Campaign event for Holness is ill-timed

As the engineering and construction industries get heightened attention in the aftermath of the Surfside condominium catastrophe, Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness is making a special push for campaign contributions from those professions.

He’s soliciting their contributions for his congressional campaign.

An invitation circulating in the political community advertises a fundraiser, scheduled for Thursday evening at the waterfront home of Broward architect Mario Cartaya Jr. in Sea Ranch Lakes.

“Mario Cartaya invites you to ‘Architects, Engineers & Construction Professionals for Commissioner Dale Holness,’ ” the invitation states. Maximum contribution: $5,800 per person. Checks payable to “Holness for Congress.”

The invitation, emailed Tuesday afternoon from the Cartaya & Associates architectural firm, includes pictures of Cartaya, Holness and an orange construction hard hat.

In a brief phone interview Wednesday, Cartaya said the event “was planned a long time ago. Dale is a longtime friend of ours and I don’t know what else to say.”

Asked if it’s appropriate to proceed with the fundraiser given attention going to the engineering and construction professions because of the Surfside condominium collapse, Cartaya said, “I don’t see how that has anything to do with Surfside. I’m going to have to end this conversation.” He then hung up.

Sean Foreman, a political scientist at Barry University, said “it just might be too soon”

to go ahead with a fundraiser targeting this group of donors. Champlain Towers South collapsed early last Thursday morning.

“Public officials have to strike a delicate balance,” he said. “Of course they’re going to be having fundraisers, continuing their campaigns.”

Holness is one of six current and former elected officials running in a Democratic primary for the nomination to fill the vacancy created by the death of U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings. The voice mail on Holness’ cellphone was full Wednesday morning. He didn’t immediately respond to an inquiry via text message.

Broward Mayor Steve Geller said he didn’t think the County Commission would be examining the engineering and construction

industries in coming months. Cities with high-rise buildings on the coast are different than the county, which has jurisdiction limited to a small unincorporated part of the county.

Cartaya’s firm has done some of the Broward County government’s biggest projects.

Its website lists current and past projects, including work at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, the Broward

County Courthouse and judicial garage, and Port Everglades, all of which are under control of the County Commission, where Holness is one of nine members.

It is legal — and common — for people who do business with government agencies to make contributions to the campaigns of elected officials.