ST. CLOUD, Fla. — A homeowner in St. Cloud racked up thousands of dollars in liens because the city said the owner refused to mow the lawn.
9 Investigates found out the owner is St. Cloud Mayor Rebecca Borders.
Borders filed for personal bankruptcy and the home is under control of a bank for the time being.
A notice of code violations was put up in front of the home.
Channel 9 reporter Field Sutton found more violations dating back to 2013.
Neighbors said they’ve seen how bad Borders’ lawn at her home on Delaware Avenue can get.
“I would see the City of St. Cloud pull up, mow the yard, six or seven guys, whatever it took,” said Rob Shuttera. “And if they’d forget one frond, they’d drive the boom truck back down the next morning. You know, one city worker at a time.”
According to documents, the mayor’s property used up city time for months.
The city issued 11 liens over the course of about two years and now the total owed is $3,000.
The issue came up at a City Council meeting recently.
“I just want to ask the mayor again. Are you intending to pay this bill? We sure wish you would,” said a City Council member.
“This is being handled by attorneys and I am following all the rules and laws that I have to follow. I will continue to do that,” said Borders.
Borders would not speak to Sutton about the liens, but said in a statement, “I will continue to do what is best for the city and citizens of St. Cloud. Recently, in my absence, the City Council members accepted a raise. Once I discovered this, I contacted the Human Resources Department and refused to accept it for myself."
Borders gets a $14,000 part-time salary as mayor.
One of Borders’ lawyers said that being in personal bankruptcy means Borders has no control over who she’s allowed to pay--it’s decided in court.
Cox Media Group
