LEESBURG, Fla – Members of the Leesburg Shuffleboard Club are worried about the future of their courts ahead of Monday night’s Leesburg City Commission meeting.
During the, the commission will vote on whether or not to approve the donation of the property where the Leesburg Shuffleboard Clubs currently sits to Forward Paths.
Forward Paths is a nonprofit that helps homeless youth and those who are aging out of foster care. In 2024, the Forward Paths Foundation opened a 10 cottage “micro-community” in Eustis called Cottages on Grove.
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According to the nonprofit’s website, each cottage holds two youth.
But members of the Leesburg Shuffleboard Club tell us it’s not that they don’t support Forward Paths’ mission, they just don’t understand why it has to be built where the club’s courts are located.
“The thing that really bothers me is that who from the city offered this property to Forward Paths?” said Leesburg Shuffleboard Club Member, Rick Tallman. “Was it a commissioner? Was it the city manager? That’s what question really needs to be answered.”
Tallman said they hired an attorney because they felt like the city wasn’t listening to them.
“We have reached out as club members to each of the commissioners, with the exception of Commissioner Carnell, they’re not even willing to talk to us,” Tallman said.
Tallman also believes there could be a conflict of interest in the matter. Commissioner Jimmy Burry’s wife serves as the executive director for Forward Paths and his son is the president.
“We have an ethics complaint filed with the State ethics board because even though Commissioner Burry’s wife and son do not get paid, there is a part of the law that requires it has language in there about a disproportional benefit,” Tallman said. “And that’s what they would be getting out of this is a disproportional benefit.”
The club has now hired attorney Anthony Sabatini and sent a letter to the city ahead of Monday’s meeting claiming the city is in violation of its own charter.
In the letter, Sabatini requested the city to postpone a vote on the donation until approved by a referendum.
To read the letter, see below:
Leesburg City Manager Al Minner also addressed the ethics complaint and the concerns over a conflict of interest. He told us the city attorney found no conflict of interest and said the ethics commission will determine whether or not there is a conflict of interest.
Monday’s meeting will begin at 5:30 pm at the Venetian Center.