Mayor Lowe’s Biomass Scandal is Basis for Distrust in Bus Rapid Transit for Gainesville
Craig Lowe blazed his way into a fire storm of "no confidence" when he (with the help of County Commissioners Mike Byerly and Paula DeLaney) attempted to co-opt a much needed and dangerously overdue roads repair project with a City wish-list of utopian transportation projects including the highly controversial and questionably needed, "BRT" (Bus Rapid Tansit) system.
Usually shieded from criticism outside the largely Democratic City limits, Lowe and the City commission appeared more like targets in a shooting gallery as angry citizens from City and County fired shrill voices towards a dais overflowing with County and City Commissioners during the March 29 joint meeting to decide the fate of a 1 cent surtax that rolled the roads repair and BRT into a single ballot initiative for voters to decide on the November 6th ballot.
At the heart of widespread, City/County distrust of the Mayor and City Commission is the secret meetings, redacted PPA contract and probably illegal dealings that have – so far – led to a $3 to $4 Billion dollar debt on the backs of utility ratepayers in the City and County.
Add to that the hot-button issue of Lowe's hirng of his own campaign manager (Garrett Garner) to a contrived new position of "Mayor aide". Widely viewed as "patronage", the position was never advertised and bypassed required EEOC mandates required by the City of Gainesville's own Human Resources department.
Details of how and why the single one cent initiate was separated into 2 sepearate ballot questions was covered by Gainesvile Sun reporter, Christopher Curry.
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Part 1: Bruce Nelson and Wilber Holloway
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Part 2: Debbie Martinez, Mario Perez and Laurie Newsom
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Complete Meeting as posted on Alachua County Site
