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Commissioner’s Message
Romney Rogers
District IV Commissioner
12
City of Fort Lauderdale • District IV
Together,
We Made it Happen
Fort Lauderdale overcame the
Great Recession and leads the region
as the economic hub and
“South Florida’s Latest Hotspot”
take great pleasure in having this opportunity to reflect on my nine years in office
I as City Commissioner for District IV.
When I was sworn into office in March of 2009, the newspaper headlines during my
first three months were grim: “Home prices down 30% from last year,” “Hotel
revenues in South Florida continue to fall,” “Fort Lauderdale officials debate spending
cuts,” and “Florida foreclosures up 92%.”
Even in the midst of the Great Recession, a very difficult time, there was a sense of
optimism and spirit that we could pull together and triumph over challenges. Our City
Commission, with the outstanding leadership of our mayor, John P. “Jack” Seiler,
restored civility and improved the collegial nature of our forward-thinking, consensus-
oriented, decision-making process.
The City made smart, calculated investments in our tourism assets, water and sewer
utilities, including the completion of WaterWorks 2011, new fire stations, parks,
streets and roadways, marinas, aviation infrastructure, and parking facilities. The City
sent a clear signal of strength and confidence about our future; this triggered millions
of dollars of additional public and private sector investment in our economy.
Our business strategy strengthened Fort Lauderdale’s leadership position in the region
and fueled our economic resurgence in all sectors of the economy.
Our unemployment rate, now at 3.3%, has consistently been lower than national,
state, and regional averages. Our property values have rebounded for six consecutive
years, up 9.25% in 2017. Fort Lauderdale led Broward County in new construction,
adding $341 million to our tax roll in 2017.
The property tax rate in Fort Lauderdale is the lowest among the 25 largest cities in
Florida. Our millage rate of 4.1193 has not changed for 11 years. The Commission
made the budget process more transparent, closely tracking project change orders
and budget impacts without having to raise the millage rate.
Fort Lauderdale is a high-energy community with a fierce passion for protecting our
citizenry and visitors, as well as our quality of life, while promoting powerful
economic development initiatives.
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