In Hallandale Beach, London, Butler and Dally have skills to lead, but more decorum needed

Hallandale Beach, no stranger to political turmoil, is living up to its decades-long reputation.

Thanks to an FBI corruption investigation, Mayor Joy Cooper faces a raft of felony charges that resulted in her removal from office in January. Then-Vice Mayor Keith London, a bitter Cooper foe, inherited the mayor’s spot on the commission. He is running to secure the mayor’s chair until 2020.

Cooper’s removal was preceded by the resignation of Commissioner Anthony Sanders, who faced ethics charges of his own. Businessman Mike Butler won the empty Sanders seat in a special March election and must now run for a full term.

And with a maneuver that may have violated the city charter, the commission in February appointed Rich Dally to fill the commission vacancy created by London’s elevation.

By way of review, here’s the lineup: Incumbent Mayor Keith London faces challenger Joy Adams.

Appointed incumbent Rich Dally faces challenger Sabrina Javellana.

Special election incumbent Mike Butler faces challenger Steven Michael Carlo.

One is tempted to sigh dismissively, “only in Hallandale.”

But that would be cynical and place too little faith in the power of redemption.

Mayor Keith London, smart, deeply informed, articulate and often too glib for his own good, appears to be more contrite than he has been in the past.

His municipal government experience is deep. He is unquestionably the better choice than Joy Adams, proprietor of a house cleaning company.

While the jury is still out on London’s ability to put his smarts to constructive use, it is case closed on Joy Adams, whose bellicose style would set back the level of decorum with the first bang of her gavel. For her joint endorsement interview with the Sun Sentinel, she called in while cleaning someone’s house, and called us by our last names, without the courtesy of a Mr. or Ms. And that was just the start.

Rich Dally holds his seat by virtue of an appointment made by a majority of the commission.

At this point, it is fruitless to argue the legitimacy of the appointment, but it is worth remembering that trust in the system comes only with confidence in the process. Dally, who works in the financial services industry, should provide a voice of reason in the city’s fiscal challenges. His potential for making a solid contribution to the workings of the city is great.

Sabrina Javellana, a 20-year-old outreach aid and college student, has lived all of her 20 years in Hallandale. She faces Dally. She is long on enthusiasm and eagerness, but lacks experience. She would be a refreshing presence on the commission, but she would do well to expand her resume before stepping into the snake pit of Hallandale Beach politics.

Mike Butler, 49, is the voice of reason on the Hallandale Beach City Commission. He is a business manager with an abundance of people skills, skills the city’s political landscape needs. Butler, a friend of London’s, says he has discussed the issues of civility and decorum and the virtue of reason-driven debate.

Butler decided to run “because I believe the residents of Hallandale Beach deserve honest, ethical, quality representation that puts their interests first. I believe that there has been a deficit of trust at city hall…and I’m working to help repair that.”

Steven Carlo, a 35-year-old teacher, says he’s running for the commission seat because he has dedicated his life to service. He’s provided that service in the classroom. A young man with a great deal of potential, he should consider another run against a less formidable opponent than Mike Butler.

Each of the six candidates expresses concern for the same basket of concerns, traffic, runaway growth, controlling taxes, public safety. And most wonder why “we just can’t get along.”

They can. It’s up to them.

The three candidates we endorse — London, Dally and Butler — have the skills to lead the city and the brain power to solve the problems every city faces to one degree or another.

But their real challenge is to find a way to solve those problems without the kind of rancor that feeds the dark cloud hovering over the city. We wish them well.

Editorials are the opinion of the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board and written by one of its members or a designee. The Editorial Board consists of Editorial Page Editor Rosemary O'Hara, David Lyons and Editor-in-Chief Julie Anderson.