Margate City Commissioners voted to approve another round of annual funding for the Margate Business Association. $95,000 to be exact.
Acknowledging the lack of MBA financials, Margate Solicitor Abbott, Mayor Becker, Commissioners Blumberg and Amodeo all agreed to cut the check. With one caveat. MBA President Ed Berger must promise to provide all financial details of his organization…to the City auditor. LISTEN >
City approves annual $95,000 grant to Margate Business Association.
Thursday Aug 3, Resolution #158-2018
Onlookers questioned the taxpayer expense and lack of transparency. MBA claims hardship? Financing issues? Not enough support from local business? Residents surprised that taxpayer funds being allocated without proper paperwork. Should a ‘promise’ from the MBA suffice?
Margate Solicitor Abbott: “we don’t have any (financial) information”. Nonetheless, Abbott recommended the Mayor and Commissioners move forward with funding Berger’s MBA.
Abbott: Margate auditor wants MBA financial information. There is none.
Abbott wants a ‘promise’ from Ed Berger & the Margate Business Association. Wants Berger to provide accounting and other financial info to the Margate auditor.
It’s not just the MBA getting scrutiny. Even groups like the Margate Little League need to provide proper documentation; how taxpayer funds are being spent.
A few years back, the org behind Lucy The Elephant was compelled by the City of Margate to get it’s financial house in order.
2018 Margate Business Association Board of Directors
- President: Ed Berger
- Vice-President: Karen Sherman
- Secretary: Leon Riggins
- Treasurer: Randy Young
- Executive Director: Anna Maria Blescia
- Vendor Coordinator: Wally Korzeniewski
- Book Keeping: Lee Rothblatt
- Trustee: Cookie Till
- Trustee: Dr. Joseph Berretone
- Trustee: Hanna Newcomer
- Trustee: Rev. Jim Rixon
Margate is becoming more and more like a Toilet, rather than Marvelous Margate!
How many more ridiculous sky scrapers are they going to build? Where are they going to build the go-kart pits?
Close off Jerome and put the go-kart speedway there. LOL.
We have enough sh## in his town with the massage parlor, mini golf, water rides, right in the middle of town. What a joke.
HOW CAN YOU TAKE ESSEX AVE AWAY FROM THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE?
Like a toilet?
Skyscrapers?
Go kart pits?
You’re not sounding very upset. You’re just sounding really ignorant.
Recently an OPRA request was sent to City Clerk, Johanna Casey, requesting documents regarding grants to the Margate Business Association and any documents regarding to the city making payments to the MBA
Last year there were 4 payments of over $27,000 each.
The city clerk wrote that there are NO DOCUMENTS.
Taxpayer money being used for the MBA should require documents.