Five Commissioners Sworn In; New Broward County Mayor and Vice Mayor Selected

Two newly elected commissioners were sworn in and three incumbent commissioners returned to office at the November 20 meeting of the Broward County Board of County Commissioners.

Reelected incumbents included Stacy Ritter, District 3; Lois Wexler, District 5; and Dale V.C. Holness, District 9. Newly elected commissioners are Martin David Kiar, District 1; and Tim Ryan, District 7.

The Board also selected District 2 Commissioner and outgoing Vice Mayor Kristin Jacobs to serve as mayor and District 8 Commissioner Barbara Sharief to serve as vice mayor in 2013. Mayor Jacobs branded 2013 as the “Year of the Neighbor.”

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County Program Helps Juvenile Offenders

Last year in Broward County, there were 2,858 first-time juvenile offenders, with a criminal record, dealing with the Department of Juvenile Justice and the local criminal court system. Now, with recent state legislation, juvenile offenders have the opportunity to participate in a new Civil Citation Program for Juveniles, a collaborative partnership between law enforcement officials and the County’s Human Services Department.

Through the program, juvenile offenders can avoid a criminal record that potentially prevents future employment, military service or scholarship opportunities. More...

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New Bus Transfer Facility Opens in Pompano Beach

Broward County Transit opened a new bus transfer facility on November 17 – the Northeast Transit Center located at 304 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Blvd., in Pompano Beach.

“We serve close to 2,000 passengers and nearly 300 buses pass through this facility each weekday, so it is very gratifying to know that we can now provide these customers with a beautiful transit center in this area of Broward County,” said Tim Garling, director of Broward County Transit (BCT). More...