Reprinted from an open letter posted on NextDoor – July, 27, 2025

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Dear Neighbors,

Tomorrow night, Monday, July 28, there will be a special meeting at Town Hall where two critical issues will be voted on: the undergrounding project and the Abbott Avenue drainage project. These are not routine agenda items. The decisions made tomorrow could shape Surfside for decades, and it is critical that residents fully understand the stakes.

The undergrounding project, as it is currently moving forward, risks placing an enormous financial burden on homeowners for the next 30 years — potentially forcing long-time residents out of the community. When the referendum for undergrounding was approved by just 1%, it authorized a $40 million bond to be repaid by residents over 30 years through a special property tax assessment. However, during my time as mayor, I discovered that this $40 million estimate was based on little more than a rough calculation in an Excel spreadsheet. It failed to include essential costs such as replacing driveways and landscaping destroyed during construction, relocating other utility lines like AT&T and cable providers (who are under no obligation to move off the poles), new streetlights, or the resurfacing of our roads.

When I demanded a true and accurate cost analysis, the project engineer resigned rather than justify the figures. The updated estimates revealed that the actual cost could be closer to $190 million — nearly five times the original number. If this happens, the average homeowner or condo owner could face an additional $15,000+ annually in property tax assessments for the next 30 years.

This is all the more troubling because, if we simply wait, Florida Power & Light (FPL) is required by law to underground our utilities within the next 10 years — at their expense, not ours. My administration had already started working on ways to expedite this timeline by leveraging relationships I built in Tallahassee. I fully support improving our infrastructure and removing the hazardous overhead wires, but such a monumental decision must be approached with careful planning, not rushed through without knowing the true costs or long-term impacts.

The Abbott Avenue drainage project, which has stalled, is another example of questionable planning. This $12.5 million project deviates from the comprehensive town-wide drainage strategy that my administration developed and offers little more than an expensive band-aid for two city blocks — paid for by our tax dollars.​

This is not about politics. It’s about responsible governance and fiscal accountability. No one would hire a contractor for a major home renovation without knowing the final cost or scope of work. We should expect the same due diligence from our town officials.​

I encourage all residents to attend tomorrow’s meeting and ask the hard but necessary questions:

• What is the true and final cost of this undergrounding project?
• What will happen when the $40 million bond is exhausted and the project is incomplete?
• How will these decisions affect property taxes and home values over the next 30 years?
• Why are we not exploring cost-free alternatives like waiting for FPL’s mandated undergrounding?

These are not abstract issues — they directly affect your wallet, your property, and Surfside’s future. We must demand honest answers and a clear plan before committing to a project that could permanently reshape our community.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. I hope to see many of you at tomorrow’s meeting, standing together for a better, more responsible future for Surfside.

Respectfully,
​Shlomo Danzinger
​Former Mayor of Surfside

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Source:

​​https://nextdoor.com/p/MWmJ7W9kLRk8?utm_source=share&extras=MTAyNDI5MTM%3D&ne_link_preview_links=&utm_campaign=1753651376497&share_action_id=1d9d4e5d-fb3d-4997-91ed-bcf762909616​