1639-30 Politics SUN AUG 18 1985 ED: FINAL
SECTION: NEIGHBORS MB PAGE: 6 LENGTH: 21 .81" MEDIUM
ILLUST:
SOURCE: CRAIG GILBERT Herald Staff Writer
DATELINE:
MEMO: CAMPAIGN NOTES: AN OCCASIONAL REPORT
FORMER CAMPAIGN MANAGER
ACCUSES FROMBERG OF CONFLICT
Gerald Schwartz claims political foe Malcolm Fromberg had a conflict of
interest last December when he voted to house Beach police horses at a
Southwest Dade grove.
Mayor Fromberg is an officer of the management company that runs the
grove.
"He ' s doing business with himself, " charged Schwartz, campaign manager
for Fromberg' s chief challenger, Alex Daoud.
The mayor was clearly prepared for the accusation. He quickly produced a
year-old city attorney' s opinion saying therewas no conflict and a memo from a
police major showing that Fromberg was not involved in the selection of the
stables.
Though the vote was taken in December, Fromberg asked for the police
memo this past May -- in case his vote became a campaign issue.
"When Gerry broke with me and knowing what he ' s capable of, I decided
I 'd better have the facts available, " said Fromberg, who two years ago was
allied with Schwartz and hiredhim as campaign manager. "I really don't like
having to respond to every one of Schwartz ' s untrue, vicious accusations. "
The city needed the stables to house its six police horses while their
new quarters in South Pointe Park were being built. Last summer, Sgt. Shirley
Fagan of the mounted patrol found the site, at 17001 SW 157th Ave. Rent was
$500 a month. The property acts in part as a tax shelter, said Fromberg.
It ' s managed by Sunbow Realty Corp, whose officers are members of Fromberg' s
law firm. The mayor is listed as vice president of the company by the Florida
Department of State.
Fromberg said when he found out the police department was interested in
the Sunbow property he asked acting City Attorney Louise Barrett whether he
would have a conflict when the contract came up for vote.
Barrett wrote an opinion on Aug. 21, 1984 , saying there was no conflict,
since Fromberg' s share in the ownership of thegrove was only one-fifth of one
percent. So he went ahead and voted.
Schwartz said Fromberg' s stake in the property is really much higher,
because Sunbow has total control over the grove. He says he knows, because he
happens to be a shareholder in the grove. He invested in it when he was on
friendly terms with the mayor.
"He has our power of attorney, ' said Schwartz . "He ' s a major stockholder
in a company that has not 1 percent but 100 percent control over the grove
through irrevocable power of attorney. " The contract was worth $5, 500 to
the grove, according to Ed Davis of city purchasing. The horses are back home
now.
PUBLIC RELATIONS FOLLIES: Feelings are already running high between the
Fromberg and Daoud camp. Feelings like extreme dislike. Now they may run a
little higher.
Fromberg has picked a new PR man to replace the departed Dick Rundell.
His choice is Scott Ross, the man behind the campaign to bring yuppies to the
Beach. Last year, when Ross was awarded a $47 , 000 city contract for the
campaign, the guy he beat out for the job was Gerald Schwartz.
Daoud was the only commissioner to vote for Schwartz, who was so upset
with his ex-client Fromberg that he walked up to Daoud after the vote, stuck
out his hand, and said "Thank you Mr. Mayor. " Schwartz has been working ever
since to make those words a reality. "The world is full of irony, " said
Fromberg of his new choice. Ross would make no comment at all about his
matchup with Schwartz . Schwartz would. "I haven't even worked up a light sweat
over Scott Ross, " he boasted.
Ross will probably represent commissioner Stanley Arkin as well, said
Norman Frank, co-chairman of the Arkin campaign. Arkin is on vacation and
couldn' t be reached.
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END OF DOCUMENT.