the city about the overpayment of health benefit subsidies to
retirees over the age of 65, finding that Amanda Robin, the city’s human resources and risk
management (HR) director, was at fault for the failure to produce responsive documents to public
records requestors on three occasions in October 2017, November 2017, and September 2018.
Residents made the requests to gain clarity on the city administration of the health plan and the
scope, magnitude, duration, and cost of misspending on health care costs for retirees over the age of
65. Specifically, the OIG determined that Ms. Robin withheld a document that was in her custody
and directly responsive to public records requests we investigated. That particular document,
referred to as the Retiree Health Plan Analysis, included facts that formed the basis for its author to
conclude that the city had contributed to subsidies for retirees without authority for more than a
decade, that the city’s HR employees instructed several retirees not to enroll in Medicare, that
retirees could attempt legal action against the city, the scope of the coverage at issue, and other
observations that would have provided fodder to critics of the city’s administration.
The OIG also established that the City Clerk oversaw a public records process that failed to properly
respond to one public records request, also in violation of state public records law.
We appreciate the city’s response, which reflects its acceptance of our factual findings and
recognition of the need for several improvement to the city’s process of record maintenance and
system for tracking and responding to public records requests.
BROWARD OIG MEMORANDUM REF. OIG 19-010-M PAGE 2 OF 2
We hereby request the city provide us with a status report on its progress in the eight areas it
articulated in its response and listed on page 55 of the report within 120 days or on or by Friday,
cc: Hon. Mark D. Bogen, Broward County Board of County Commissioners
Hon. Lamar P. Fisher, Broward County Board of County Commissioners
Anthony C. Soroka, City Attorney
David Santucci, City Manager
