Questionnaire: Dean Trantalis, candidate for Fort Lauderdale mayor

Name: Dean Trantalis

Campaign website: mayordean2024.com

Date and place of birth: October 14, 1953, Norwich, CT

List in order of importance the three most important issues in your community and briefly explain what you would do about each.
Managing growth- Fort Lauderdale has become a popular destination, not just for tourists, but for folks who are looking to establish themselves with an opportunity to build a career and maybe even start a family. We see people, especially young people, flocking to our city, and in many cases working remotely, wanting to take advantage of the quality of life so many of us have enjoyed over the years. Even children who grew up here are returning home, seeing how life means so much more here. And that includes many of the empty nesters who are giving up their estate homes and are enjoying the great urban experience we have now created. We have done more than any other city in the county to encourage affordable housing and must continue to do that. If we don’t the cost of housing will skyrocket. Still, we must be smart and strategic about growth and ensure our wonderful neighborhoods are maintained.

As we build to accommodate the growth and keep up with the pace, we must continue to invest in our infrastructure. During my tenure, we have committed to investing $1.6 billion in infrastructure. Fortify Lauderdale is a program intended to shore up our water and sewer systems, as well as to promote our storm water mitigation initiatives. We must continue with our seawall replacement program, in order to fight back against climate change. We also should pursue a living seawall program that will help nourish our waterways. Infrastructure also means seeking solutions to traffic issues, such as supporting commuter rail and promoting alternative transportation methods such as Circuit and bicycling. And we can do all this without raising the millage rate, which we have held steady now going on 18 years.

Panhandling and homelessness. Since I was elected mayor, the city for the first time joined a coalition of county, business and civic leaders to address the impact of homelessness, not just on the community but on the individuals who suffer from it. We were able to eliminate the downtown encampment. We established a community court to help connect homeless individuals with social services. And, we expanded three-fold our community outreach efforts by hiring additional police and civilian personnel. We also enacted an anti-panhandling ordinance, first struck down by a federal court, but then re-established, to get people off the streets.

But these efforts alone have not been able to reduce the amount of homelessness we still are experiencing. We must expand our initiatives and get tougher on addressing the significant issues of public health and safety.

That is why I have begun efforts with the sheriff to change discharge protocols so that inmates are not automatically released onto our streets regardless of where they were first picked up. And the same with Broward General, where all health issues are addressed and patients again discharged onto our streets. That has got to end.

But at the end of the day, it all comes down to enforcement. With the new state statute against encampments in public places, being homeless is no longer a lifestyle choice. I have been working with the chief judge, the sheriff, and other agency officials to prepare to establish a facility within our county jail, and to hold persons up to 60 days. This would give us time and space to connect homeless folks with social services, such as addiction treatment and mental health services, and to help get people back on their feet. It will also shelter them in a safe place as we seek to separate them from the criminal element in the facility.

What most distinguishes you from your opponent(s) and why?
To start, I am the only candidate with experience serving on the city commission. I have served as District 2 Commissioner for 8 years, and now as mayor for almost 7 years. But equally as important, I bring to the table a vision which has set the city on a path never before experienced in our community. These past several years, Fort Lauderdale has experienced a true renaissance in opportunities in job creation, exciting choices in entertainment and recreation that the whole family can enjoy. Many of these could not happen without the courage to engage in public-private partnerships, leveraging city assets with private investment.

I’ve also brought greater national and international attention to our city, joining county, state and national organizations to create our unique brand and to promote it throughout the world. Dealing with climate change and improving the condition of our waterways has always been my mission, and I stand apart from the others in taking steps to address these issues. I believe that my experience, my goals and my accomplishments distinguish me from my opponents, and this is why I am the best candidate to choose from.

Is overdevelopment a major problem in Fort Lauderdale, yes or no? Please elaborate.
Yes, overdevelopment is a problem in any city. That is why we continue to engage in smart growth efforts to embrace the popularity that we are now experiencing and to ensure that new developments are appropriately integrated into our existing fabric. No new development should compromise the integrity of our single-family home neighborhoods.

Is the city investing enough money in infrastructure improvements, and what would you do differently?
The city is investing almost $2 billion dollars in infrastructure projects over the next ten years, almost unheard of for a city of this size anywhere in America. We are building a long-overdue water treatment plant to replace the deteriorated Fiveash facility. We have committed to spending over $500 million in stormwater mitigation projects, to address at least 17 neighborhoods whose drainage systems never existed or have deteriorated over the years. This does not include funds to be spent on infill and infiltration remediation, upgrades to our sewer treatment plant, road and sidewalk repair and replacement, commuter rail, and completing our fire station and EMS building programs we started over 20 years ago. In addition, we have committed to rebuilding our public safety building and many of our parks and recreation areas through voter-approved bond issues.

City voters approved a 2019 bond issue that included $100 million for a new police headquarters. How has the city handled the project, and what would you have done differently?
While this project began with the best of intentions, it was poorly executed, mainly because the commission was provided inaccurate or wrong information upon which it made its decisions.

To begin with, it was decided that a new facility should be built at or near the same location because the expense to move the communication tower would be prohibitively expensive. As it turns out, we don’t own the tower, the state owns it, we just rent it.

Because of this, in order to accommodate the design, we were required to acquire additional land, which we did to the east adjacent to the site. Unfortunately, it didn’t come easy or cheap, and after two years of litigation, we finally purchased it for just over $1 million.

Finally, we were told that the new facility could be built while still occupying the existing police station. Once construction began, this proved to be impossible, and the city had to find emergency space elsewhere, costing many millions of dollars we had not intended to spend.

With the delay caused in acquiring the additional land and the material and labor shortages caused by COVID, the cost of the project went up another 50%. Thus, the decisions made early on were only exacerbated by the consequences of COVID. Now, with structural defects being discovered, we are hopeful that there will be no further delay and we can soon secure the facility for our public safety personnel as soon as possible.

Please answer yes or no as to whether you support city approval of these projects, or would have if you held office, and briefly elaborate.
Lockhart Stadium, pro soccer venue
This has been a tremendous opportunity for our city. The original stadium fell into hopeless decay. We had no team, and we had no money. Every estimate to rehabilitate the site ran into the many millions, and to what end? When InterMiami came knocking at our door, they promised a brand new stadium, a football field for high schools that had none, practice fields, and a training academy for young people to learn and star in the growing interest of competitive soccer. And they delivered. They spent over $170 million to build all these facilities which the city now owns.

And, they are doing even more. We are now in the final stages of designing and building a public space, where pickleball can be played, open fields can be enjoyed, a community center, and even two dog parks for people and their loved ones can enjoy the outdoors. With our championship team being housed there until 2026, we will continue to see our players, especially Leo Messi, practice and remain as residents in a city they have come to love.

One Stop Shop, entertainment venue
When city management finally heeded the request of the commission to tear down the former city hall/building department, many proposals were presented to the city commission to reimagine the site. It is approximately 3.25 acres. The commission ultimately settled on partnering with a developer who will bring world-class dining and entertainment, and a gathering place for people in the neighborhood to enjoy. What will result is 2.75 acres of open space, a multi-level gourmet food hall, and an entertainment venue to answer the demand for more and better options in an urban environment that is growing in both size and expectations. And since the entire site will be managed by a private entity, it will no longer be a vestige for vagrants and homeless people. Another neighborhood triumph.

Snyder Park, 43 pickleball courts
The demand for pickleball courts has never been greater. When an offer by a private citizen came to us to build more courts, the commission chose a former compost site, right next to I-595 and the international airport to best avoid neighborhood intrusion. With the grand opening rapidly approaching, the city will soon enjoy a facility capable of hosting national and international events and competitions, a clubhouse, and an artificial beach soon to be safe enough for kids and families. And all of this is open to the public for everyone to enjoy. We do not touch the precious natural areas of the park. This plan preserves over 80 acres of open space for neighbors who have come to enjoy the park over these many years.

808 SE 4th St., a 14-story condo tower
This is a classic case of overdevelopment and I voted against it. The proposed building was too big for the site, and it was going to be built within spitting distance of the adjacent building. This was not smart growth. It did not fit in with the fabric of the neighborhood and would be a burden to those that would live around it.

List in reverse chronological order, colleges or universities attended with years of attendance and degrees.
Stetson University School of Law 1977-1979 (Juris Doctor)
University of Warsaw 1979 (Summer program)
London School of Economics 1979 (Summer program)
Boston University 1971-75 (Bachelor of Arts)

List in reverse chronological order your work history for the past 15 years.
Attorney at Law
Mayor
City Commissioner

Have you ever been a party to a lawsuit including bankruptcy or foreclosure? If so, provide details of the case and disposition.
No

Have you ever been charged or convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, including an adjudication of guilt withheld? If so, provide charges, dates and terms of sentence.
No

Why should voters elect you instead of your opponent(s)?
Voters should elect me in order to continue the momentum that has been created in order to make Fort Lauderdale a sustainable, resilient city. These past several years, our city has experienced both sobering tragedies as well as great triumphs. We have made achievements that few thought we could accomplish. After more than 20 years, we finally were able to completely redefine our aquatic complex, now hosting numerous competitions, shepherding great athletic talent, all while being open to the public for children and families. We partnered with the Florida Panthers, and we now enjoy the Iceplex in Holiday Park, another great sporting venue for everyone to enjoy, especially when we are witnessing our team win the Stanley Cup! This, along with Chase Stadium, the pickleball courts, the soon-to-be enhanced Jimmy Evert tennis courts, Carter Park improvements, the new YMCA center, the list goes on and on.

And then there is our infrastructure program, water, sewer, wastewater and seawalls. Cleaning our waterways and promoting new technologies to keep them healthy and support marine life. More and better park space, enhancing the tree canopy by committing to planting 10,000 more trees in our city by the end of the decade. And I am the champion against overdevelopment, as I fought back the plan to overtake the Bahia Mar site, displacing our wonderful International Boat Show, and was able to work with the developers to now bring us a more scaled down and more realistic opportunity, opening itself up to everyday families who both live and visit our great city.

So what does all that prove? It shows that I am committed to progress, I am committed to results, and I am committed to providing the kind of leadership that gets things done. There is no better candidate that has shown their experience and devotion as I have over these many years. No better candidate that has exhibited the vision and the measure to ensure that our city continues to move in the right direction. And, there is no better candidate that best promotes the best interests of our neighbors and neighborhoods, as we find ourselves reaching into the 21st century, with only our fears to hold us back.