Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
In Davie, incumbents Hattan, Starkey should be returned to town council
The Town of Davie has kept taxes low, negotiated labor peace with its police and fire unions, attracted a major new hospital, and preserved what is perhaps the biggest open green space in Broward County.
Davie is a quaint, yet bustling town. It is one of South Florida's hidden treasures — with its logcabin Town Hall, popular rodeo arena, 36 town parks and 220 miles of horse and bike trails. Many homes occupy sprawling lots and the owners enjoy quality services. Taxes remain in the lower-third of Broward’s municipalities.
The town’s north side is a hub of higher education, with an estimated 65,000 students attending Nova Southeastern University, Broward College and satellite campuses of the University of Florida and Florida Atlantic University. Elsewhere, Carnival Cruise Line maintains a rehearsal studio for its cruise ship performers; the town is flexible enough to have allowed a resident to build a sleek 3,000-foot-home — consisting of eight former shipping containers.
Those who govern are determined to make Davie more than a pass-through town, while being careful to retain its rural character. The government has managed to keep its open spaces free of commercial development, while allocating dedicated spaces where businesses can grow.
While they didn’t accomplish this single-handedly, the achievements did occur on the watch of incumbent council members Caryl M. Hattan and Susan Starkey, both of whom we believe deserve re-election for Districts 2 and 3 respectively. supporting “proper growth” to stabilize the tax base.
All things considered, there is no reason why Hattan should not be retained. debris removal from the town’s private roads after Hurricane Irma. And he asserted that Starkey fell short on vigor when it came time to support state legislation that provided first responders with mental health treatment for post-traumatic stress disorders. The bill, which is now law, took effect Oct. 1.
The latter accusation caught Starkey by surprise. She was involved in Tallahassee deliberations to help make the law possible, she said, and worked to achieve a compromise. Her main concern was to ensure the city did not get stuck with an unfunded mandate. “I think this is a misunderstanding,” she said.
As for the hurricane debris question, Starkey said the delay was essentially a legal matter. The town had to wait for the arrival of Federal Emergency Management Administration forms for the private residents to sign so the agency could be held harmless from liability. Irma, she said, cost the town $14 million. “It was imperative that we get reimbursed and handle the process properly.”
Ultimately, the council voted to authorize the clearance of debris from private thoroughfares, even though FEMA will not pay for it.
Starkey voiced respect for Bayne’s service as a longtime first responder, but wondered how much time he would have to devote to Davie when his prime professional responsibility is to the residents of Fort Lauderdale.
Both candidates aired concerns for the need to expand services for a fast-growing town whose population now exceeds 100,000. Both recognized growing traffic as a major problem. As it is, streets are being resurfaced, the heavily traveled Davie Road is getting medians to erase its reputation as a “suicide” corridor, and safetyvalve streets are being constructed to ease pressure on one of the county’s busiest northsouth roadways
From our view, Starkey is far from “complacent,” as her opponent alleges. She is actively involved in the Florida Leagues of Cities, and is currently vice chair of the Florida Municipal Loan Council, an arm of the league that offers financing options for local governments. That effectively makes her a fiduciary who understands the vagaries of public finance.
In the interest of continuity and follow-though on the challenges ahead, we believe Davie voters should return Starkey for a new term on the council.
She continues to support the town’s efforts to sustain adequate budget funding, preserve open spaces, upgrade public facilities such a new fire station, and work on traffic solutions with county and state authorities. The town, for example, has reserved $2 million to compensate for a loss caused by the anticipated passage of Amendment 1, which would buttress the homestead property tax exemption by $25,000 for homes worth more than $100,000.
Indeed, Starkey is right when she tells us that she is Davie’s only “full-time” town council member.