A Pembroke Park town commissioner is under fire for spending thousands of dollars on a holiday party without going through proper protocols.
The Broward County Office of Inspector General says former mayor and current commissioner Geoffrey Jacobs violated the law.
"I am seriously embarrassed, and I feel powerless sometimes," said Pembroke Park's Vice Mayor Erik Morrissette. "You cannot preach that you are safeguarding taxpayers' money in one word, and miss spending it when nobody looks."
According to the OIG's report, the town’s holiday party in 2022 happened on a luxury yacht, contracted by Jacobs costing $10,575.
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“Purchases in the amount of greater than $10,000 require the prior approval of the town commission," the report said. "...Because only 24 guests reportedly attended the event, the charter cost approximately $440.63 for each person…"
The report says Jacobs' explanations to investigators lacked credibility, and he told the OIG that he had no idea who used his credit card to make the $3,950 deposit.
The report shows a picture of the mayor’s town credit card and says he recently surrendered it to the town manager.
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"There has never been any suggestion that Commissioner Jacobs used one penny of city money for his personal benefit. He did nothing other than arrange for a holiday party for the sole benefit of the city," Jacobs' attorney said in a statement.
Morrissette said the OIG let Jacobs "off the hook."
"I mean, there are no consequences for his deeds," he said.
Governments have a process when it comes to purchasing, and the report from the OIG says that the process wasn’t even close to being followed. They blame the commissioner, who was mayor at the time, and also the town’s former finance and budget director, for being involved in this process.
