Carn and Bolin are best choices for Oakland Park Commission
Oakland Park calls itself “The City on the Move.” But until recently, it’s barely moved at all.
Bounded by Wilton Manors to the south and Fort Lauderdale to the east, it is eight square miles of urban sprawl searching for an identity. In the words of one candidate, aside from the Funky Buddha Brewery, Oakland Park is a pass-through city.
City leaders hope to enliven their town’s image, create a new downtown and rebuild or replace neglected city buildings. They hope to accomplish all this with a private partnership called Oakland Park Square and a $40 million general obligation bond issue that would rebuild or replace three fire stations, refurbish parks and upgrade community centers.
Five candidates are seeking election to the City Commission. The top two votegetters will serve.
Incumbent Michael Carn, 60, one of five candidates, is a strong backer of the bond issue. “In 2016, my campaign issue was to fix the fire houses. I took the lead.”
Carn works as an economic development consultant for challenged communities. He’s on the board of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance and has chaired Broward’s Workforce Development Board. “I know the community influencers and am tapped to often sit in small circles for issues around the city. I have relationships I can leverage for the city.”
“I love Oakland Park,” he said. “I’ve been here 55 years. I pick up trash almost every Sunday. I’m a hands-on commissioner. I’m seasoned and prepared for the purpose of this time.”
Also running to keep the city moving are:
Jane Bolin, 45, a real estate lawyer and the owner of a title company that employs 12 people. She is active in Rotary and Kiwanis, and performs pro bono work for nonprofits. “I’m a real estate attorney and the hot issues are development and leadership.”
Robert Thompson, 60, a remodeler of houses for investors to flip. “They say, ‘Make it look pretty.’” He transplanted to South Florida from New Hampshire, where he served as a legislator in that state’s House of Representatives. Of the five, he has the shallowest roots in the community. He bills himself as a representative of the working class.
Mitch Rosenwald, 47, a professor at Barry University with a PhD in social work. He ran for a commission seat in 2016 and lost. A city resident for five years, he points to his leadership roles in academics and in an assortment of volunteer activities. He supports the bond, though doesn’t like that it was structured as all or nothing. He also thinks the city was wrong to spend $90,000 on an education campaign that, among other criticisms, misstates the ballot language. “This was a waste of money.”
Steven Arnst, 59, owner of an auto repair business and long-time resident of Oakland Park. He served as commissioner, mayor and vice mayor of Oakland Park from 1993 to 2001 and, after a mandatory two-year hiatus, from 2003 to 2011. He is a vocal critic of the current commission. He’s running, he says, “to bring some common sense back to some of the commission’s decisions.” He opposes the bond issue as drafted.
Arnst argues that voters should have been given an option to vote for the fire stations, apart from the community centers, and other “soft” elements of the proposal. He believes voters should have been told the cost of each item outlined in the referendum. And he says voters should be told more about negotiations to relocate City Hall into the Oakland Park Square downtown development planned along North Dixie Highway at 38th Street/ Park Lane East. He wonders what will happen to the public land where it’s now located.
Arnst makes valid points. Voters would have been better served with an option, rather than an all-or-nothing choice. And they certainly should have been told each item’s cost before the average homeowner is asked to pay an estimated $10 a month.
While most everyone agrees the fire stations need refurbishing, it’s hard to see how the city can deliver all the promises made in its pitch. We understand that precise dollar amounts can only be determined after precise plans are drawn, but not even a reasonable estimate for each project’s cost?
Oakland Park voters have reason to be skeptical. They need look no further than the city’s Northeast High School — the poster child for the Broward School Board’s $800 million bond pitch in 2014. Four years later, the school remains plagued by mold, leaky roofs and faulty air conditioners. The district finally agreed to a renovation plan three months ago. But it’s going to cost $41.2 million — nearly triple the original estimate of $14.5 million.
Given the lack of detail, it’s hard to have confidence that Oakland Park’s proposed bond will deliver on its promise.
As for the commission candidates, all five are uniformly well-grounded. They care about the city, have shown evidence of civic leadership and seem sincere in their concern for the city and its needs.
We believe incumbent Commissioner Michael Carn deserves another four years. He knows the issues, has the relationships and provides a perspective that serves the commission well.
Jane Bolin, making her first run for the commission, is well equipped to make a difference. She’s dynamic, passionate and professional. Her background in real estate law, running a small business and practicing dispute resolution would benefit the city.
Without question, Arnst would bring needed skepticism to the commission, which appears more congenial than those in the other 18 cities in which we’ve offered endorsements this election.
We wrestled with this choice. Arnst brings an eye for detail, but he has had his chance to serve.
For those who win, we offer this advice: Civility is good, but lockstep isn’t. Dig into details, don’t simply go along. Do that, and you will serve the public well.