Mike's Issues
TAX RELIEF WITH SMART GROWTH
Mike favors smart growth to increase our tax base and provide relief to taxpayers, while protecting the charm of our single family neighborhoods. The entire budget needs a line-by-line review and scrutiny of expenses. The current Mayor over his 24 years in office both as Mayor and Commissioner, has made growth impossible with anti-development City Code provisions. Slow and smart growth would have helped us reduce taxes. The West Side, and in particular Andrews Avenue, needs attention and requires thoughful and smart development with community input.
LGBTQ+ IDENTITY
Mike wants to preserve the identity and culture of our LGBTQ+ community, which many fear will be diminished with new development coupled with increasing real estate and rent values. We need to implement measures to keep Wilton Manors as an iconic mecca for the LGBTQ+ community. Mike supports Wilton Manors being an LGBTQ Sanctuary City but he also thinks this message needs to be publicized more so that those who fear coming to Florida because of our Governor can be reassured they are safe here. Mike also supports development of an LGBTQ Cultural Heritage Strategy Plan for Wilton Manors (along the lines of https://wiltondrivevoice.com/all-cultures-strategy).
AFFORDABLE WORKFORCE HOUSING
Mike is committed to finding solutions to the high prices and rents in our City that are causing flight of long time residents and making it hard to keep a workforce for local businesses due to lack of affordable rents in the area. Although the currrent Mayor "talks" about affordable housing, he has done nothing over the past 24 years to address the issue. We need to roll up our sleeves and get this done. The City owns several properties with which to craft a private-government partnership to build affordable workforce housing units.
ART
Mike has been trying to push the City Commission to adopt a Public Art Policy and take a more active role in placing art in our communities. To this date 5 years later, we still do not have an art policy, and while the City has paid $30,000 to Broward County to write a policy, which we could have done on our own, that policy is not expected to be delivered until 2025. Mike would also appoint a Public Art Coordinator immediately to help with art selection and installations for both the City and for the many 501(c)(3) organizations that have been bringing art to our community.
INFRASTRUCTURE - WATER AND SEWER
We must continue to prioritize the repair and improvement of the city's water and sewer infrastructure which has been neglected for way too long by past elected officials. Although the City is making good progress at the moment, residents will agree it is coming way too late as we experience flooding and sewer leakage due to years of neglect under the current Mayor's watch.
TRAFFIC AND PARKING
We must monitor the flow of traffic by having traffic studies done to control and calm traffic. Residents experience speeding vehicles on our streets, increased traffic and a lack of planning to avoid these outcomes. Staff has fallen short in responding to these trends in addition to a series of mismanaged redesign projects. We also need some solutions to the parking situation in our business districts which causes a hardship on our local businesses to attract customers. The City Hall parking lot should be evaluated for a multi-story parking garage to service Wilton Drive visitors.
SAFE STREETS
Even though the City pledged to adopt a complete streets approach, they continue to fail to implement measures to accomplish that goal. Mike wants streets that are safe for walking and bicycling. A perfect example is an ill-conceived surtax program project to redesign NE 26th Street, which fails to adopt any bicycle lanes, for instance.
CITY STAFF - OPEN CITY HALL 5 DAYS
We continue to see complaints from businesses and residents about the response times for things such as special events permits, building permits and inspections. Mike believes we need to re-evaluate staffing and ensure that productivity is optimal, including a return to City Hall being open 5 days a week
RELATIONS WITH BUSINESS OWNERS
There have been so many reports of nightmare dealings of business owners with City staff in handling routine matters such a permits and inspections, and Mike has ideas that would help foster a better business climate for our business districts. Mike would hold adhoc workshops with business owners to evaluate why businesses are experiencing delay and other issues when trying to get things done like special events permits, building permits and inspections, in order to implement changes to the way we deal with businesses.
RUNAWAY BUDGETS - STOP TAX AND SPEND PHILOSOPHY
Mike firmly believes we need tight controls and an evaluation of our budgeting, to eliminate wasteful expenditures and expenditures that are not justified by the associated revenues. The City Commission tends to let the tail wag the dog, meaning City staff often takes the lead on budgets and spending proposals and the Commission tends to react. It should be the other way around. Under the current Mayor, the budget has increased 44% of the last 4 years. This cannot continue and will threaten the financial viability of Wilton Manors. We cannot continue to tax and spend!
RELATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY
Mike has served on the Community Affairs Advisory Board, and has seen first hand the interaction between City advisory boards and the Commission. There needs to be more respect for our Advisory Boards by allowing them to foster new ideas and solutions. Some Commissioners want to reduce the number of residents on these Boards and also limit the scope of their mission. This is not the way to deal with your constituents.
COMMUNITY POLICING
We need our police force to maintain close contact and relations with the community. In addition, I believe firmly that a beat cop on Wilton Drive is a good idea to give both merchants and visitors a sense of safety. Safe spaces for our residents is critical to maintaining our residents, many of whom are under attack by politicians and their supporters. Keeping Wilton Manors as a safe place for our most vulnerable residents will keep Wilton Manors as a Gayborhood!
MAYOR/COMMISSION SALARIES
The Mayor raised his salary by 166% during his recent term. This is outrageous. The Commissioners also raised their salaries, which together with the Mayor, resulted in an $80,000 increase to the budget and taxpayers. Mike will donate 1/2 of his Mayor salary to charity and 501(c)(3)'s in the community as he disagrees with the increase in salary.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
Mike believes in a full schedule of community events, especially during our high seasons. While there are several recurring events in our City, like Wicked Manors and Stonewall Pride, these event are essentially run by private 501(c)(3) organizations and not the City. Mike has advocated more events during his tenure on the Community Affairs Advisory Board, but the City has not responded in any significant way. Mike even organized three Wilton Manors Car Shows which were held in the City Hall parking lot with over 100 car entries, attracting hundreds of residents to the event. More of these sort of community involved events are needed. Harmony Waves put on the Rock the Block concert and WMBA sponsored the Disney on the Drive event. We need more of these events to maintain and keep Wilton Manors together and united.
WORK INCUBATORS
High rents present an obstacle to new startup businesses, especially for entrepreneurs in our minority communities. Many other communities encourage work incubators and the idea was suggested at a 2023 Workshop on Race Relations in Wilton Manors. The City has some very under-utilized properties in which work incubators can be establised with no impact on taxpayers to give these emerging businesses an office to launch their ideas and bring them to full fruition and success.