Controversy Erupts at Margate City Commission Meeting Over Public Comment

Margate City Commission.

By Bryan Boggiano

At Margate’s two July 5 city commission meetings, there was a heated debate about public comment rules and the availability of opportunities to comment. Some residents expressed their dissatisfaction with the current system, while some commissioners engaged in a verbal argument.

Like most cities, Margate requires two meetings per month. According to commissioners, the stacked meetings likely occurred to give city staff more uninterrupted vacation time.

The commission held its first meeting at 6:30 p.m., which included proclamations, recognitions, and public comment. The 7 p.m. meeting consisted of city business, measures the commission voted on, and another public comment section. Their next piggy-backed meeting is scheduled for Aug. 23 at 6:30 and 7 p.m.

At the 7 p.m. meeting, resident Jonathan Kraljic said the commission discouraged public comment by stacking their meeting, especially since they fell right after a federal holiday and there are no options to comment on Zoom.

“The public should be given more opportunities to address their government, not less,” Kraljic said.

During the 6:30 p.m. meeting, resident Donna Fellows commented on the community redevelopment agency (CRA). In response, City Attorney David Tocles interjected, telling her to discuss city business.

Fellows returned for the 7 p.m. meeting. This time, she spoke after a resident who discussed their work in Jamaica fighting homelessness and how the city helped her initiative. She directed her comments at the commission, specifically naming Mayor Anthony Caggiano.

Fellows angrily said, “What did this have to do with city business?”

In response, Tocles said it was time for discussion on city business and not for attacks on any commission members. He also told Fellows the CRA is a separate legal entity from the city, not city business.

When resident Richard Zucchini spoke, he started by addressing comments from a previous speaker. Again, Tocles interjected, telling him to focus on city business. Zucchini responded by saying the citizens’ First Amendment rights were restricted.

In response, Vice Mayor Tommy Ruzzano said residents should be able to talk about what they want to. “When you wanna come up here and say, ‘It’s not city business,’ it’s not a good look for the city,” he said. 

In response, Tocles said he was following the city’s rules on public comment, which limit speakers to discuss only city business and consent agenda items.

Ruzzano told Tocles to allow Caggiano, who runs the meetings, to maintain order. Ruzzano then criticized the mayor for not taking action and said Caggiano whispered multiple times to Tocles, asking the city attorney whether certain items mentioned in public comment were city business.

“You can’t lean on the attorney to do your dirty work,” Ruzzano told Caggiano.

While the audience applauded Ruzanno’s remarks, Caggiano called his assertions “ridiculous.” In response, Ruzzano said Caggiano’s actions did not look right.

Ruzzano also criticized Caggiano for limiting public comment content.

Before Caggiano’s mayorship, the public comment section was called “public discussion.” When Caggiano became mayor, the section was renamed “public comment,” a provision was added requiring residents to speak on city business. Speakers have always been permitted to speak on consent agenda items.

In response, Caggiano said he changed only two words relating to public comment rules.

The back-and-forth between the two of them continued.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize this was kindergarten time,” Caggiano said.

Ruzzano stressed the need for residents to be able to discuss whatever they want with the commission, saying the residents pay them to do a job. He also spoke out against the consecutive meetings.

He said, “This is about the people. This is the people’s meeting.”

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