FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Broward County Commissioners on Tuesday voted to spend $15 million on a new building for the supervisor of elections. but several opposed the move.
Commissioners approved the new building that will be built at an abandoned BJ's Wholesale Club in Sunrise. They hoped to have it ready for the 2016 election.
"This commission can pull the plug at any time, but 11 years is a very long time. I'm not waiting another 11," said Commissioner Lois Wexler.
"If we don't go ahead and let them start negotiating, we will never get this underway," added Commissioner Sue Gunzburger.
"I would rather throw it all out and start from the beginning to make sure that we follow the process that's in place," countered Commissioner Martin Kiar.
Kiar, Mayor Kristin Jacobs, and two other commissioners wanted to overthrow their own staff and follow the lead of the second-ranked company led by political contributors Austin Forman and William Murphy, who claimed on a technicality that the BJ's Wholesale Club was invalid. Murphy promised to fight the county in court.
"Obviously, we'd like to win but you roll with the punches," he said.
"But you've given a lot of money to those commissioners."
"That's the American system," replied Murphy.
Commissioners planned to meet on the project again in 30 days.