THE FINAL DAYS OF MAYOR BOLES: 3-2 450th Vote -- Thank you, Commissioners Leeana Freeman and Nancy Sikes-Kline for Speaking Out

Two out of five St. Augustine City Commissioners did their jobs last night, and I salute them.

Standing up to the four-term mayor -- whom Folio Weekly called "The Forever King," Mayor JOSEPH LESTER BOLES, JR. -- Commissioners Leeana Freeman and Nancy Sikes-Kline asked questions about the FY 2015 City budget for our 450th commemoration.

The 450th has divided our town, and people are rightly questioning its size and priorities.

As Sandra Parks says, "a budget is a moral document." On this budget, the author (Dana Ste. Claire) was absent, having missed his plane in Spain, as did City Manager John Patrick Regan, P.E. Instead of postponing the discussion until they could attend, Mayor BOLES plowed right ahead.

Answers to questions were short and shallow. The requested in-depth and philosophical discussion never took place.

Public speakers were uniformly critical of the budget.

But Mayor BOLES had his no-bid 81 St. George Street City lease business partner, former Mayor CLAUDE LEONARD WEEKS, JR. to hold his hand and help convince his colleagues. BOLES invited WEEKS and his usual cronies in the audience to support his budget, spouting glib generalities without addressing specifics. They spoke like cheerleaders, not thought leaders. A transcript of their remarks would read like BOLES wrote them, and he probably did.

There was never discussion on the St. Augustine National Historical Park National Seashore. There was no discussion of lengthening the hours of the Visitor Information Center museum, which infuriatingly closes at 5 PM.

The staff offered few answers, but at least offered a revised budget of only $799,000. But Mayor BOLES, like a Presbyterian with two aces up his sleeve, felt powerful because he counted two other votes. Thus, BOLES moved to spend $938,000, with more to come, rejecting the City staff's pared-back suggestion.

Lame duck Commissioner Donald Crichlow, recently returned from yet another city-funded trip to Spain, seconded the motion. Commissioner Roxanne Horvath, who was on the same city-paid trip with Crichlow, joined in support. Dissenting were Commissioner Leeana Freeman and Commissioner Nancy Sikes-Kline, who said "NO!" Both declined BOLES' invitation to go to Malaga, Spain with him.

This vote reminded me of Woodward & Bernstein's book, The Final Days.

The days of Mayor JOSEPH LESTER BOLES, JR. running the City of St. Augustine as a self-satisfied satrap and lord of all he surveys are about over. People are unhappy with his administration, as shown by the split vote on the Commission. Some 60.4% of the people voted against BOLES in the once-lockstep and unanimous City Commission.

Mayor BOLES said a $2 increase in daily parking garage fees (to $12) would pay for his party, as if that ended the inquiry. Commissioner Freeman noted that it was city revenue, and wanted answers on the spending side.

The Justification/Explanation for individual 450th line items in the City agenda packet was mostly blank or uninformative.

Commissioner Freeman wanted to know where the accounting was for police and fire required for 450th events. She said "we're spending other people's money" and wanted to know as much as she does in planning her own law office budget. Answers were few.

Ego driven, Mayor Boles said he didn't want "people in 50 years" to say he hadn't spent enough on the 450th. Commissioner Crichlow echoed those sentiments, saying he didn't want it "done on the cheap."

Without Mr. Ste. Claire to answer questions, the discussion quickly wound to a halt.

We shall overcome!