Mayor seeks resignations

Calling the Brooksville Housing Authority ineffective, he looks for four new members.

By DAN DeWITT, Times Staff Writer
Published November 30, 2007

BROOKSVILLE - Brooksville Mayor David Pugh took a step Thursday toward replacing four members of the Brooksville Housing Authority and possibly disbanding the authority.

Pugh sent letters to four of the six current board members, all of whom have served less than a year, asking them to resign. If they do not do so by Dec. 3, the mayor will hold a hearing to decide whether to recommend their removal. A seventh board position remains unfilled.

Looking farther ahead, Pugh said, he would like to replace the board members with accountants, lawyers and other professionals who could analyze whether the authority should be disbanded and the management of its two apartment complexes turned over to the Hernando County Housing Authority.

"I really think a new group of board members can go in, review the day-to-day operations and report back," Pugh said.

As for the current members, who were asked to restore faith in a corruption-plagued agency when they were appointed by the mayor, "they don't seem to be getting anywhere," said City Manger Jennene Norman-Vacha.

She described the ongoing problems with the agency as "a big distraction for the city," in large part because of the city's "limited ability for any real oversight or to make real changes" to the operation.

Former executive director Betty Trent and program manager Joe Ann Bennett were both convicted this year of stealing money from the federal government. New board members appointed to restore order have instead spent too much time arguing, Pugh wrote in his letter.

"As you are aware, the Brooksville Housing Authority has been mired in controversy for several months," Pugh said. "It does not appear the current board has been effective in administering its duties."

The board sets policies for the housing complex tenants to abide by and approves the budget of the Brooksville Housing Authority, which receives thousands of dollars in federal funds annually to help low-income residents.

The controversy deepened this month when current Executive Director Ronnie McLean's Florida driver's license was suspended for failing to complete a court ordered class. It had earlier been suspended for failing to pay a traffic fine and several board members accused McLean of lying about this to the authority's former insurance agent.

McLean said he did not lie to the agent and that he did not realize his license had been suspended.

Progress being made

Pugh asked for the resignation of two board members who have criticized McLean, Paul Douglas and Earl Watkins, as well as two of McLean's supporters, Chairman Steve Zeledon and Vice-Chairwoman Jeanette Soto.

That leaves Jimmy Brooks, who has previous experience in public housing, and Yvette Taylor, who is a resident of Hillside Estates, one of the BHA properties.

"I wanted to make sure we still had a local representative on the board," said Pugh, who added that this is required by city and state law.

To make resigning easier, Pugh also sent a pre-written letter of resignation that each member could sign and return to the city.

Zeledon, for one, said he had no intention of signing it.

"Absolutely not," he said. "We've got a lot to do here and we've gotten a lot done."

Vacancies have been reduced, he said, and McLean is working with the Boys & Girls Club of Hernando County to hold programs at Hillside Estates.

Soto said this week that she probably would resign if she received a letter but agreed with Zeledon about the performance of McLean and the current board.

"Good things are happening here," she said. "Some of the units are coming back on line. They will be occupied by the neediest of the needy and to me that's good news."

Dan DeWitt can be reached at dewitt@sptimes.com or (352) 754-6116.

[Last modified November 29, 2007, 20:29:14]