Jacobs, Graber To Lead Commission
Broward County Commissioners selected Commissioner Kristin Jacobs as Mayor and Commissioner Ben Graber as Vice-Mayor at their annual reorganization meeting on November 16. Both will serve one-year terms.

Jacobs, who previously served as Vice-Mayor, said she was “energized, exhilarated and eager to meet the challenges ahead.” A respected environmentalist, Mayor Jacobs said her goals included conserving water through NatureScape Broward, light rail development, green buildings and greenways, sustainable growth and eco-tourism. In addition, she said one of her priorities would be the implementation of VisionBROWARD’s final report. “I am committed to ensuring this forward-thinking product of more than a thousand citizens will not end up as just another spiffy report on a governmental shelf,” she said. VisionBROWARD stressed the need for regionalism in approaching future economic development issues.

Outgoing Mayor Ilene Lieberman delivered a unique State of the County address which included a slide presentation on the Commission’s accomplishments during the past year. Visit www.broward.org to review the address.

Commissioners welcomed their newest member, Lois Wexler, who was elected to fill the seat of outgoing Commissioner Lori Parrish. Parrish, who served for 16 years on the County Commission, was elected Property Appraiser in November and will begin her new duties in January.

Wexler, a member of the School Board of Broward County for 12 years, will represent District 5. As a County Commissioner, her priorities will include promoting and expanding economic growth, accessing and expanding programs and services for senior citizens and aggressively developing solutions to address Broward’s traffic congestion.

Incumbent Commissioners Ilene Lieberman, Ben Graber, John Rodstrom and Josephus Eggelletion were sworn in for new four-year terms.

County to Tackle Affordable Housing Issue
With property values increasing by double digits for three consecutive years, the average price for a home in Broward County is now approximately $300,000. Teachers, police officers, firefighters, service industry workers and small business owners are virtually shut-out of the market.

“The lack of affordable housing could have a detrimental effect on our economy,” said County Administrator Roger Desjarlais. “Government and industry could encounter serious problems in recruiting employees. It could make Broward County unattractive for economic development.” With this in mind, Desjarlais appointed Joseph Kocy to the position of Assistant to the County Administrator for Housing, effective December 1.

Kocy has 16 years of solid experience in Maryland and New Jersey, where he designed and implemented smart growth solutions to curtail urban sprawl and promote redevelopment. His first assignment will be to inventory Broward’s stock of housing and make recommendations.

Winterfest Boat Parade Set to Sail December 18
The 33rd annual Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade will sail from Port Everglades on December 18, 6:30 p.m., along the Intracoastal to Lake Santa Barbara in Pompano Beach, ushering in the holiday season in South Florida. This year’s Grand Marshal is Shaquille O’Neal.

Birch State Park in Fort Lauderdale, A1A and Sunrise Blvd., is an ideal location to view the parade, although no vehicular parking will be permitted at the park. Reserved seats are available for the Grandstand Viewing Area, the only organized viewing area along the parade route, for $17 per adult and $12 for children age 10 and under. Group rates are available. For information, call 954-767-0686.

A Park-and-Ride service has been arranged at War Memorial Auditorium/Holiday Park. Broward County Transit will be providing shuttles to Birch State Park for $3 per person, roundtrip (children 3 and under ride free). There is a $5.00 charge per automobile for parking. Shuttles will be running from Holiday Park every 15 minutes between 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Returning shuttle buses will begin running after the parade until 11 p.m.

Fantasy of Lights Opens at Tradewinds Park
Broward County’s annual Fantasy of Lights display is now open at Tradewinds Park, 3600 W. Sample Rd., Coconut Creek. The holiday spectacular will operate nightly through January 2, from 6 to 10 p.m., including holidays. Visitors can drive their own vehicles along a route lined with lighted trees and 65 colorful holiday displays. The annual extravaganza has attracted more than two million visitors in the past nine years.

The admission price for vehicles with fewer than 20 passengers is $6, Monday through Thursday; and $9, Friday through Sunday, including holidays. Vehicles with more than 20 passengers are charged $35 per vehicle, regardless of the day visited. Gift certificates are available. For additional information, call 954-968-3885.

Holiday Shopping Tips
The holidays are fast approaching, bringing the busiest shopping season of the year. To ensure hassle-free holiday shopping, the Broward County Consumer Affairs Division reminds consumers to be smart shoppers. The division has information to assist Broward residents with shopping, ranging from finding the best price to understanding sale advertisements, from refund/return policies to online shopping. Find these and other helpful hints at www.broward.org/consumer or call the division at 954-765-5350.

Focus Brazil 2005 Slated for March
Plans for a week-long cultural and business exchange to improve relations between South Florida and Brazil were announced at a special event and news conference at the Performing Arts Center on November 15. The event, called Focus Brazil 2005—State to State, Governor to Governor, Business to Culture Forum—will be held March 7-11. The program includes a series of meetings to discuss foreign trade opportunities, educational exchanges and cultural performances. The event is designed to bring public and private sector officials together along with cultural forums and events. Brazil has been the focus of a number of inbound and outbound trade missions in the past, coordinated by the County’s Office of Economic Development. Brazil is one of Florida’s largest trading partners, with imports and exports totaling $9.2 billion.

South County Residents Vote to Create New City
Voters in Lake Forest, Miami Gardens, Utopia and Carver Ranches voted on November 2 to create Broward County’s 31 st municipality. The new city, tentatively known as West Park, includes approximately 15,000 people. The vote to incorporate was approved 3,400 to 956.

Residents in the unincorporated area elected an interim transition committee in September to work with Broward County on the incorporation process. It is estimated that the city will operate on a budget of approximately $7 million. The transition committee will be meeting in public schools and community centers. In March 2005, residents will elect a city commission and mayor. They will later choose a permanent name for the municipality.

Other annexation issues on the ballot November 2nd:

ROCK ISLAND: Residents voted to join the City of Fort Lauderdale on September 15, 2005.

CENTRAL COUNTY: Residents rejected, by a 2-to-1 one margin, a proposal to merge their neighborhood with Lauderdale Lakes.

TWIN LAKES NORTH: Residents chose the City of Fort Lauderdale over Oakland Park, with annexation effective September 15, 2005.

For the 2005 Legislative Session, annexation bills have been filed for Broadview Park, Country Acres (Godfrey Road), Pine Island Ridge and United Ranches.

Migration Statistics Indicate Broward’s Population Mobile
Statistics recently released by the Broward County Department of Urban Planning and Redevelopment’s Planning Services Division indicates that the County’s population continues to be highly mobile. Approximately 259,000 people moved into Broward from other areas of the United States between 2000 and 2003, while 233,000 moved away. The domestic migration to Broward resulted in an additional 26,000 residents.

Over the past decade, net domestic migration has slowly decreased, although the total numbers of both in- and out- migrants have increased. Beyond the tri-county area, Broward County has historically attracted migrants, especially retirees, from the Northeast, specifically the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area. Five of the 10 counties in the United States accounting for most of the in-migration are in the New York area. Although the new residents hail from throughout the United States, records indicate no one moved to Broward County from Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota or Wyoming during the period of the study.

The statistics are contained in Broward-by-the-Numbers, a monthly electronic information service provided by the County’s Planning Services Division. Each month a summary of demographic and economic data about the County is posted on the County’s web site. To view the report on Domestic Migration Patterns and other reports, visit www.broward.org and click on Broward-by-the-Numbers.

Property Tax Payments Accepted Online
Broward County residents can avoid waiting in line to pay their property taxes by paying online at www.broward.org/revenue. Using the online payment is quick and easy. Residents can search for their tax information by name or by their parcel identification number.

To make the service more convenient, property tax payments can be made using a checking account or credit card. Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover credit cards are accepted. The online service can only be used to pay for the current year’s property taxes. Delinquent taxes are not accepted online.

A three percent discount is given to residents who pay their property taxes in December. A two percent discount is given in January and one percent in February. Taxes are due by March 31, 2005. Tax payments can also be mailed to the Broward County Revenue Collection Division, 115 S. Andrews Ave., Room A100, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301.

For questions about paying property taxes, residents can call the Broward County Call Center at 954-831-4000.