BROWARD COUNTY, FL – Broward County has a new Mayor and Vice Mayor. The Broward Board of County Commissioners selected District 5 Commissioner and former Vice Mayor, Steve Geller to serve as Mayor. District 3 Commissioner Michael Udine was chosen to serve as Vice Mayor. In total, five Commissioners were once again sworn in today after successfully being re-elected to office. Outgoing Mayor Dale V.C. Holness delivered the 2020 State of the County Address.
Mayor Steve Geller says stopping the spread of COVID-19 is of utmost importance. He has sent a letter to Governor Ron DeSantis requesting a statewide mask mandate and has asked that the Governor’s suspension of fines and penalties for COVID-19 violations be rescinded. (See Attachment 1)
“Until we get the vaccines distributed, there are only two ways to fight COVID-19, masks and shutdowns. The refusal to wear a mask will force a business shutdown, which I’m trying to avoid,” said Mayor Geller. “The Governor’s order does not prevent Broward and our municipalities from fining people or requiring masks, it merely postpones our ability to collect these fines. There is no constitutional right not to wear a mask.”
Geller says creating high paying jobs in Broward County is a priority. His plan to bring high paying jobs includes using the strength of the Tri-County marine research hub, growing small businesses into large businesses with the assistance of the Levan Innovation Center at Nova Southeast University and attracting more national headquarters to this area. His other areas of focus include affordable housing, sea level rise, and strengthening cultural opportunities. (Attachment 1) Mayor Geller also announced plan to create a Mayor’s Labor Advisory Council (Attachment 2)
Prior to his current service as Broward County Mayor and Commissioner, Geller was elected to the Florida Legislature in 1988. He served in the Florida Legislature for 20 years, 9 in the House, and 11 in the Senate. He was elected to represent District 5 in 2016. District 5 includes the cities of Southwest Ranches and Cooper City and portions of Davie, Plantation, Sunrise, Weston, and Pembroke Pines.
Vice Mayor Michael Udine was elected to serve as a District 3 Broward County Commissioner in 2016. Politics was not new to him, he formerly served, for more than a decade, as the Mayor and City Commissioner of Parkland. His long-standing career as an attorney and dedication to public service is distinct and notable for two reasons: his legacy of success and an unexpected and tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. Commission District 3 encompasses all of Parkland and portions of Coral Springs, Tamarac, and North Lauderdale.
“I look forward to serving with the same passion and zest that I’ve had for the past four years as a County Commissioner. It takes teamwork, dedication, and a love of public service. Thank you to all of my constituents in District 3 and to all Broward County residents,” said Udine.
District 1 Commissioner and former State Senator Nan Rich was again sworn in to office today. Commissioner Rich served in the State Senate from 2004 until she was term limited in 2012. She was the first woman to be elected Senate Democratic Leader in 2010. She also served two terms in the Florida House of Representatives. She was voted to service District 1 in 2016. “Thank you to my constituents for voting for me. It’s now more important than ever to serve, given the challenges that we face today,” said Rich. District 1 includes portions of the cities of Davie, Lauderhill, Plantation, Sunrise, Tamarac, and Weston.
District 7 Commissioner Tim Ryan joined the Broward County Commission in 2012, was re-elected in 2016 and again this year. He was selected to serve as Broward County Mayor in November 2014, after serving as Vice Mayor the previous year. Commissioner Ryan also spent eight years in the Florida House of Representatives before leaving due to term limits in 2006. “Elections have importance consequences. It’s important to remember your promises and that you truly are a public servant,” said Ryan. District 7 includes the cities of Dania Beach, Lazy Lake and Wilton Manors, parts of Davie, Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood, and the Broadview Park neighborhood in unincorporated Broward County.
District 9 Commissioner Dale V.C. Holness was first elected in 2010, re-elected in 2012 and 2016. He served as Mayor this year and Vice Mayor in 2018. Delivering the State of County Address today, he noted the challenges of 2020 which included COVID-19 and racial protests. (State of the County 2020 attached.) “The State of the County is on the road to recovery,” noted Holness. During his term as Mayor this year he was successful in creating and winning Commission approval for the formation of a Police and Criminal Justice Panel and set a date for a public hearing and vote on a proposed Racial Equity Task Force. District 9 includes portions of the cities of Fort Lauderdale, Lauderdale Lakes, Lauderhill, North Lauderdale, Oakland Park, Pompano Beach, Sunrise, Tamarac, and Plantation.
The Broward County Charter stipulates that Commissioners, elected from single member districts, vote annually in November for the position of Mayor and Vice Mayor.
Keep up to date with what Broward County Commissioners are doing on Facebook and on Twitter. For detailed information please visit broward.org/commission.