You’ve spoken! Here is your report card for our Fort Lauderdale Mayor and Commissioners

Here’s your Performance Report Card for Fort Lauderdale’s Mayor and Commissioners.

Well, it’s been a little over a year since our Mayor and four Commissioners were sworn into office here in Fort Lauderdale. How have they been doing? As you may recall, I graded their performances after six months (go to: http://abetterftlauderdale.com/?p=441 to see how they were graded last October).

This time, I asked for input from you to help shape their grades. Dozens of you replied back to me directly (as opposed to posting your comments on the web site).  I’ve kept those emails confidential, but have used your comments to help shape their grades for their 12-month assessment.

So how did they do this time? Here is their one-year performance review:

Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom: A-

Commissioner Charlotte Rodstrom (as one respondent mentioned) “Gets it”. She seems to understand what her role is as a Commissioner. Her priority seems to be looking for ways to reduce spending. She’s been openly critical of City Manager George Gretsas, hers being one of the majority votes to not renew his employment contract which expires this July.

Commissioner Rodstrom brought to the attention of the Commission the debacle with 18 new hiring contracts (with their expensive severance packages) that Gretsas generated for his handpicked “yes-men” last year. Most of these contracts were signed by Gretsas without even informing the Commission. She recently brought up valid concerns about how several bond measures have been handled by the City Manager. (The Miami Budget Director was recently fired and the SEC has gotten involved over problems caused by bond misrepresentations). She is a regular attendee of Budget Advisory meetings, important if the Commission is to make intelligent choices in the future on how to reduce the next budget.

As another respondent stated: “She seems to be aware of goings on within the City that the Mayor and other Commissioners are not.” The one negative factor that was voiced by more than one respondent? “She’s slow in responding back to her constituents”. But overall, Commissioner Rodstrom seems to be doing a good job as a Commissioner. Others should be following her example.

Commissioner Bruce Roberts: B+

The one comment that was mentioned repeatedly by many of you about Commissioner Roberts is that “He cares”. One person mentioned “He has no agenda other than the people of his District and of the City”. Commissioner Roberts has over 35 years experience with the City of Fort Lauderdale, mostly as a member of the Police Department, culminating in his service to the City as Chief of Police.

I faulted Commissioner Roberts six months ago as “being too much of a gentleman” and not being aggressive enough as a Commissioner in dealing with the problems of City Management and the City’s Budget. He has improved in that area, most notably in his scathing remarks at a November Commission meeting about City Manager Gretsas’ poor performance. You could tell his comments were heartfelt and sincere. He has attended Budget Advisory meetings, and appears to be developing an appreciation for where future budget cuts might have to be made.

Numerous emails to me mentioned his active involvement to solve specific problems in his District regarding neighborhood safety and cleanup. He appears to be easily accessible to his constituents. What can he improve upon? With 37 years of public service, he has more Municipal experience than the Mayor and the three other Commissioners combined. I feel he should be taking more of a leadership role in Commission meetings and in setting future priorities. He’s got that ability; he just needs to demonstrate it. 

Commissioner Bobby DuBose: D

“Where are the improvements to the Sistrunk?” This was the only comment I heard from residents of Commissioner Dubose’s District. Unfortunately, no one was able to mention any specific accomplishments during his first 12 months. Commissioner DuBose has appeared to be largely reticent during most topics of discussion in Commission meetings over the first 12 months, relying instead on the City Manager for guidance and advice.

In the last 12 months, the only time Commissioner DuBose appeared to show any intensity or “spark” was during the discussion of whether or not to retain City Manager Gretsas. He called the discussion a “lynching”. Even though he is a strong supporter of the City Manager, it was still a very poor choice of words. He has yet to attend any Budget Advisory meetings or show any interest in how to reduce next year’s budget.

He recently proposed (and the Commission approved) one development project for the Sistrunk, a discount grocery store. But it turns out the project developer is a close friend of DuBose (was the selection process done fairly?), and the project itself shows as simply another “strip mall” design, the type that plagues most of our City and adds no beauty or charm. With so much of the Sistrunk along 6^th Street appearing as empty lots, is this the best Bobby DuBose and our Commission can come up with? Why can’t we develop something there that the entire City can be proud of? The Sistrunk should become a culturally sensitive shopping/dining and entertainment area, an “Economic Destination Zone”. As Commissioner of most of that depressed area, he needs to become a much stronger advocate for Sistrunk’s future. Can he do it? So far, the answer seems to be “No”. 

Commissioner Romney Rogers: D-

Even though Commissioner Rogers is an affable person when you meet him, most people in his District have become quite disillusioned. “I’m not impressed with him”, “Takes no initiative”, “He doesn’t seem to understand what’s going on sometimes in Commission meetings” “He does whatever Gretsas tells him to do”, were comments I received. “He’s part of the Old Guard”, “Rogers is a puppet and (former Mayor) Naugle is pulling the strings behind the curtain”.

It appears to many that Romney Rogers (a lawyer) indeed has his own (or Naugle’s) agenda, and is following it. He has not brought forth new ideas in Commission meetings, nor has he attended any Budget Advisory meetings. He has been a consistent supporter of City Manager George Gretsas though, rarely questioning or challenging any information originating from him. He has demonstrated little initiative to help those in his district. As an example, a “pain clinic” in his District opened and had lines of “undesirables” coming in from outside the area for drugs. Rogers received many complaints from numerous residents about the clinic, yet he did nothing. Only when the Broward County Commission starting taking action on pain clinics did he start to show any interest in the subject. As one resident of Fort Lauderdale concluded: “I’ve known Romney for over 20 years. He’s a nice enough fellow, he’s just not that bright.”

Rumor has it that former Mayor Jim Naugle is grooming Rogers to run for Mayor in 2012, so as to re-establish a more right wing, anti-gay, Christian conservative flavor that Fort Lauderdale endured during the 18 years that Naugle was Mayor. If this is true, it would certainly explain why (to many people), Commissioner Rogers seems content right now to be a “bench warmer” as a Commissioner.

Mayor Jack Seiler: F

Many of you who replied to me about Mayor Seiler had similar feelings: “Jack’s a good guy”; “Jack has restored civility to Commission meetings”; “Jack replies back to my emails”. True, as a person, Jack appears to be a good and decent human being….as long as you agree with him. If you don’t, watch out. Jack has a bad habit of making personal attacks on people who disagree with him. The public image he carefully cultivates is that of an all-inclusive person, getting everyone’s opinion. But in reality, he tries to isolate people who don’t agree with his viewpoint and has a tendency to denigrate them. There are numerous instances of neighborhood leaders who now feel ostracized by the Mayor because they have questioned some of his actions over the past 12 months.

Personality issues aside, though, Jack has demonstrated that he is simply not a Leader. Many comments I received from Fort Lauderdale residents were questions. “What has Seiler actually done as Mayor?” “What has he accomplished?” “When is he going to actually do something?” “What is his vision for the future of Fort Lauderdale?” “What is he going to do about the Budget?” “When are we going to get a new City Manager?” The only written documentation he has sent to residents so far appears to be last year’s letter (on what appeared to be City stationary) asking companies to buy ad space for a map developed by one of his campaign supporters (Dolph Map Company).

One person summed it up: “12 months of lost opportunities.” He seems to have no plan yet to reduce the City’s swollen budget. He has attended only one Budget Advisory Meeting. (It was just to say “Hi”, and then leave.) He has not yet replaced our divisive and overpaid City Manager, even though his employment contract has not been renewed; he has not yet established a specific Vision or direction for Fort Lauderdale’s future; he has not taken steps to stop the decline of our only true Economic Destination Zone: Las Olas. He has not taken the initiative to develop new ideas or programs that could set a new direction toward making Fort Lauderdale a more progressive City.

What about establishing and marking bikes lanes on certain City streets to make it safer to ride around the City? This should be easy to do.

What about purchasing the now-empty American Golf Couse and the associated Coral Ridge Country Club and turn that 200-plus acres into a public Golf Course and walking park that we in the community could be proud of?

What about following the initiatives of other neighboring cities and offer domestic partner benefits to city employees, or establish non-discrimination language that protects sexual orientation?

When I asked you, the reader, to give me specific examples of Mayor Seiler’s accomplishments over the past 12 months, the only specific feedback was: “He set up football parties for the City and we had a cool St Patrick’s Day parade”.

As a former Mayor of Wilton Manors (a City that does have non-discrimination language and domestic partner benefits) and as a State Representative for six years, Jack Seiler was considered someone with experience who could establish a new direction for our City and show some Leadership. The fact that he has not yet demonstrated that Leadership is concerning to many. As one person mentioned in a reply to me; “Jack is just occupying the position of Fort Lauderdale Mayor until a juicy State position or appointment becomes available.” If that is true, it might mean that we are going to have to deal with another career politician, interested more in himself than in his constituents.

Fort Lauderdale deserves better. Let’s hope that he (along with DuBose and Rogers) start to improve over the next 12 months.

Earl Rynerson