Shaker Village Clubhouse. {Google Maps}
By Kate Johnson
Election season is over, thankfully. However, the issue of Shaker Village is not. If you have not been in the loop, the City contracted to buy the dilapidated Shaker Village clubhouse property for almost $2 million and wipe out the over 3 million in fines against Shaker Village due to the property’s condition.
Many articles have been written about this issue (please read them for a complete history). In the current contract to purchase, which has been extended more than once, the City agreed to build a “community center” that Shaker Village can use for meetings. Last year, the center was estimated to cost around 12 million to build. That’s 12 million of our tax dollars at last year’s price and doesn’t include the cost to tear it down, ready the property, and maintain, program, and staff it after it is built. Last year, maintaining it was estimated at over $100,000 per year. What will it be now?
Has the City offered to help you with your clubhouse or needs? I don’t think so.
Commissioner Marlon Bolton, who owns property and allegedly lives in Shaker Village, benefits directly from this deal. It should never have happened, and it should be stopped now.
The issue is coming up again next week because the contract is about to expire. If the Commission votes to let it expire, Shaker Village will need to find another way to resolve its clubhouse issue that does not cost the residents of Tamarac.
Please, we need everyone to write our city officials (all of them) immediately and tell them no. Tell them to let this contract expire and not waste our money. We do not need a community center 2.5 miles from our current one. We should not be spending all this money to help ONE community by taxing the rest of us.
Then, after writing to the Commissioners, Mayor, and City Manager, please attend the next Commission meeting on Wednesday, December 11 at 7 p.m. and speak out. We did it before; we can do it again. Maybe this time, they will listen.
For those in District 3, now’s the time to see if your new Commissioner really puts the residents first or is beholden to Commissioner Bolton, who helped get her elected.
Michelle.Gomez@tamarac.org
Marlon.Bolton@tamarac.org
Morey.Wright@Tamarac.org
Krystal.Patterson@Tamarac.org
Kicia.Daniel@Tamarac.org
levent.sucuoglu@tamarac.org
We need everyone to be involved. Write, call, and speak out. Everyone on this list needs to hear from you, not just your Commissioner. It can be as simple as writing “Dear __________. I am writing about the Shaker Village deal.
This contract is not good for the residents of Tamarac. I request you vote no on continuing this deal and contract. Besides it not being fair to everyone else, we do not need to spend all this money on this contract at the expense of every other Tamarac resident. When elected, you promised to put all Tamarac residents first, not just a few, and now is the time to do that.” And then sign your name.
Let’s flood their mailboxes with our voices. Help us all by voicing your opinion to our officials. Tell them to stop the insanity and vote no.
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