‘Bad attacks’ led former employee to file ethics complaint against Surfside mayor

SURFSIDE, Fla. – There’s even more drama in the small town of Surfside. This time, a formal ethics complaint was filed with the mayor.

Dina Goldstein, a longtime Surfside resident who was a longtime employee until last summer, said she now feels like a target.

The Mayor said Charles Burkett he engages in ongoing social media posts about himself and publicly discloses once-confidential information.

“These are all my accolades,” Goldstein said, showcasing his 16-plus years of merit, including the Police Civilian of the Year award.

“The quality of his work is extraordinary,” he read in a newspaper.

But Goldstein was terminated last summer without being given a chance to review or discuss the reasons.

“All the police officers came with cakes and flowers and said, ‘We’re so sorry about what happened to you,'” said her husband, William Blumenkranz.

But what prompted her to file a county ethics complaint against Burkett this week was learning about his posts about her on the Nextdoor app and citywide blog, including the confidential ethics complaint.

“My address, my phone number, it’s a complete violation of my privacy,” Goldstein said. “It led to very violent attacks against me and many false accusations.”

The complaint is the latest in a city divided by the mayor’s moves over the past few months.

he was seen get in about civil servants traffic enforcement efforts. closed the streets unapproved doorsIt led to the county coming in and removing them.

“I speak against him and he doesn’t like it when anyone speaks against him,” Blumenkranz said.

Goldstein and her husband believe that being outspoken and critical makes them targets. An ethics complaint is a resident’s only option.

“I actually just want to clear my name,” Goldstein said. “I want the best for this community and this town.”

He said he wants to not only clear his name, but also get his job back at some point.

Burkett told Local 10 News via text message that she was not informed of her obligation to keep the complaint confidential and did not believe she had to do so.