Residents press Pompano Beach over contested Westview Cemetery transfer; city says discussions are exploratory
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Summary
Several speakers at Audience to Be Heard said a small, split cemetery board is negotiating to donate Westview Community Cemetery to the city against the wishes of families and a rival board; the mayor and staff said the city is "merely here to help" and not forcing a transfer.
Multiple residents used the public-comment period at the Oct. 28 City Commission meeting to urge the city to stay out of a contested matter involving Westview Community Cemetery and to respect a community-led legal process.
Jason Fuller, a resident who identified himself for the record, told the commission the cemetery is owned by a community group and governed by bylaws going back 70 years. He said a small group of board members executed a resolution and a letter of intent to donate the cemetery to the city without the community's approval, and that a separate board has been in court for four years over election and governance disputes.
"The board does not have the right to give this land away nor sell this land," Fuller said during Audience to Be Heard. "The community has always said they did not want the city taking over." He warned that any commissioner who votes to accept the cemetery transfer could face a recall campaign.
Mayor Harden and city staff responded in public comment that the city had only discussed options with the cemetery's board and that city administration is "merely here to help," not to "backdoor" an acquisition. City staff said any formal transfer would require commission action and public review.
Other speakers at the meeting reiterated concerns about property addresses, permitting or title discrepancies in nearby neighborhoods and asked the city to withhold action until the courts finish their review. Several residents said they had submitted public-records requests about the cemetery governance documents.
What the city said: Staff said conversations with the cemetery board have been limited to exploring options and that no acquisition or conveyance has been finalized. The mayor told the meeting the city is aware of the dispute and is not acting unilaterally.
What happens next: The dispute appears to be primarily a legal and governance matter among community groups and the Broward court system. Residents who raised the issue asked the commission to avoid taking any action until the judicial process concludes and community members have been heard.