>> BROWARD COUNTY GOT A NEW MAYOR THIS WEEK, MICHAEL UDINE, VOTERS ELECTED HIM TO THE
COMMISSION, COMMISSIONERS
ELECTED HIM TO SERVE A TERM AS
MAYOR.
MICHAEL UDINE JOINS US WITH HIS
FIRST FEW DAYS UNT THE BELT,
MR. MAYOR, GOOD MORNING TO YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING, THANK YOU FOR
HAVING ME, I WISH I COULD BE
THERE LIVE WITH YOU TODAY.
>> WELL, YOU’RE LIVE AS IT WERE
VIRTUALLY.
NEXT TIME SOON IN THE STUDIO.
MR. MAYOR, FOR THE NEXT YEAR YOU
WILL BE THE PUBLIC FACE OF
BROWARD COUNTY.
YOU’VE GOT A BULLY PULPIT TO
SEND OUT A STRONG MESSAGE.
TEL US WHAT YOUR MESSAGE IS
GOING TO BE?
>> I THINK THIS NEXT YEAR IS
GOING TO BE VERY MUCH A
TRANSITIONAL YEAR FOR BROWARD
COUNTY AND ALL THE
MUNICIPALITIES AND A LOT OF OUR
LOCAL BUSINESSES FIRST FROM A
BROWARD COUNTY PERSPECTIVE
DURING THE YEAR WE WILL GET TWO
NEW COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED OVER
THE NEXT FEW WEEKS BY GOVERNOR
DESANTIS IN RESPONSE TO THE
CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION IN WHICH
WE HAD TWO COMMISSIONERS, LONG
TIME COMMISSIONERS THAT HAD TO
LEAVE.
OUR VERY WELL RESPECTED COUNTY
ADMINISTRATOR WILL LEAVE IN THE
NEXT FEW MONTHS AS WE TRANSITION
INTO A NEW COUNTY
ADMINISTRATION, DUE TO HER
RETIREMENT.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY WE WILL
TRANSITION HOPEFULLY OUT.
PANDEMIC PART OF THE COVID INTO
MORE OF AN ENDEMIC AND LEARNING
TO LIVE WITH IT TYPE OF PHASE
AND I THINK THAT IS GOING TO
RAISE A LOT OF CHALLENGES AND
OPPORTUNITIES ALL THE WAY
AROUND.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO TWORKING
WITH ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS,
OUR MUNICIPALITIES, OUR BUSINESS
COMMUNITY, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
ARE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO COME
OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE IN A
POSITIVE FASHION.
>> SO THE FIRST REQUEST THAT YOU
MADE UPON BECOMING MAYOR TO THE
ADMINISTRATION WAS TO DEVELOP A
PLAN TO END THE MASK MANDATE IN
COUNTY BUILDINGS.
WHAT WAS BEHIND THAT?
DID THAT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO
WITH THE NEW FLORIDA LAW?
>> WITH WELL, WHAT WE WERE
SEEING IS THIS WAS GETTING TO BE
VERY CONFUSING TO A LOT OF
PEOPLE.
THIS WAS GETTING IT TO BE THE
TYPE OF THING WHERE WE WOULD SEE
PEOPLE WEARING MASKS, SOMETIMES
AND NOT WEARING MASKS OTHER
TIMES.
AND MY FEELING IS PEOPLE HAVE TO
DO WHAT THEY PERSONALLY FEEL
MAKES THEM SAFE.
THEY NEED TO DEAL WITH THEIR OWN
HEALTH ISSUES AND THEIR OWN
HOUSE THEY FEEL ABOUT THIS, IN
THE WAY THAT SUITS THEM BEST.
AND I JUST THINK THAT WE’RE
GOING TO HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO
LIVE WITH THE FACT THAT THERE IS
GOING IT TO BE SOME LEVELS OF
THIS THROUGHOUT SOCIETY.
AND I THINK THAT THIS IS A FIRST
STEP TOWARDS DOING IT.
MOST OF THE BUSINESSES ARE
ALREADY STOPPING THE MASKING
REQUIREMENTS.
AND I THINK IT STHUD BE MORE OF
AN OPTIONAL TYPE OF THING FOR
PEOPLE TO FEEL THE NEED TO DO
SO.
>> YEAH, MR. MAYOR, YOU JUST
MENTIONED A SECOND AGO SOMETHING
REALLY IMPORTANT WHICH IS THE
TWO COMMISSIONERS ARE GOING TO
BE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR,
THE GOVERNOR, OF COURSE, IS A
CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN.
BROWARD COUNTY IS THE MOST
DEMOCRATIC COUNTY IN THE STATE.
DO YOU AND YOUR FELLOW
COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY SAY, CAN
YOU RECOMMEND PEOPLE TO HIM OR
HOW DOES THIS WORK?
IS IT SOLELY UP TO HIM?
>> IT IS A DECISION THAT WILL BE
MADE BY THE GOVERNOR.
IT IT IS NOT A DECISION THAT THE
COUNTY COMMISSION OR COUNTY
VOTERS HAVE ANY SAY ON RIGHT NOW
THE GOOFER IN WILL MAKE HIS
DECISION AND WE WILL HAVE TWO
NEW MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY
COMMISSION.
AND I’M HOPEFUL THAT THE FINE OF
US CAN KOL EDGE YALLY WORK
TOGETHER TO MOVE BROWARD COUNT
EYE FORWARD IN A PROS TIFF
MANNER, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE
CHALLENGES, BERTHA HENRY HAS
BEEN ONE OF THE BEST COUNTY
ADMINISTRATORS AND HAS BEEN HERE
FOR A LONG TIME.
SHE’S RETIRING THROUGH THE DROP
PROGRAM SO WE WILL HAVE A NEW
COUNTY ADMINISTRATION COMING IN.
WE’RE GOING TO HAVE COMING OUT
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PANDEMIC,
AND I THINK WE’RE ALL GOING TO
NEED TO PUT OUR BEST FOOT
FORWARD AND WORK TOGETHER.
>> YOU KNOW, WHILE WE’RE ON THIS
SUBJECT, AT THE STATE LEVEL
BECAUSE OF THE RESIGN TO RUN
LAW, THERE IS GOING TO BE A
SIGNIFICANT CHUNK OF BROWARD
NECK CONTRARY WHOSE RESIDENTS
DON’T HAVE REPRESENTATION FOR A
TIME BAH SENATOR THURSTON AND
BOBBY DEBOSE WHOSE OVERLAP STATE
DISTRICTS THEY BOTH HAD TO
RESIGN TO RUN, THERE WILL NOT BE
AN ELECTION IN TIME FOR THE
STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
IS THAT PROBLEMATIC TO YOU?
>> I THINK IT’S PROBLEMATIC
WHENEVER PEOPLE DON’T HAVE A
VOICE TO REPRESENT THEM IN
GOVERNMENT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I’VE
TRIED TO PREPARE AND HAVE BEEN
VERY OPEN AND ACTIVE WITH IS
TRANSPARENCY, I THINK THAT
CITIZENS AND MEMBERS OF THE
PUBLIC SHOULD BE ABLE TO REDRESS
THEIR GOVERNMENT, SHOULD BE ABLE
TO MEET WITH THEM AND SHOULD
HAVE A SAY IN HOW THEY ARE
GOVERNED.
SO YES, ANY TIME THAT SOMEONE IS
NOT BEING PROPERLY REPRESENTED
EITHER THROUGH A SPECIAL
ELECTION OR A VACANCY, I
CONSIDER THAT TO BE PROBLEMATIC.
SO I THINK THAT WILL MEAN THAT
THE PEOPLE THAT ARE THERE WILL
HAVE TO WORK EXTRA HARD TO MAKE
SURE THAT WE’RE GETTING OUR
CHOICE HEARD IN TALLAHASSEE.
>> YEAH, MICHAEL, I PERSONALLY
HAVE HIGH REGARD FOR MS. HENRY,
I THINK SHE IS A REALLY
EXTRAORDINARILY CAPABLE PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATOR SO WISH HER WELL
IN HER RETIREMENT OR IN THE DROP
PROGRAM HOW ARE YOU GOING TO
FIND A NEW ADMINISTRATOR, WILL
THERE BE A NATIONWIDE SEARCH,
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO DO IT.
>> WE SELECTED MONICA THE DEPUTY
ADMINISTRATOR, THAT WAS A
SELECTION MADE FOUR OR FIVE
MONTHS AGO.
SO WE BENEFITED THE SAME WAY
THAT MANY PRIVATE CORPORATIONS
WOULD BENEFIT IS THAT WE HAD A
VERY CAPABLE NUMBER TWO, THAT
PERSON HAD BEEN FROM WORKING IN
GOVERNMENT FOR MANY YEARS.
SHE IS VERY WELL RESPECTED BY
THE COMMUNITY, BY ALL THE
STAKEHOLDERS.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO COME TO AN
AGREEMENT WHERE SHE WILL BE
TAKING OVER MARCH 1ST.
AND IN THE INTERIM IT’S ALMOST
LIKE WE’RE GETTING ON THE JOB
LEADERSHIP TRAINING BY ONE OF
THE MOST WELL RESPECTED AS YOU
SAY COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS IN THE
NATION.
SO I AM VERY POSITIVE ON WHAT
WILL MOVE FORWARD.
I THINK THAT MONICA IS IS GOING
TO DO A FANTASTIC JOB TAKING IT
OVER FOR BERTHA HENRY AND I
THINK WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLY
TALENTED COUNTY COMMISSION THAT
WILL ASSIST AND THAT WILL MOVE
POLICY FORWARD TO MAKE SURE THAT
OUR BROWARD RESIDENTS AND
VISITORS AND BUSINESSES CAN MOVE
FORWARD IN A POSITIVE FASHION.
>> NEW MAYORAL PSA, SIT TIGHT.
WE’LL TAKE A QUICK BREAK, WE’LL
BE RIGHT BACK WITH BROWARD’S NEW
MAYOR WHEN WE COME BACK.
>> WE’RE GLAD YOU ARE WITH US ON THIS SUNDAY, SPEAKING WITH THE NEW BROWARD MAYOR MICHAEL UDINE.
MICHAEL, LET ME ASK YOU.
YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE BROWARD
CANVASSING BOARD, ONE OF THE
THREE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
GLENNA AND I BOTH WERE THERE ON
VARIOUS DAYS, SAW YOU AND THE
TWO OTHER BOARD MEMBERS LOOKING
AT BALLOTS IN THAT 20th
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT RACE.
AS FAR AS WE COULD SEE, IT WAS
EXTREMELY WELL DONE, IT IT IT
WAS EFFICIENT, IT WAS HONEST.
AND NO QUESTIONS WERE RAISED,
REALLY I THINK ABOUT ANY KIND OF
FRAUDULENT VOTES BEING CAST.
BUT THE GOVERNOR IS CREATING A
NEW KIND OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCY TO LOOK INTO ELECTION
FRAUD.
NOW WE KNOW OF ONE CASE, GLENNA
IN FACT BROKE THE STORY ABOUT A
STATE SENATE RACE DOWN IN SOUTH
MIAMI DADE WHERE THERE WAS
ALLEGEDLY ELECTION FRAUD.
BUT WHAT ABOUT IN BROWARD?
I MEAN I DON’T SEE ANY EVIDENCE
OF ELECTION FRAUD THERE, DO YOU?
>> I HAVE BEEN SERVING ON THE
CANVASSING BOARD FOR THE LAST,
YOU KNOW, FEW ELECTIONS SINCE
THE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION
ALMOST FOUR YEARS AGO.
AND I HAVE SEEN VERY WELL RUN,
VERY FAIR ELECTIONS.
AND PERSONALLY I HAVE BEEN
LOOKING TO SEE IT T IF THERE
WERE ANYTHING THAT LOOKED LIKE
AN IMPROPRIETY AND THAT IS ONE
OF THE REASONS THAT I WANTED TO
SERVE ON THE CANVASSING BOARD.
BECAUSE I WANTED TO BE THE
VOICE.
PEOPLE THAT ARE SENDING THEIR
BALLOTS IN TO MAKE SURE THAT
THEY ARE BEING APPROPRIATELY
COUNTED.
AND FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN IS A
VERY PROFESSIONAL ELECTIONS
OFFICE.
THEY ARE TRYING TO COUNT EVERY
LAWFULLY CAST BALLOT AND THEY
ARE DOING A GOOD JOB IN WEEDING
OUT ANY KIND OF ISSUES.
AND THERE ARE ALREADY-- THERE
ARE ALWAYS SOME LITTLE ISSUES.
AND I THINK THAT THERE HAS BEEN,
IT HAS BEEN 100 PERCENT.
I THINK IT’S BEEN VERY POSITIVE.
AND I HAVE BEEN VERY IMPRESSED
BY THE PROFESSIONALISM OF THE
PEOPLE COUNTING THE VOTES IN OUR
ELECTIONS.
AND I DID SEE YOU THERE, AND YOU
DID SEE THAT IT WAS INCREDIBLY
CLOSE ELECTION.
AND IT JUST GOES IT TO PROVE
THAT EVERY VOTE DOES MATTER.
>> ALL RIGHT, BACK TO BROWARD.
I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT SOMETHING WE HEARD DURING
THE STATE OF THE COUNTY ADDRESS
WHEN OUTGOING MAYOR STEVE GELLER
HAD SAID THAT THE ARMY CORPS OF
ENGINEERS’ OPINION ON SEA LEVEL
RISEK AND I BRING THAT UP
BECAUSE SEA LEVEL RISE IS NOT
ONLY A BROWARD ISSUE, IT IS A
PALM BEACH, BROWARD, MIAMI DADE,
MONROE, PLOR DA AS A WHOLE, ET
CETERA.
SO THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
QUOTE SAYS WE ARE IN SERIOUS
TROUBLE UNQUOTE.
THAT IS FROM THE MAYOR, NOT
FIRST HAND, IS THAT WHAT THEY
SAY, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AND
WHAT IS THE PLAN?
>> DR. JENNIFER WHO IS ONE OF
THE MOST WELL RESPECTED
ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTITIONERS IN
THE COUNTRY, AND I THINK THAT
EVERYONE IS SEEING, THERE IS
JUST MORE WATER, THERE SEEMS TO
BE MORE WATER THAT BE IT IT KING
TIDE, WHATEVER IT IS FROM THE
SAW GRASS TO THE SEA GRASS,
THERE SEEMS TO BE MORE WATER.
RAIN DOESN’T DRAIN OFF AS
QUICKLY.
GROUND WATER SEEMS TO COME UP.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE’RE
DOING WHAT WE CAN TO BE AS
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AS
POSSIBLE.
>> AND WHAT IS THAT?
>> WE’RE DOING IT ON THE COUNTY
LEVEL WITH BUILDING BUILDINGSES
THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, TOWARDS
GREEN AND LEAD CERTIFIED.
BUSES THAT WE ARE BUYING ARE
ELECTRIC VEHICLES, WE ARE TRYING
ON A COUNTY BASIS TO MAKE SURE
THAT WE ARE ENACTING ORDINANCES
AND DOING THINGS TO MAKE SURE
THAT BUILDINGS AND THINGS THAT
ARE BUILT ARE BUILT IN THE MOST
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY FASHION
POSSIBLE.
>> BUT WHAT ABOUT THE FLOODING
PART?
SEA LEVEL RISE IS INEVITABLE AND
FOR WHATEVER REASON PEOPLE
BELIEVE, BUT THE FLOODING YOU
ARE RIGHT, TO YOUR POINT IT IS
NOTICEABLE ESPECIALLY NOW.
THERE ARE MUNICIPALITIES WHO
HAVE FLOOD PLANS, IF FLOODING IS
A SERIOUS PROBLEM, IT IS-- SHALL
IS BROWARD GOING FORWARD WITH
SOME PLAN, SOME INVEST TURE,
SOME INFRASTRUCTURE.
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?
>> YES, EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IS
BUILT IN A WAY THAT DEALS WITH,
YOU KNOW, FLOODING AND SEA LEVEL
RISE.
AS WE ARE TALKING ABOUT NEW
BUILDINGS, WE’RE ACTUALLY
BUILDING THEM UP A LITTLE BIT
HIGHER.
WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK
THROUGH DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE
COUNTY AND SEE WHERE, I KNOW
SOME OF THE MUNICIPALITIES ARE
LOOKING TO RAISE SEA WALLS,
WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE THERE
AND BE PART OF THAT.
WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO WORK WITH
THE SOUTH FLORIDA WATER
MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, THE
DIFFERENT WATER DISTRICTS TO
MAKE SURE THAT WE’RE DOING WHAT
WE CAN TO FIGHT WHAT IS
EVENTUALLY GOING TO BE A BIG
ISSUE.
AND IT’S GOING TO BE AN ISSUE
THAT IS GOING TO LEAD TO
AFFORDABLE HOUSING CHALLENGES,
BUILDING CHALLENGES AND
TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES.
IF WE, IF WE’RE SEEING THIS AND
WE’RE SEEING NOW, IT, THIS, WE
NEED TO IT BE PREPPED FOR THIS
AS WE MOVE FORWARD INTO THE
FUTURE.
>> YEAH.
MICHAEL UDINE, ONE FINAL
QUESTION HERE TRKSZ IS
INEVITABLE, I GUESS.
HERE YOU ARE THE NEW MAYOR OF
BROWARD COUNTY.
A COUNTY OF NEARLY TWO MILLION
PEOPLE.
I MEAN A BIG, BIG PLACE.
AND IN A SENSE, THE MOST
POWERFUL PERSON IN BROW AROUND
COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS THE COUNTY
ADMINISTRATOR.
IS IT TIME FOR THE MAYOR TO BE
AN EXECUTIVE MAYOR IN BROWARD
COUNTY?
>> WELL,S WILL’S BEEN PROPOSALS
THAT HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT.
AND I THINK THAT WE’LL SEE THIS
AGAIN, THAT WILL COME SOON.
AND WILL COME SOONER RATHER THAN
LATER, WHERE WE’LL TALK ABOUT
SENDING OUT TO THE VOTERS A
POTENTIAL CHARTER AMENDMENT FOR
AN ELECTED MAYOR.
WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT OVER THE
LAST FEW YEARS.
WE’LL TALK ABOUT IT AGAIN, AND
AT SOME POINT IT WILL BE TIME
AGAIN TO LET THE VOTERS HAVE
ANOTHER SAY IN THIS.
AN LET THE VOTERS DECIDE WHETHER
THEY WANT TO HAVE AN ELECTED
MAYOR THAT WORKS WITH A COUNTY
ADMINISTRATOR JUST THAT SOMEBODY
THAT CAN SET THE OVERALL POLICY,
COUNTY WIDE ON A LONGER-TERM
BASIS FOR THE FUTURE OF BROWARD
COUNTY.
WE’RE SEEING THIS WITH OTHER
COUNTIES IN OTHER AREAS, THEY
SEEM TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A MUCH
MORE CONSISTENT MESSAGE OVER THE
YEARS WHEREAS WHEN WE DO THE
ROTATION EVERY ONE YEAR, IT’S
SORT OF GETS CHOPPED UP A LITTLE
BIT.
>> ALL RIGHT MAYOR UDINE.
>> I THINK WE’LL LOOK AT THAT IN
THE FUTURE.
>> I BEG YOUR PARDON.
IT IS GREAT TO SPEAK WITH YOU
THIS MORNING.
WE WISH YOU WELL OVER THE NEXT
YEAR AS, AND SOON YOU WILL BE IN
HERE, WE HOPE, IN OUR STUDIO.
FOR A LIVE INTERVIEW.
>> IN THE HOT SEAT.