By Kristen Hernandez
Pompano Beach, FL — City commissioners recently discussed defunding local equestrian park, Sand and Spurs located at 1600 NE 5th Ave., to free up taxpayer money that could better serve more pressing community issues. But during a July City Commission meeting, citizens in support of funding the park showed up in numbers to petition the motion.
Three commissioners flipped their vote, 4–1, to continue funding the park’s $400,000 a year price tag. After the meeting, it left residents of the Northwest area wondering — are animals and horses more important than certain people in this city?
“To ask the citizens of Pompano Beach to subsidize horses for 20 to 30 people is vulgar,” said District 5 City Commissioner, Barry Moss, during the meeting. “People don’t even know it’s there, let alone use them.”
Long-time Pompano Beach resident, Tundra King, is part owner of a local family-owned private school, Moreland Academy on Atlantic Blvd. She sent Villij News an email voicing her concerns about the city’s decision. King was recently denied a request for $25,000 to keep her school open for the summer because city funds aren’t permitted for private business use. Moreland students are primarily indignant and Black kids, with little access to extra money for school activities.
“Forget Moreland Academy for a moment, what about the deplorable conditions at other schools in Pompano, like Ely and Markham? Ely High School asked the city for rings and jackets, but they claimed they didn’t have money,” King said. “The energy we spent discussing horses is the energy we need to address the issues we constantly ask help with. Not long ago, the city ‘found’ funds to help protect cats from inhumane practices used to euthanize them. Once again, animals got more attention than the many unhoused people sleeping in front of my business. Are they going to keep putting pretty buildings on top of them? The people in the NW don’t matter. That $400,000 should be helping the struggling families.”
Although she changed her vote, District 3 Commissioner Alison Fournier brought up the idea to de-fund Sand and Spurs at a recent community workshop. “My initial proposal to stop funding Sand and Spurs was based on the same belief that the facility doesn’t reach enough residents,” Fournier told Villij News. “It’s very hard to get approval to give riding lessons at the facility. I would like us to make that easier. We need to improve access.”
King feels that if Sand and Spurs offered free once-a-month riding lessons for children, or did therapy work within the NW District, she’d be all for the continued funding. But King feels that the people of the Northwest have been neglected because of systematic racial injustice.
“Students from my school or community groups should have the opportunity to learn about horses and get exposure to learn about the upkeep of the animal, and experience the ride,” King said. “Someone mentioned they use some horses for people with disabilities and illnesses. Why don’t we have access to that? No one cares about the people in the Northwest area and it’s apparent why. It’s because the color of our skin is Black.”
King blames the vote flip on community backlash, and sent an email to City Manager Greg Harrison. “Because they showed up in record numbers, it appeared the commission got scared and voted for this deal. The audience that spoke up is a true depiction of who is being serviced at the stables. The City is using funds for horses that are privately-owned. The citizens showed the Commission how White fear works, and you all fell for it; hook, line and sinker.”
