Interview: Monica Cepero, Deputy

Taking action

Broward County’s capital improvement projects continue unabated

Monica Cepero

Deputy County Administrator – Broward County

In terms of infrastructure, what initiatives will improve mobility and economic development? During the pandemic, Broward County continued our large capital improvement projects. In addition to projects funded by the transportation surtax, the county is advancing a $1.6 billion infrastructure investment at Port Everglades with Phase 1 projects expected to be completed in the next five years. There is an International Logistics Center, which is a public-private partnership, and new Super Post-Panamax gantry cranes for larger cargo. There is also a new parking garage for Terminals 2 and 4, which will help with increasing demand as we bring everything back online. We are pouring about $100 million in construction into our cities in the near future.

Broward County’s Public Transportation System (BCT), as a result of the new transportation surtax, has begun extensive upgrades and modernization to the transportation network. BCT recently placed into service 147 new transit buses. Another 35 buses are on order, which will allow us to further increase our service to the public. Broward County is also working closely with Miami-Dade County and a private railroad owner to introduce commuter passenger train service between the two counties along the eastern borders. Eventual plans call for the system to expand into Palm Beach County to our north.

How is the county ensuring that a ordable housing remains attainable for lower-income demographics? The two things that keep me awake at night are the availability of affordable housing and the presence of a solid and robust transportation system. The Broward County Commission has been a champion on establishing policy that prioritizes affordable housing. Half of employees in Broward County are in the services industries and are earning substantially less than the Area Median Income. At the same time, housing prices and rental rates are at an all-time high. The County Commission is one of the few local governments in the State that is allocating General Fund dollars for gap financing for new affordable rental housing. Our Housing Finance Authority is also issuing tax exempt and tax credit bonds that provide a significant source of financing. In addition, this year the County Commission approved countywide land-use plan changes that allow market rate housing in all commercial land use, which includes the older commercial corridors and outdated shopping centers. In exchange for this development opportunity, developers are required to provide specific amounts of affordable housing as a component of new development. We will continue to look for new funding resources and incentives to increase production and availability of affordable housing.

More people in Greater Fort Lauderdale earn over $200,000 than across the rest of the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach MSA

( ) including technology, aviation and aerospace, marine industries, life sciences, manufacturing, logistics and tourism. The Greater Fort Lauderdale area sees $28 billion in international trade each year and it is possible to reach four continents in one day from the city. The tri-county Miami-Dade/Broward/West Palm Beach MSA also presented a collaborative proposal that was selected for Amazon’s second national headquarters (HQ2) Top 20 short list.

“Many businesses are moving out of New York and the rest of the Northeast to South Florida,” Marie Suarez, CEO and executive director of the Greater Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, told Invest:. “We want to cultivate this ecosystem and diversify our economy because we are heavily leaning on tourism and real estate. The latter suffered greatly from the 2008 crash as well. Diversification of industry is critical so that we can count on several industry fronts to sustain those that suffer in times like these, so we push for that, too.”

The average income of a Fort Lauderdale resident is $36,405 per year, significantly higher than the U.S. average of $28,555 per year. A higher percentage of people earn over $200,000 per year in Fort Lauderdale than across the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach MSA or statewide. Future job growth is also predicted to outpace that of the United States, with 37.9% growth projected for Fort Lauderdale compared to 33.5% nationally. Large employers in Fort Lauderdale include Allied Marine/ Ferretti Group, AutoNation, Baxter International, Bayview Asset Management, BFC Financial, Broward ( )