Fort Lauderdale mayoral hopefuls trade jabs on infrastructure, ethics
FORT LAUDERDALE – They started out civilly, but it didn’t last as the three candidates for Fort Lauderdale mayor started trading mild jabs during a Thursday night debate — before quickly moving on to all-out attacks on one another’s ethics and integrity.
There was also some substantive disagreement on what may be the most pressing issue facing the city: its crumbling infrastructure, especially its problem-plagued sewer system.
Two of the candidates, Charlotte Rodstrom and Dean Trantalis, were the most skeptical about the rapid pace of development in the city, which they blamed for overtaxing the infrastructure.
Bruce Roberts credited himself for pushing the city bureaucracy to do more to fix the problems — which he said only
became apparent in the past couple of years.
Rodstrom said she would favor a moratorium on new development until the sewer system is able to handle the usage. “If you continue to build without proper infrastructure, [it] is a recipe for disaster,” she said.
Trantalis said he, too, favors a moratorium on development. “Of course I would be in favor of that,” he said, later adding a qualifier: “If necessary.”
In Trantalis’ view, a moratorium is already in effect because economic forces have stalled actual construction on many projects already in the pipeline. He said the city needs to force developers to pay for infrastructure needs necessitated by their projects.
Roberts opposes the idea — and criticized Trantalis for his past support of development downtown.
Roberts said the city can have development and improve its infrastructure simultaneously.
“I say we can walk and chew gum at the same time,” he said. “To say out and out we’re not going to do the new development, I’m not going to do that.”
On one of the most controversial issues the city has faced in years, Roberts defended his support for a massive development of the Bahia Mar resort complex.
He defended his support, explaining he wasn’t catering to “the special interests.” He said the marine industry supported the deal, hoping it would help preserve the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show.
Trantalis and Rodstrom both oppose the Bahia Mar deal — and said the beginning of construction would result in the departure of the boat show, exactly the opposite outcome that Roberts said he was trying to achieve.
That produced one of the sharpest exchanges of the evening. Trantalis lectured Roberts over the dual roles of his campaign manager, who also was a lobbyist on behalf of the Bahia Mar developers.
Trantalis said it was inappropriate and unethical. “You sort of crossed the line as to what is appropriate and not appropriate.”
Rodstrom chimed in that Trantalis had once taken campaign money in a previous election from the Bahia Mar developer.
And Roberts countered that both Trantalis and Rodstrom had used the same campaign manager/ lobbyist he’s using in their previous campaigns. He also said he had an opinion from the Florida Commission on Ethics that he wasn’t doing anything wrong.
In the most heated exchange of the evening, Roberts admitted that a political action committee supporting him sent out a controversial mailer attacking Trantalis.
The mailer, with pictures doctored to show the openly gay Trantalis in a flamboyant outfit and wearing rouge, is not homophobic, Roberts said. “I really take offense at that allegation,” he said, adding that “other people may interpret [the mailer that way] I understand that. There are sensitivities out there. I understand that.”
Roberts added that he has supported issues important to the LGBT community.
Trantalis lambasted Roberts for the mailer. “Bruce, I’m really surprised that you would associate yourself with this kind of chicanery,” he said. “It really demeans you as an individual.”
Roberts defended the PAC spending, noting that it’s legal in Florida — and said Trantalis is benefiting from PAC spending.
Roberts said he was offended at being questioned about PAC spending by Trantalis, who he said is benefiting from mailers that aren’t true. “Don’t lecture me about what’s ethical and not ethical when you don’t even hold up to the standards of truth and veracity.”
Rodstrom criticized both for relying on support from PACs, something she isn’t doing. But she acknowledged that she and her husband, John, who works in the financial world, contributed $50,000 of their money to her campaign.
Trantalis said politics shouldn’t be limited to people who can afford to spend that kind of money on their own candidacies. Rodstrom later said it’s a sacrifice, explaining that she wouldn’t be getting a new car this year as planned because of the money spent on her campaign.
Though they spend much of the debate seeking to differentiate themselves, the three have much in common: all have lived in Fort Lauderdale for decades, are all in their 60s and all are current or former members of the City Commission.
They’re seeking to replace Jack Seiler, who has been mayor for nine years but can’t run again because of term limits.
The first round of voting is Jan. 16. If one candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote, he or she becomes the next mayor. Otherwise, the top two go head to head in a March 13 runoff.
They have few regrets from their service on the City Commission.
“I can’t think of anything that I regret as far as decision-making that had any negative impact on Fort Lauderdale or the constituency,” Rodstrom said. Roberts said he also had no regrets on “any decision that I’ve made or any votes that I’ve taken.”
Trantalis said he felt comfortable with all but one decision: approving development of a 44-story assisted living facility downtown that he said in hindsight was a mistake.
Trantalis said he opposed the city’s budget practices, which have taken money from the city’s water and sewer funds to pay for the overall city budget. Rodstrom said Trantalis has only recently become concerned about the issue.
Roberts said it’s not something that can be changed immediately because officials would then have a tough time deciding whether to cut expenses or raise property taxes.
Both attacked Rodstrom for running for re-election to the city commission in 2012, then quickly resigning so she could seek a County Commission seat, a race she lost. That forced the city to spend more than $200,000 on a special election to fill the vacancy she created.
Rodstrom said her opponents disrespect the public, and promised that if she’s mayor commission meetings would no longer drag on until 3 a.m. Trantalis agreed that allowing meetings to run so long is disrespectful to the public.
The debate, sponsored by the South Florida Sun Sentinel, was held before an audience of about 100 people at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts and was streamed online.
There were a few lighthearted moments.
Trantalis got laughs during the discussion of the attack mailer, quipping that he’d never wear the kind of outfit the Roberts PAC depicted in its ad.
When a power glitch momentarily dimmed the lights and cut off Roberts’ microphone, he quipped, “That’s not our infrastructure.”