ON THE ISSUES

Improving Cooper City Government Efficiency, Transparency and Accountability
The city manager and department heads must have clearly defined goals and expectations for reducing expenditures. Their progress must be reviewed regularly and they must produce real results. Efficiency, transparency, openness and a sense of urgency must permeate city hall. That’s how any effective corporation is managed and that’s how we must manage our city, by objective, holding everyone, including the city commission, fully accountable to our shareholders; our business owners and residents...We The People.

Taxes and Fees
Your home has decreased in value, but the amount you pay on your tax bill keeps going up. The city commission may propose raising your taxes. I oppose raising taxes. Instead, I support reducing taxes to put more money in your pocket. The city must immediately address revenue shortfalls by tight management of their spending. The city must spend less and ‘tighten their belt’ just as you and I have had to do in this recent recession.

City Budgets and Fiscal Accountability
Unnecessary spending in our city is spiraling out of control! Its time that our current city officials become more fiscally accountable and responsible for their massive budgets. With today's economic depression, now is not the time to elect new candidates with no experience who will have to 'learn-on-the-fly'. As such, we need to implement and abide by ‘Zero Based’ budgeting. That simply means that each expenditure and program must be fully justified yearly with a detailed  cost-benefit analysis. The days of ‘spend it or lose it’ must end now. I will recommend a citizen advisory board of accounting professionals to oversee revenues and expenses, make it non-political and hold every employee accountable for reducing expenses and increasing efficiency. I will also work to reduce our unfunded budget liabilities. 

City Laws: Do As I Say, Not As I Do
The commission has given itself power to do whatever it wants regarding signs and other things that the commission determines is in their own best interests, not in yours. The city regularly violates its own laws and allows a select few to do the same. Your basic rights have been stripped away by a control hungry commission. I will work to abolish this continual abuse of power and self serving attitude, continuing to fight for maintaining your rights and your best interests, not those of special interests.

Crime In Cooper City: Is It Up Or Down? 
That depends on who you ask, yet all of us know about a neighbor who has been burglarized, a car that’s been stolen or vandalized. I believe our police officers are the best available. There just aren’t enough of them to truly keep us safe! It’s time revisit our contract with BSO instead of just rubber stamp it. Patrols are seemingly less frequent as conveyed by residents, officers are seemingly not visible at critical times, and visibility is generally down leading to an increase in petty crime.  BSO’s allegiance is county wide but we need more police presence to make Cooper City crime free. I fully support our police and fire first responders, but we still need more feet on the street to keep us, our businesses and our families safe.  

Seniors: Our Forgotten Advantage  
Seniors are the forgotten asset in our society. They have given so much to us, and its time to give back! If re-elected, I will recommend a Senior Advisory Board that will help us become more effective in planning much needed programs for our honored and valued seniors. I will also stress implementing senior and fixed income fee and tax relief programs, among other programs, to enhance our seniors quality of life.
 
Youth: Raising The Bar On Our Schools
Many people move to Cooper City because we have the best schools in the county, and I want to help keep it that way. I will ensure that the students that go to school in our city also live in our city. That will help us reduce overcrowding and future boundary redistricting. I will also work hard to make sure that our schools are safe and secure with dedicated School Resource Officer’s, and help to eliminate waste so that our local teachers can eventually get the jobs and pay that they work so hard for. 

Utility and Water Bills: Up, Up And Away!
Our utility bills have skyrocketed! We need to review our Utilities Enterprise, making it more efficient and cost effective. I will recommend the formation of a Utilities Advisory Board that will consist of residents from our city, charged with reviewing the entire Enterprise, including infrastructure, funding and budgets. We must address the utility concerns of residents on a fixed income while at the same time meeting the needs of growing families, business interests and our future development. For now, you can reduce your water consumption and your utility bill by using my Water Use Calculator. Enjoy!
 
Cooper City: ‘Someplace Special’ and someplace beautiful. Let’s keep it that way!
I will work to implement a citywide Rejuvenation Program in order to improve public property and our city streets. Certain streets, buildings and areas of our city have fallen into a state of neglect. We can do some of this with matching grants and better planning. The result? Increased property values, beautification of our city and enhancement of our daily lifestyle with little or no cost to our residents and business owners.

Our City’s Image...Conduct Unbecoming!
Cooper City has been in the news, again and again. Our commission business meetings have been a complete embarrassment! Public service requires that elected officials live above even the appearance of impropriety. We have to restore respect, honesty, integrity and most of all, public trust to our City. Nobody is above the law, especially elected officials. My plan to implement a local Ethics Commission to address the unethical antics that have given our city a black eye over the last several years has been met with much opposition, and as such, has not been considered by the commission.

Decorum and Professionalism At Our City’s Business Meetings
Cooper City continues to be embarrassed by our leadership, or lack thereof. We need to improve our image. The current administration needs to be unbiased and above and beyond reproach at all times. To allow citizen toward citizen attacks, commission toward citizen attacks and ad hominem attacks on both sides of the dais while the city's business meeting is taking place, is unethical, out of order, unprofessional and down right disgraceful. We need to clean up our image and set an example for all of our citizens and employees to follow, and do it with order, decorum and tact. We must maintain the integrity of the administration. Our leadership role must be respected regardless of personality conflicts or political affiliation. The 'bullying' and 'politricks' must stop!

Our City’s Shareholders
Cooper City has been on a solid path toward increasing support of our residents and business owners, greatly contributing to their success. I will continue to fully support our businesses and residents, implementing additional programs and working directly with them to help make them successful and resolving problems, continuing to maintain the title of your ‘Go To’ Commissioner.

Your Issues...
Cooper City can become a much better place to live and work with your input and ideas. if you would like to read about more of the issues I intend to address and strive toward obtaining a workable solution, please click here. Please feel free to contact me with your issues and concerns, and let's work hard together to make 'Someplace Special' into the best city in the country to live and work in!
 

John Sims is your independent voice!