Tamarac Commissioner Marlon Bolton billed taxpayers more than $2,000 for a trip to Jamaica last month, city records show — an international visit that city staff initially questioned as outside the scope of Tamarac’s travel policy.
A travel expense voucher submitted by Bolton shows the city covered $2,063.91 in costs for his July 16–19 trip to Kingston. The bulk of the expenses were for hotel accommodations at Marriott’s AC Hotel Kingston, totaling $1,072.66, along with $446.28 for airfare on JetBlue, $223.77 for chauffeured car service rides to and from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, and $311.20 for a vehicle rental in Jamaica. No reimbursement was required from the commissioner.
The stated purpose of the trip was for Bolton to appear on Jamaican television and radio programs to promote Tamarac’s strategic goal of being a “vibrant community.” City messaging documents tied the appearances to programming such as FITZONE, a free exercise initiative, and the city’s “Yard on the Lawn” Caribbean heritage festival held in June…