LAKE WORTH BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) — Things got heated at a city commission meeting last week in Lake Worth Beach over a decision made to allow the shutoff of power to customers late on bills amid the coronavirus pandemic.

As a two-hour high-tension meeting came to a close, Commissioner Omari Hardy began verbally sparring with Mayor Pam Triolo and City Manager Michael Bornstein.

Hardy accused Bornstein of “turning off people’s lights during a global health pandemic” and said Triolo was complicit for not scheduling an emergency meeting to discuss the issue.

Bornstein acknowledged during the meeting that 50 customers had their power turned off a day before the city decided that shutoffs were being postponed, Palm Beach Post reported.

“This is a banana republic is what you’re turning this place into with your so-called leadership,” Hardy shouted at Triolo after the meeting was called. “We cut people’s utilities this week and made them pay, with what could have been their last check, to turn their lights off in a global health pandemic. But you don’t care about that! You didn’t want to meet!”

Read more about the fiery confrontation here.

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