Voters should keep Hardin

For decades, Pompano Beach was Broward’s sleepy afterthought. It was a getaway for snowbirds and a base for the Goodyear blimp, a place oddly oblivious to the growth and glitz all around it.

Henry Flagler’s railroad line cut right through the heart of Broward’s second-oldest city, which ensured that Pompano would become a winter destination. But it has never really begun to live up to its potential — until now. People are discovering Pompano, many for the first time.

All kinds of developments are in the works: high-rise luxury condos, hotels, townhouses, restaurants, a new pier and an expanded casino. It’s as if the city is racing to catch up after so many years of stagnation. The growing pains are evident. Traffic congestion is a major concern and some residents worry that Pompano Beach is losing its hometown feel.

At the center of things is Rex Hardin, the mayor since 2018, who is seeking a four-year term against two opponents in November: Todd “Bulldog” Hennen, acting president of the Highlands Civic Association, and Joseph Wells, a teacher at Pompano Beach Middle School. Both challengers say the city is growing too fast and that developers have too much power at City Hall.

Hardin has made some missteps, but he genuinely cares about charting the right course and neither of his opponents appears up to the job. The Sun Sentinel recommends that Pompano Beach voters re-elect Hardin as mayor.

Hardin, 60, owner of a commercial print shop, was first elected commissioner in 2007 and became mayor two years ago, but barely, winning by 125 votes. As the only city official elected by all voters, Hardin has helped to lead a renaissance that shows no sign of slowing down. That makes the upcoming election a referendum on the pace of growth and development. Despite the occasional political flare-ups at City Hall, the mayor and commissioners generally work well with each other.

Weeks after taking office, Hardin faced his first of several crises: A contractor working for the state ruptured a sewer line near I-95, flooding nearby canals with raw sewage. A major health hazard, the weekend leak continued for two days before residents were notified. Hardin acknowledged lapses in the city response, but no action was taken against any city employees.

Then last fall, Hardin was found in violation of Florida campaign finance laws for a second time, following a series of bookkeeping errors that resulted from him acting as his own campaign treasurer. In an interview with the Sun Sentinel editorial board, Hardin said he “messed up” and took full responsibility. “Guilty as charged,” he said.

Then came COVID-19, which ravaged Pompano’s small businesses, shuttered bars and beaches, cancelled community events and exacerbated political tensions between the city and county. The economic pain is far from over. “We’ve got a world of hurt coming,” Hardin said.

As Hardin is quick to point out, he has made mistakes, but his opponents do not inspire confidence that they would do a better job. Hennen, in fact, said he did not even want to run for the office. He is being backed by a political committee, Citizens for Good Government, that supports a full slate of slow-growth candidates.

As for Wells, the third mayoral hopeful, he ignored our candidate questionnaire and did not participate in our virtual candidate interview. A candidate who casually refuses to address basic questions likely would not be any more responsive to his constituents.

Says Hardin: “Pompano is in great shape, but we can do better.”

For mayor of Pompano Beach, the Sun Sentinel recommends Rex Hardin.

Hardin