The Lobbyist

Several months after the meeting, the HFA, under Robinson's direction, fortified the St. Croix project with $18.5 million in tax-exempt bonds, which helped Cornerstone receive millions more in federal tax credits, state grant money, and about $500,000 from the County Commission.

On more than 15 occasions, the commission has voted to approve and finance the St. Croix project and other Cornerstone developments. Eggelletion has recused himself from those votes. During the past six weeks alone, he's abstained five times over Cornerstone, which would seem to be in violation of the Florida Code of Ethics ban on politicians engaging in recurring conflicts of interest. But he says he doesn't work for the company anymore, so there's no problem. "I do not have a conflict on these items," he said at the meeting December 7. "However, to avoid even the appearance of a conflict, I wish to abstain from voting."

Eggelletion worked for Cornerstone until at least the beginning of 2003, when the company decided it didn't want to provide the apartments with balconies, as promised, but rather with nonfunctioning "balconettes" that would serve, literally, as window dressing. The issue went for a vote before the commission in March 2003.

Lauderdale Lakes City Manager Anita Fain Taylor says Eggelletion contacted her about the change. "[Eggelletion] called me to make sure we were not dragging our feet and the item would move forward for commission consideration," recalls Taylor, who left the deputy manager's job in North Miami for the Lakes position in January 2003.

Taylor recalls that Eggelletion tried to make it clear that he was acting as a lobbyist rather than as a commissioner, but she found the distinction rather difficult. "My issue is I have to be able to see the change in hats," she says, "but I never experienced that when I worked in Dade County. It was hard for me, but I guess because that occurs here, I guess I have to adjust.

"I'm amazed that it hasn't come up as a legal or ethical issue in the state. A county commissioner really does have the ability to influence a city or do a city harm."

Eggelletion showed just how much harm he could do the Lakes when he undermined its historic bid for annexation. Even as he was profiting from his power in the city, many elected leaders say he betrayed it in a way that can never be forgiven.

Annexation became a power struggle between the city and Eggelletion -- and the Lakes didn't stand a chance.

Vice Mayor Russell, who is president of the local Kiwanis Club, found out what he was up against when he first ran for the commission early this year. Eggelletion tried to persuade him to oppose the Lakes' effort to annex seven central neighborhoods, including Broward Estates, Franklin Park, and Roosevelt Gardens. But when that didn't work, the county commissioner played hardball.

Russell says that after a January 29 gala held by the newly formed 100 Black Men of Greater Fort Lauderdale at the posh Hyatt Pier 66 hotel, he was led by Maria Kong, wife of Lauderhill Commissioner Dale Holness, to a conference room where he found Eggelletion holding court with numerous leading black officials. Among them were Hazelle Rogers and Levoyd Williams, Eggelletion's two closest allies on the Lauderdale Lakes commission. Also present was Miramar commissioner George Pedlar, Plantation political aspirant Eric Hammond, and Holness. (Williams and Rogers didn't return phone calls about the meeting.)

"They were all sitting at the table, and Joe said to me, 'I don't normally endorse candidates, but I want to know your position on annexation, because I live in Lauderdale Lakes, and I don't want my taxes increased,'" Russell recounts.

"I said to him, 'What is this meeting about? Obviously you guys had this planned, and the only person who didn't know about it was me. As far as I'm concerned, this is an ambush, and you are very rude and disrespectful to me. '"

An offended Eggelletion rose from the table and walked off, Russell recalls. Rogers, meanwhile, tried to explain the county commissioner's stance on annexation. Russell says he excused himself from the table and left.

Russell says he deplores secretive, backroom politics -- and has since concluded that the meeting was in violation of Florida's Sunshine Law, which forbids elected officials who sit on the same governmental body from discussing public business outside public view.

"They obviously did this to set me up," he asserts.

Of Russell's account, Eggelletion says, without elaboration, "Russell is a liar."

Yet the vice mayor isn't the only elected Lakes official who claims that Eggelletion tried to strong-arm him into opposing annexation. Commissioner Shomers recalls a chance encounter at the Office Depot store in Lauderdale Lakes several months ago.

"If any commissioner votes for annexation and raises my taxes, I will campaign against them," Shomers recalls Eggelletion telling him.

"Well, Joe, I have good news for you," Shomers replied. "I am in favor of annexation, but I will not vote in favor of raising taxes."

Shomers' sunny response belied what he felt was an unfair and inappropriate tactic. "I took that as a threat," the veteran commissioner says.