[Pinned Post] RUMOR CONTROL: More mis- and disinformation about the upcoming November referendum. Recall 2014?

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"NO NEW TAXES"!, they said. And guess what? Two years later many streets, like North 'J' Street for example, have continued to deteriorate at a rapid rate. 

Remember all the wild rumors in 2014 like homeowners would be forced out of the City en masse? No different in 2016. The other similarity is those very same critics still have NO PLAN of their own to fix our roads. Taking a leadership role would be too risky?

First, it wouldn't surprise me one bit to learn some reporter is getting his or her arm twisted to report the misleading information below as 'news'.

On one of the Lake Worth Facebook pages a moderator of that page placed what appears to be an "official" spreadsheet related to the bond issue. Turns out it was sent "anonymously". There is discussion over the contents and comes with no caveat or explanation of what it actually is and how the information in it came to be.

Beware of anything in an Excel spreadsheet that is purported as being an "official" document related to the bond issue. No one is sure of its chain-of-custody. Anyone could change, add or subtract from that document unlike a pdf or something appearing on the City's website.

This spreadsheet identifies only those streets that are below a pavement condition index (PCI) of 60 in 2016. Use this link and scroll down for an explanation. That spreadsheet is essentially a snapshot in time for roads needing repair and an estimation of the amount it would cost to repair or replace them. However, this spreadsheet does not include streets that will deteriorate 3% or more per year over the following four years. Key information that is left out.

Roads that slip below a 60 PCI will be improved and/or replaced as part of the program. This spreadsheet was meant to be an internal document and act as a baseline. It underestimates the total amount of work that will be done as part of the bond issue. Instead of showing the $40 million on the ballot, it totals $26 million which is only one part of the whole program.

This is misleading and plays into the hands of those that think the City can "get by" with a smaller bond issue. It seems to have been sent, by request to a certain commissioner, as informational material only. Now it's being bandied about as being equivalent to the Tablets handed to Moses.

A little information can be a dangerous thing. It is the duty of elected officials to provide the most accurate, complete and timely information available. Otherwise they are actively distorting the truth. There are other names for that too.

We can hope the City finishes the ad valorem tax calculator and has it on the website soon. In the meantime go to the City website that has information on the bond and see which roads are actually part of this multi-year program.

And once again, be suspicious of information if you don't know who the source is.