Marlon Bolton, a pastor who also serves as commissioner in Tamarac, Florida, claims the city’s mayor, Harry Dressler, insulted his faith and called him a “black piece of s***” last Wednesday after a fight over the city’s decision to institute a 180-day moratorium on new permits for churches and places of worship.
A Tamarac Talk report which noted that a moratorium was also placed on new permits for medical marijuana treatment centers and overnight clinics or rehab facilities, said Dressler got upset when Bolton stepped off the dais at the Tamarac commission meeting after commission members voted 4-1 in support of the moratorium on church permits.
Bolton said he stepped away to get medicine from his office as well as a packet for a city resident but Dressler was left without the minimum three persons required for a quorum. Vice Mayor Michelle Gomez and Commissioner Julie Fishman were attending the meeting by phone from Washington, D.C.
Realizing what had happened, Dressler, City Manager Michael Cernech and City Attorney Sam Gorin followed Bolton to his office where the pastor said he was attacked by Dressler.
“Michael was coming to see if I was leaving the meeting permanently, and Gorin came to advise me that without me, there was no quorum,” Bolton told Tarmac Talk. “That is when Harry came into my office, which is off of the commission chamber, and started cursing at me saying, ‘You black piece of s***’ ‘F— you and your religious bullshit’ and ‘Don’t disrupt my f—-ing meeting.'”
Bolton who is senior pastor at Praise Experience Church of North Lauderdale was not happy with the commission’s decision to restrict or limit houses of worship from expanding, growing or moving into the city.
The dispute began when the city manager issued an administrative order to implement a zoning in progress from February 20, 2018 to August 19, 2018. The zoning in progress order prevents religious organizations from obtaining a business license from the city or applying to expand their current building.
After July 11, city staff also recommends a new land rewrite to regulate where churches can be established.
“The [churches and synagogues] make up the fabric of the community. They offer spiritual guidance. I don’t understand why the city would discriminate against churches. What other businesses do they ban like this?” Bolton reportedly asked during the meeting.
He called the decision to restrict all churches “unconscionable” and called it an attack on God and insinuated that there would be consequences for the city.
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Source: Christian Post
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