Broward County Government needs a Total Restructuring and an Elected Mayor

Two million people and you can't find who's in charge. That's Broward County. Our populous coastal metropolis, part Everglades sawgrass running up against the seagrass of the Atlantic Ocean, is run by a bureaucracy pretending to be run by the people. But who really runs the show? Is it truly representative? The answer is no. For a more responsive, effective, and representative county government, Broward County needs to completely overhaul and restructure the entire Broward County Government, from the County Commission down. Our thoughts and ideas are below.

Expand the County Commission.

First, the Broward County Commission is a joke. You're telling us that nine people, just nine of them, can effectively represent the interests of 2 million people? I think not. The Broward County Board of County Commission does not represent Broward County's vast, diverse, and fast-growing vibrant population. For the first time, a third of the county commission is African-American, although African-Americans have been roughly 30% of Broward County's population for a while. There is no Hispanic representation on the county commission, which is a shame. Hispanics represent nearly a third of Broward's population and growing. The County Commission in its current state is a white, male-dominated entity that only the wealthy professional class can afford to run for.

To fix this, Broward County must expand the county commission. We recommend adding six seats, for a total of 15 county commissioners. Miami-Dade County already does this. Miami-Dade County has 13 county commissioners, and it is representative of the diverse demographics there. In Broward, the county commission is dominated by mostly lawyers, developer-types, and the business class. With an expanded commission, that can change. More districts also mean smaller districts. Currently, each county commissioner represents roughly 218,000 people. That's insane. How do you truly listen to all of your constituents? With smaller districts, those we elect to this body will be more accountable to their communities and can better serve their constituents.

We need an elected Mayor.

The Mayor runs the county, right? Right? That's what you might think. That's the logical thing to expect. However, that isn't true at all. The Broward County Mayor is a ceremonial title, passed between the county commissioners every year. The Mayor has no power at all, only the power to run the meetings of the county commission and give speeches representing the county at fancy dinners and events. That's it. The real power rests with the County Administrator, an unelected bureaucrat appointed by the Broward County Commission to run the day-to-day operations of the county government as the executive. This individual can only be fired with the votes of six commissioners and doesn't have to answer to the voters. No one knows who this person is, except political insiders and county employees. That person is Monica Cepero. This is fundamentally undemocratic.

These powers should be returned to the voters. Voters should approve an amendment to the county's charter, allowing for the election of a Broward County Mayor, who should hold the executive and administrative powers of the county. An unelected bureaucracy captured by developers and lobbyists is not democratic. The circus parade of crowning a fly-by-night Mayor for the year should come to an end. The elected Mayor should be voted in for four-year terms, renewable, and should not be a member of the Broward County Commission.

When a tragedy occurs or a crisis hits, the people must be able to identify who is in charge. And when folks have problems, they need to know that there is an elected individual who is tasked with addressing them. There are several real issues impacting working people in the county that get ignored. A dysfunctional transit system. Poor infrastructure. Crime. The lack of jobs and economic opportunities. But who do you call when you're upset? No one knows. Let’s fix it.

...and..Take a modest axe to the bureaucracy.

The efficiency of our county government is questionable. County employees do great work, but there are too many tentacles on this octopus, and that results in the lobbyists running the show. It's corporate capture. We suggest cutting out and merging agencies for efficiency. There should be a few departments, housing the various agencies and divisions within them, reporting to the elected county mayor with oversight from the county commission. The current structure is all over the place. Lobbyists should be banned from all county boards and committees, and a stricter ethics policy should be implemented. With these changes, Broward County can be a more responsive, effective, and representative county government. In the 21st century, we deserve a modernized government, not one stuck in the past.

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Endorsements are the viewpoints of The County's Editorial Board members Elijah Manley, and Luc Saint-Genies. Endorsement may or may not reflect the personal beliefs and preferences of individual members of the Editorial Board, or The County's writers.