Jones, Brunson best choices

West Park, Broward County’s newest city, is trying to make the most with the least.

West Park’s median home value, according to Zillow.com, is $158,400 — one of the lowest in the county.

The biggest challenge facing the city, which was incorporated in 2005, is a lack of businesses and tax revenue.

Its budget is only $13.6 million. Of that, 55 percent is allocated to police and fire. Another 21 percent goes to the city’s public works department.

That means West Park has little choice but to keep property taxes high. The city’s operating tax rate of $8.65 per $1,000 of assessed value is the highest in Broward.

For mayor: Eric Jones

Neither mayoral candidate — incumbent Eric Jones or challenger Ronald Bell — questions the city’s tax rate and both support the proposed penny sales-tax increase, which would give the city another $1.3 million a year for infrastructure projects. Of course, it’s also a regressive tax that could disproportionatly hurt the city’s lowincome residents who already pay a high property tax rate.

Both Jones and Bell understand the need to bring more businesses to West Park. But while Bell, a 66-year-old professor at the Trinity Theological Seminary of South Florida, has some generic ideas for business growth, he didn’t make a compelling argument to vote Jones out of office.

Bell says the city has a poor business atmosphere and if elected, he’ll overhaul how the city engages business owners.

Jones, 70, has served as mayor since the city’s incorporation. While he may soon want to consider giving somebody else an opportunity to lead, for now he’s the best candidate.

The city has a Transit Oriented Corridor on State Road 7 that’s supposed to lure businesses, but hasn’t lived up to its promise. Jones says he’s continuing to focus on developing the TOC. He also is working with state officials and attorneys to determine if the city could annex some of the businesses now within Pembroke Park’s boundaries. Some of the land, he said, was encompassed by Pembroke Park when West Park was still unincorporated but planning to become a city.

It’s hard to see how his effort will be successful, but Jones is trying to be proactive. It doesn’t hurt that his son, Shevrin, is a state representative. That, at least, gives West Park a friend in Tallahassee.

Seat 4: Felicia Brunson

It’s a more-heated contest in the Seat 4 commission race, where former West Park commissioner Felicia Brunson, 45, is challenging incumbent Rita “Peaches” Mack, 58.

Brunson left the commission in 2014 to run for Broward County School Board — narrowly losing to Ann Murray by fewer than 300 votes.

Mack, a 58-year-old retired teacher, casts Brunson as someone who deserted her community for higher aspirations, but the attack doesn’t hold up.

Brunson, district relations manager for Florida Virtual School, has stronger ideas about how to move West Park forward and is the better candidate in the race.

Brunson wants the city to connect with younger residents through an increased emphasis on social media. She wants to create strategic plans to bring more business to West Park and wants better communication with residents.

“The business community feels the city is not business-friendly,” said Brunson, who says she would work with businesses and help them take advantage of potential grants and incentives.

Mack said she was “stunned” when Brunson decided to run against her. She describes herself as the commissioner people seek out when they need something.

Brunson says Mack, who has been a commissioner since the city was incorporated, hasn’t done enough for West Park.

Mack agrees West Park needs more businesses, but doesn’t offer many fresh ideas. Instead, she describes herself as “a voice for the people.” While Mack may be a caring and wellliked commissioner, Brunson has more to offer.

Jones and Brunson receive our endorsement for West Park mayor and commissioner.