Kerch, Sofield should be re-elected

As Broward County’s eighth-largest city, Sunrise is exploding amid a surge of economic development that includes new malls, residential complexes and the arrival of a newly built regional headquarters of American Express with more than 3,000 employees.

Development has helped strengthen the city’s employment and tax base and lifted property values. By the year 2040, according to city projections, the population will have grown by 10 percent from its current level of nearly 92,000.

“Sunrise has a very high-quality credit position,” according the Moody’s rating service. “The rating reflects a robust financial position, and a healthy socioeconomic profile with a considerable tax base.”

Besides American Express, other notable companies include Blackberry, Bolton Medical, HBO Latin America, MDLive, Mednax and Sunshine Health. Sunrise is also home to The Sawgrass Mall, which woos millions of tourists annually, and the BB&T Center, home of the Florida Panthers professional hockey club.

More development is underway, including the sprawling Metropica residential, retail and entertainment project, which topped off the first of its eight residential towers this year.

All of the above has resulted in big traffic problems, critics say, as the pace of development has challenged the ability of planners to keep up with the infrastructure demands that development brings.

But an overview of Sunrise’s ongoing and proposed improvement projects show the city has not been standing idly by. From east to west, they cover water and sewer infrastructure upgrades, street and sidewalk improvements, parks and recreation facilities, and a proactive effort to fix the traffic woes through multi-agency assistance.

Incumbent commissioners Neil Kerch, of Group C, and Lawrence Sofield, from Group D, have shown they are onboard with supporting the city’s critical initiatives, including those designed to eradicate the city’s nagging traffic jams. The Sun Sentinel Editorial Board believes voters would do well to return them both to office. The city needs experienced commissioners to continue its efforts to keep pace with its burgeoning economic development. Group C Kerch, 46, is a five-year incumbent who is a long-time criminal defense lawyer. A former Broward County assistant public defender, he practiced with two private law firms before starting his own firm last year.

He is opposed by Jeptha “Jeff ” Holness, also 46, a fairly recent arrival to the city who for a number of years lived in neighboring Plantation. He is owner/director of Kumon Math and Reading Center of Coral Springs-South. After a short stint in engineering, he has spent much of his career as an educator in Broward County Schools and holds a doctorate in education.

Holness lost three election bids to join the Plantation City Council. He says his move to Sunrise was a family-driven decision. He is running for commissioner, he says, because the city failed to engage in the long-term planning necessary to accommodate development and the need for supporting infrastructure. In addition, he says, the city should exercise “greater fiscal responsibility.” He asserts that a planned $10 million water park at the municipal campus is “unnecessary spending.” The money could be better used to help fight crime and develop senior citizen programs.

The planned water park is part of a municipal campus expansion whose overall cost is now $65.2 million, according to the proposed 2018-19 city budget. That’s up from a reported $61.4 million estimate in 2016. The project calls for construction of a new City Hall to replace the existing one built just 30 years ago. Plans also call for a 100,000 square-foot facility with an 800-space parking garage, as well as an expanded amphitheater. The new building would consolidate all city departments in one location, while the aquatic center would be adjacent to an existing 50-meter pool and include slides, a river ride and concession facilities. Two years ago, Mayor Michael Ryan warned about the “longterm capital costs” of the water park, which can’t be transformed into something else once built, he said.

Asked about the costs, Kerch argued in his interview with the Editorial Board that he has exercised fiscal responsibility. He notes the complex is now five stories instead of eight. But he said the park is something that many Sunrise residents want because not everyone has access to aquatic facilities. If today’s surging economic growth suddenly goes south, he says, “we can always scale it back.”

“We have an obligation to serve the needs of the community," he says. “”I want to be able to provide services to the residents — all of the residents.” Group D Sofield, 60, a long-time small businessman, is facing Patrick Jabouin Sr., 61, a community outreach liaison for the Broward Sheriff ’s Office.

Sofield joined the commission in 2009 as an appointee. He was elected in 2010 and won re-election after running unopposed in 2014. In the private sector, he owns Realpost Inc., a privately held sign manufacturing company that also helps businesses with their advertising.

A long-time civic activist, Jabouin says he is running because other voters feel “they have been taken for granted and would like to see a change.” He says he has heard from residents who assert that Sofield is “complacent” and needs to be more accessible. He declined to be specific.

Jabouin said the top issues facing the city include the need to reduce homeowner tax rates, increase services for seniors and decrease emergency service response times. He also advocates a citydriven homeowner rehabilitation program. Beyond his short list, Jabouin did not offer specifics on how the changes should evolve.

Sofield did not participate in the candidate interviews conducted by the Sun Sentinel Editorial Board.

But in a submitted questionnaire, Sofield said he has “a proven track record of being accessible and responsive to all the citizens of Sunrise.” He serves on the Village Elementary School Advisory Council, and is a past member of the Broward County School Board's Diversity Committee and Sunrise Leisure Services Advisory Board.

Sofield is also the city’s representative to the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization. Transportation and traffic are regional, not just city issues, Sofield argues, and he said he intends to continue serving on the MPO.

“I have worked well with my colleagues and city staff to move the city forward for families, businesses and seniors,” he said. “As a small business person, I understand what is needed to help businesses and workers succeed.”