It could have been a quid pro quo, a financial pat on the back for a favorable stance, or just a coincidence, but when South Miami Mayor Horace Feliu endorsed a controversial power plant project, then got big bucks from Florida Power and Light, it raised some eyebrows.
The longtime mayor feels he knows the people of South Miami, yet he endorsed two new nuclear power plants just 20 miles away, requiring high-voltage power lines right through town. And Mayor Feliu said he called Florida Power and Light himself to offer his endorsement.
"I did tell them that I wanted to speak on their behalf," said Mayor Feliu. "And they said 'Absolutely, that would be a good idea.'"
A transcript from the Florida Public Service Commission, which decides regulatory matters concerning utilities, from the January 9, 2008, meeting quotes Mayor Feliu’s brief testimony:
"I'm in favor...of this project."
"Have you heard from the citizens of your city of South Miami?" Feliu was asked by PSC Commissioner Nancy Argenziano.
"We always have public discussions at the commission meetings, and no one has ever spoken against this project," Feliu responded.
It was a golden endorsement from Feliu for FPL, which was struggling to gain approval for the $12-$18 billion project.
But why on earth would a mayor endorse the idea of strong, high-voltage power lines going right through his city?
"Obviously the lines have to come through somewhere," Feliu said. "I've never endorsed it coming through South Miami, but should it come through South Miami we're prepared to bury the lines by having FP&L pay for it."
Feliu said he’s in discussions with FPL about raising the fees paid to the city as a result of the transmission lines, leveraging the increase to pay for a bond to bury the lines. But the plan may rely on other adjacent cities to do the same.
"I was appalled by what I learned," said Philip Stoddard, a researcher at Florida International University who lives in South Miami. Stoddard leads a group opposing FPL's plans and, therefore, opposing Mayor Feliu.
"And we were not happy with this idea. It's just disappointing when you're elected officials represent you in ways that are not representative," Stoddard said.
Then, just days after Mayor Feliu endorsed FPL's plans, FPL executives dumped campaign cash into his account, even though they don't live in South Miami, but live in Palm Beach County where FPL is headquartered. Each of the five executives gave the maximum allowable amount of $250. They are:
1. Robert Barrett, Jr., VP Finance & Director of Investor Relations, FPL
2. Maria Fogarty, VP Internal Auditing, FPL
3. C. Martin Mennes, VP Transmission, Operations, and Planning, FPL
4. Gregory Schneck, Married to Karen Schneck, VP FPL Energy
5. Kevin Suncine, VP Human Relations, FPL
"But that is not why I endorsed the power plants,” Feliu insisted. “I endorsed the power plants because we need to reduce our carbon emissions."
But why the big contributions to the mayor?
"Well because, uh, fair….Obviously they want to support someone who has the same points of view as their interest," Feliu said.
The mayor had been running for re-election unopposed, but the nuke deal so frustrated Stoddard that, with hours to go before filing closed, Stoddard himself decided to run for mayor.
"And so we have to respond to the citizens' frustration,” said Stoddard. “We have to fix and change how the city operates so that the citizens get their needs met."
Stoddard says he's not a one-issue candidate; that the tenor of South Miami City Hall on a host of issues needs to change. His long-shot campaign runs headlong into the Horace Feliu machine.
Still, the mayor acknowledges he's got a fight on his hands. As for conceding that speaking in favor of nuclear plants just south of the city and then days later getting big contributions from the executives just doesn't look good?
"Yeah, I concede that,” said the Mayor candidly. “Of course it doesn't look good. But that doesn't mean that you're not doing the right thing."
