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Margate City Commissioner Tommy Ruzzano.

The Broward Office of the Inspector General found Margate Commissioner Tommy Ruzzano violated Florida’s ethics law by voting on two measures that benefited him and his construction company, which later received $118,561.80 in revenue from 10 projects performed for Margate homeowners participating in a city grant program.

Ruzzano Construction ultimately performed eight of the 19 driveway projects approved under Margate’s Property Improvement Program, more than any other contractor. The company received revenue from homeowners for a total of 10 PIP projects, which involved eight driveways and two fences, according to the OIG.

In a final investigative report dated Sept. 22, Broward Inspector General Carol Breece said Ruzzano committed misconduct by voting for a driveway ordinance on Sept. 7, 2022, as well as voting for Margate’s PIP program on Oct. 19, 2022.

Ruzzano did not publicly disclose his financial interest or abstain from either vote, nor did he file a required voting-conflict form, investigators found. The OIG determined there was probable cause to believe Ruzzano violated the state’s ethics code as a result. It said it was forwarding the matter to the Florida Commission on Ethics “for whatever action that agency deems appropriate.”

The Florida Commission on Ethics is an independent, nine-member state body based in Tallahassee that investigates alleged ethics violations by state and local public officials. The commission does not itself impose disciplinary penalties. If it ultimately finds that Ruzzano violated the state’s ethics code, it can recommend action to the governor.

The OIG did not recommend any particular punishment for Ruzzano, instead leaving any further action to the commission.

Margate Talk reported in December 2023 that the OIG was investigating Margate’s use of federal pandemic-relief money for its Property Improvement Program, known as PIP. Investigators at the time demanded the city hand over grant applications, contractor information, payment documentation, and records from commission meetings where PIP and a related ordinance governing work on homeowners’ driveways were discussed.

Ruzzano, the city’s Seat 4 commissioner, has served on the commission since 2012 and was selected by his colleagues to serve one-year terms as mayor in 2015, 2016, 2019, and 2023. He is the owner and president of Ruzzano Construction Inc. and has operated the general-contracting business for nearly 30 years.

Ruzzano identified his company as his sole outside employer on disclosure forms filed for each calendar year from 2013 through 2025, according to the report.

The company’s driveway work figured prominently in both of Ruzzano’s votes the OIG found were improper.

On the driveway vote’s first reading, held Aug. 31, 2022, Ruzzano argued that a proposed 50 percent driveway-frontage limit should be 60 or 70 percent, then voted against the ordinance. At its Sept. 7 second reading, he moved to raise the limit to 60 percent and voted for the amended ordinance, which passed 3-2. He later told investigators he could not remember why he voted no at the first reading and yes at the second.

On Sept. 21, commissioners considered a $1.5 million, federally funded PIP program that would reimburse homeowners for half the cost of approved improvements, generally up to $10,000, including driveway projects.

Law Requires Abstention

The OIG concluded that the driveway ordinance created additional business opportunities for Ruzzano Construction even before the commission officially established the PIP on Oct. 19, 2022.

Ruzzano did not announce his interest in driveway construction, abstain from the vote, or file a Florida Commission on Ethics Form 8B within 15 days or at any later date, according to the OIG.

Florida law requires a local elected official to abstain from a vote that would result in a special private gain or loss for the official, or that the official knows would result in a special private gain or loss for an employer or certain of their relatives or business associates. The official must also announce the conflict publicly before the vote and file Form 8B with the person responsible for recording the meeting minutes within 15 days, the OIG said.

“Commissioner Ruzzano and Ruzzano Construction stood to benefit economically from any increase in allowable driveway width, because that increased the opportunity for residents to contract with Commissioner Ruzzano’s construction company to expand their driveways,” the OIG’s report states.

During the commission’s Sept. 21 discussion, Ruzzano said the PIP program would cover driveway expansions permitted under the ordinance passed two weeks earlier. He argued that the program should focus on driveways, roofs, and fences, which the OIG said were services offered by Ruzzano Construction.

Ruzzano said it was a perfect time to establish the program because the city had just changed its code to permit larger driveways, records show. According to the OIG, he also said it had been his idea to set aside money for residents who wanted to install driveways under the new ordinance.

Commissioners tabled the PIP resolution until Oct. 19, 2022, to allow the city manager to incorporate their proposed changes.

Before the meeting and vote, Ruzzano posted on Facebook that the “Margate Home Improvement Grant should be finalized tonight,” according to the report.

He urged residents to obtain quotes quickly and identified himself as a contractor, but also said he could recommend other contractors while inviting residents to contact him with questions about contracts and pricing, OIG records show.

During the Oct. 19 meeting, Ruzzano opposed requiring applicants to obtain three estimates and said two should be sufficient because some contractors charged to prepare estimates.

All five commissioners, including Ruzzano, voted to approve the PIP.

Ruzzano, who did not publicly announce his financial interest or abstain from the vote, again failed to file Form 8B, records show. The OIG concluded the Oct. 19 vote constituted his second violation of the state ethics code.

Ruzzano’s Facebook Posts Part of Case

On Oct. 20, 2022, the day after the vote, Ruzzano posted more information about the program on Facebook and invited residents who needed pricing information to contact him. At 9:56 a.m., he also sent a message in a “Neighbors” group chat.

“We passed the grant program last night. It’s a great simple program and you can get up to $10,000 free, no strings attached,” he wrote. “Application will be available in about 10 days and I’ll help you fill it out. Make sure to have one quote you’re using ready to go and contractor is licensed and insured. If you need driveway, paver or roof quotes, I can supply them. We also approved impact windows, doors and garage doors, I also have subs for that if needed. Also fencing and AC swap out is covered, good luck and call me if you have questions.”

Two people asked Ruzzano for quotes within four minutes, and a third described work they wanted performed, according to the OIG.

On Oct. 27, 2022, Ruzzano advertised on Facebook that he could provide quotes for “roofs, driveways, fencing, AC units, or any improvements” covered by “our grant program.” In another Facebook post on Nov. 3, 2022, he offered applicants quotes for roofs, paver or concrete driveways, and windows.

A Feb. 1, 2023, Facebook post by Ruzzano showed photos of a driveway project handled by Ruzzano Construction and said Margate would reimburse the homeowner for half the bill. Investigators also found a Sept. 3, 2023, post in which Ruzzano mentioned the PIP program and offered price quotes.

The OIG concluded that Ruzzano marketed his company’s availability to perform PIP work before and after voting for the city’s PIP program. Investigators said the company received multiple driveway jobs as a result of that marketing.

As part of the program, city employees reviewed homeowner applications and forwarded their recommendations to the city manager, according to the OIG. After the work was completed and approved by the building department, the homeowner submitted invoices and proof of payment for final review. The city then reimbursed homeowners, not Ruzzano Construction or other contractors, records show.

Residents independently selected and paid their contractors, the OIG’s report said, and city commissioners neither reviewed individual applications, chose recipients, nor recommended contractors.

Permits Approved for Ruzzano Jobs

The OIG reviewed Margate building-permit applications from Nov. 23, 2022, through Oct. 30, 2023, and identified 17 permits listing Ruzzano Construction as the contractor. Ten matched approved PIP applications.

Those 10 projects included eight driveway improvements and two fences. Participating homeowners received a combined $58,877.50 in city reimbursements after paying Ruzzano Construction a combined $118,561.80, according to the report.

Ruzzano Construction performed eight of the 19 driveway projects completed through the PIP, or 42 percent. The contractor with the second-highest number completed three driveway projects, or just under 16 percent.

Ten of the 17 permits Ruzzano Construction obtained during the period examined by investigators were connected to approved PIP applications. The OIG classified the $118,561.80 paid to the company as revenue, not profit.

Margate’s assistant to the city manager told investigators that several applicants used the same contractors for window, door, and driveway projects. When asked which contractors they remembered being used most frequently, the assistant said, “We know Tommy does the driveways.”

“Whether Commissioner Ruzzano made no profit, a little profit, or a large profit is inconsequential,” OIG investigators wrote. “The mere fact that he, his company, or his son stood to gain an economic benefit by voting for the PIP is where the conflict lies.”

During his OIG interview, Ruzzano said he remembered complaints about residents parking on grass and commission discussions about expanding driveways. He said he did not remember the full discussion.

“The resident, well, I, I, no, I don’t remember what we talked about honestly,” Ruzzano told investigators, according to the OIG report. “I remember that we talked about uh about parking on the grass and how the City, that there were complaints about it from people and people wanted to park on the grass, I don’t recall the whole meeting though.”

Investigators said they reminded Ruzzano that he voted against the ordinance at its Aug. 31, 2022, first reading after arguing that the allowable driveway frontage should be 60 or 70 percent instead of 50 percent. They also reminded him that he voted for the ordinance at its Sept. 7 second reading after the parking provisions were removed, OIG documents show.

Ruzzano said he did not remember why he voted against the ordinance at the first reading or why he supported it at the second. He also did not remember his reason for voting to approve the driveway expansion, the documents state.

Ruzzano could not recall when he first became aware of the PIP, when it first opened for applications, or whether it opened to residents more than once, the report states. He said he remembered discussing the program at commission meetings but did not initially remember whether he voted for it.

After investigators showed Ruzzano the minutes from the Oct. 19, 2022, meeting, he agreed that he voted for the PIP. He said he could not remember why he supported it, according to the OIG.

Ruzzano told investigators that he did not participate in reviewing PIP applications or deciding which residents received grants. He also said he could not remember whether residents contacted him personally with questions about the program.

When investigators asked which social media platforms he used to advertise the company, Ruzzano responded, “Whatever my wife and kids put it on, I don’t even know.”

He said his wife managed both the company’s Facebook page and his personal page, although he acknowledged that he also personally posted content, including about completed construction projects, according to the OIG.

Ruzzano said he could not recall whether he posted about PIP projects or offered applicants quotes, OIG records state. When investigators showed him the Sept. 3, 2023, Facebook post mentioning the program and offering quotes, he laughed and said his wife and children posted on his page, according to the report.

Investigators also showed him a Feb. 1, 2023, post containing photographs of a driveway his company completed through the PIP program. They said Ruzzano responded by asking, “Is this wrong?”

Ruzzano said he could not remember how many PIP projects his company completed. When investigators asked whether the company profited from the program, he initially said no, the OIG records state.

Not Making a ‘Great’ Living From Work for Residents

He later said he did not make as much money from the PIP as he thought he should have and could have earned more performing the work in another city, according to the OIG. He said he accepted the projects to help Margate residents and did not perform them for profit.

Ruzzano acknowledged that residents paid him but said he was not making a “great” living from the work. When investigators asked whether he lost money or broke even, he said he would not have performed the projects if he were only breaking even, records show.

“He went on to say that he made enough money to where the homeowners were happy while he also made a little something for himself,” the OIG report states.

Investigators also questioned Ruzzano about Form 8B, the voting-conflict disclosure the OIG said he was required to file after both votes.

Ruzzano told investigators that he was required to attend ethics training annually and did so, but said he did not know what Form 8B was. After being shown a blank form, he maintained that he had never seen one, according to the OIG.

The OIG determined that Ruzzano attended an ethics training for elected officials on July 8, 2014. The training covered state voting-conflict requirements, and Form 8B was included in the instructional materials provided to attendees.

After OIG investigators explained the form, he questioned why his votes constituted conflicts, records show.

Concerns Raised at City Meeting

Concerns about Ruzzano’s participation in the PIP program were raised publicly on April 12, 2023, during a Margate Community Redevelopment Agency meeting. A resident asked the city to prohibit employees, elected officials, and companies they owned from performing PIP work to avoid the appearance of favoritism in grant selection and permitting.

Ruzzano responded that neither the City Commission nor the CRA board participated in awarding grants. He asked the city attorney whether he could perform work for a homeowner participating in the program.

“Based upon my review, the funds that are being provided to the homeowners or the business owners in this plan are being provided to them directly in reimbursement,” Interim City Attorney David Tolces responded. “So, any funds that are being provided potentially to any board members or any City commissioners are the funds provided by the property owner and not by the City.”

Tolces issued a written memorandum on April 26, 2023, finding that Ruzzano Construction could perform work for participating property owners without violating Florida’s ethics code. The OIG said it did not disagree with that conclusion, but found that Tolces’ opinion addressed whether Ruzzano Construction could accept work from homeowners, not whether Ruzzano had a prohibited voting conflict when he voted for the driveway ordinance and PIP. The memorandum did not discuss or analyze the two votes.

Ruzzano sought the legal advice nearly six months after the Oct. 19, 2022, PIP vote and more than five months after the first applications naming Ruzzano Construction as the selected contractor, according to the OIG.

When investigators asked whether Ruzzano had requested legal advice about voting on either the driveway ordinance or PIP, his private attorney, Coconut Creek City Commissioner Joshua Rydell, instructed him not to answer, the OIG records state.

Rydell also instructed him not to answer when investigators asked whether he believed he should have filed Form 8B, according to the documents.

In Ruzzano’s later written response, Rydell said those instructions reflected a lawful assertion of attorney-client privilege and should not be interpreted as evidence of concealment.

The OIG responded that investigators had asked only whether advice was sought or provided, not what any legal advice said, and concluded the privilege did not apply to the question.

Margate Disputed OIG’s Findings

The city of Margate disputed a preliminary OIG report detailing Ruzzano’s misconduct and argued that the OIG lacked authority to make legal conclusions about ethics violations, according to the OIG.

The OIG responded that Broward County’s charter authorizes the inspector general to determine whether probable cause exists to believe misconduct occurred and to notify the appropriate enforcement agency.

The city also argued that Ruzzano belonged to a large class of contractors with the same opportunity to perform driveway work. It contended that his interest represented less than 1 percent of contractors licensed in Broward County and Florida and did not require disclosure, abstention, or a Form 8B filing.

The OIG rejected that argument, saying Ruzzano helped shape the driveway ordinance and knew Margate was considering grants for driveway work. He also advocated covering driveways, roofs, and fences under the program and promoted it to residents while offering them contracting services, according to the OIG.

Investigators said Ruzzano’s elected position gave him direct and immediate access to Margate residents who were potential customers.

“His actions put his company one step ahead of every other contractor to ensure that his and his company’s interests were most affected by the measures,” the OIG wrote.

In an Aug. 30, 2026, response to the OIG’s preliminary report, Rydell said Ruzzano respected the OIG’s mission but asked investigators to reconsider their finding on the Sept. 7, 2022, driveway vote.

Ruzzano said the ordinance addressed a longstanding citywide problem involving vehicles parked on grass and argued all qualifying contractors obtained the same opportunity to compete for the work.

Ruzzano also argued that considerable uncertainty existed on Sept. 7 about whether he would receive any economic benefit. He said his company’s 42 percent share of the PIP driveway projects reflected market results, not a benefit that was certain or reasonably foreseeable. He also characterized his failure to file Form 8B as an oversight, not deliberate concealment.

The OIG said it rejected Ruzzano’s contention that concealment was relevant to whether a voting violation occurred. Investigators said the law contains no public-knowledge exception and does not require proof that an official tried to hide his financial interest.

The OIG concluded that Ruzzano’s promotion of the driveway program before the Oct. 19 vote on the PIP, which included driveway projects, showed that he intended to capitalize on it.

The OIG noted that the Margate CRA separately approved a property-improvement program, but found no prohibited voting conflict arising from the CRA vote because Florida law does not require CRA commissioners to abstain.

Margate Talk reported in January 2025 that commissioners removed Ruzzano as chairman of the CRA board after Simone cited his making money from construction work for residents and what she considered his improper social media activity.

The commission voted Jan. 22, 2025, to replace Ruzzano as chairman after he had led the board for seven years.

“As far as the Facebook comments, nobody’s going to shut me down. I am what I am. I am who I am,” Ruzzano said during that meeting. Addressing his construction work, he added, “As far as me doing business in the city, there’s nothing wrong with it.”

Ruzzano also said he charged residents less because he wanted to improve Margate.

“I’m making a living,” he said. “Not only that, but if you look at what I’m charging people, I’m charging them a lot less because I’m doing it from my heart.”

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Author Profile

Kevin Deutsch

Kevin Deutsch is an award-winning journalist and author of two nonfiction books. He covers general assignment news and Jewish community issues for Talk Media. He has also worked as a staff writer at The Miami Times, the Rio Grande SUN, the New York Daily News, Newsday, The Miami Herald, The Palm Beach Post, The Riverdale Press, and Bronx Justice News.