MODI: Bringing Insight To Aventura: Laughter Is Indeed A Universal Language Fri Dec 08 2023 17:14:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

5 Bad Money Habits Hurting Your Financial Future By BPT October 18, 2023 Share There's a good chance you may have a habit or two when it comes to money that is not doing your financial future any favors. The good news is you're not alone, and there are ways to break those habits and create better financial health for you and/or your family. According to a recent survey from OnePoll and National Debt Relief, LLC, over 60% of people in the U.S. claim to make poor decisions when it comes to money and 42% of people admit to having current financial struggles. That may be in part because most people either have information that they aren't using in their day-to-day lives, or like over 20% of respondents, they need more information to help them learn better habits. Natalia Brown, Chief Client Operations Officer from National Debt Relief, has broken down the top 5 most common bad money habits and offered actionable tips on how to avoid these pitfalls. 1. Writing Off Small Purchases As Insignificant While spending money on things like takeout or app subscriptions may seem minor, these purchases add up over time. Your coffee may only cost $4.99, but as a daily habit, it can become costly. If you add up these seemingly insignificant costs over a month or two you'll get a clear picture of how much you're spending. Additionally, while BOGO promotions may be appealing, if you don't need the second item, don't spend the extra money. 2. Gambling While you may not be a high-stakes poker player or spend hours at casinos, a regular lottery ticket habit can mean you're throwing away your hard-earned money. Instead, try saving any money you might put into gambling and investing it into a higher interest savings account, which will add up quicker than you expect, especially if you keep adding to it. 3. Using Credit Cards To Pay Bills Paying bills with a credit card can work well if you're paying your balance off in full each month. But, if you're not paying your balance off in full each month, you may want to reconsider. The interest you'll end up paying on the card will make your bills much more expensive. For example, if your credit card interest rate is around 20% and you have a $5,000 balance, it could take you around 11 years to pay this off with minimum payments. Plus, your total payments will end up being around $8,417. To avoid getting into this situation, try listing out your regular expenses, categorizing which ones are absolute necessities (like rent, utilities and food) and which are not (like entertainment and eating out). Then total your must-pay bills and compare that amount to what you're earning and cut anything that's not a necessity that you've been relying on credit cards to keep up with. 4. Taking Out Payday Loans Beware of payday loans. These short-term loans often have high interest rates and may cost you a lot of money. Other options you can consider before taking out a payday loan may be finding ways to earn extra income like driving for a ride sharing company or getting some part-time work, or saving money through strict budgeting and getting rid of those non-essentials (see above for more on that). 5. Spending More Than You Earn Start by listing out all your expenses and your income. This can help you get a better picture of where, and how much, you need to cut down. Minimize unnecessary expenses and look for creative ways to boost your income. People are always looking for help with tasks like cleaning, organizing or creative work. If you have any special talents, see if you can monetize any of them. "Managing money can be tough, and we all make mistakes," said Brown. "There's a lot of guilt and shame associated with being in debt or having money struggles. It's important to know that you're not alone and there are steps you can take to create a better financial future for yourself or your family. At National Debt Relief, we understand the importance of not just helping people with their immediate debt situations, but also giving them the tools, skills and guidance they need to feel more confident and in control of their finances." Need to break bad financial habits? National Debt Relief can help you resolve your debt more quickly and for less money than you owe. Their team will also help you learn skills like budgeting, how to save money, and how to live within your means so you can improve your financial health and feel confident about your future. If you're ready to fix your bad money habits and create long-term financial security, visit: www.NationalDebtRelief.com - Or call: 800-674-0907. < Previous News Next News >

Traffic Alert: Road Closures In Hollywood Continue July 28, 2022 Share The Sheridan Street Bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway is fully closed for approximately 90 days. Eastbound traffic will be detoured via US-1, Hollywood Boulevard or Dania Beach Boulevard. Westbound traffic is being detoured via State Road A1A, Hollywood Boulevard or Dania Beach Boulevard. Access to local traffic and the Anne Kolb Nature Center will be maintained at all times via eastbound State Road 822/ Sheridan Street before the bridge. Pedestrian access is also detoured. Project improvements include installing Bicycle-Friendly/Anti-Slip Walking Plates along the bridge’s moveable spans, removing existing curb and adding a 32-inch traffic barrier between the sidewalk and roadway, removing and replacing the outer pedestrian railing, adding new Pedestrian gates in each direction, renovating the existing tender house, upgrading electrical and mechanical components and access platforms on the bridge. The vertical clearance across both spans will be reduced by 5-feet for the installation of a containment system for the duration of the project. Bridge opening times for Marine traffic will be impacted through September 2022. The temporary bridge opening schedule is, as follows: Daily, between 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. - One side of the bridge will open on the quarter hour and three-quarter hour. Boaters needing a full opening should provide 4-hours of advanced notice. Sunday-Fridays, between 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. - The bridge will be closed. Boaters needing a full opening should provide 24-hours of advanced notice. Full openings are available only between 12:00 a.m. Midnight and 1:00 a.m. Friday-Sunday, between 8:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. - Single-leaf openings will be provided on the quarter and three quarter hour. A full opening will not be provided during this time. These timing adjustments are needed in order to complete operations during the full bridge closure, which also began on Monday, June 13th, 2022 through September 2022, weather and unforeseen conditions permitting. This work is part of the State Road 822/Sheridan Street Bridge Rehabilitation Project, the estimated completion date is Late 2022. Utility Work Underway As part of the Utility Improvement Project, City contractor Man Con is working on North 26th Avenue between Taft Street and Sheridan Street. Crews will be installing approximately 5,900 linear feet of new water lines, 1,300 linear feet of drainage pipes and 2,200 linear feet of Exfiltration Trenches. Upon completion of this work, the roadway will be resurfaced & striped. Motorists should seek an alternate route around this full roadway closure to avoid delays. Flagmen will be in place to reroute Local/Residential traffic. Driveway and Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout the Improvement Project. In general, workers will be on-site between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. daily, with construction taking place 5-days a week, weather permitting. This Improvement Project is expected to be completed by mid-November. Temporary Roadway and Sidewalk Closures City of Hollywood Contractor MBR Construction is completing a new concrete sidewalk installation along the north side of Johnson Street in this area. It will be closed to Vehicular and Pedestrian traffic, therefore it is recommended to seek an alternate route during construction. In general, the workers will be on-site between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. They will reopen the travel lane when they finish work every day at approximately 4:00 p.m., but the sidewalk will remain closed at all times until the project has been completed. One Lane Closed on Sheridan Street Turnpike Overpass For Emergency Repair One eastbound lane on the Sheridan Street Turnpike Overpass in the City of Hollywood is closed to Vehicular traffic due to a truck that hit the underside of the overpass causing significant damage to the structure. The truck was carrying heavy construction equipment while traveling northbound on the Florida Turnpike. One eastbound lane will remain open and the westbound lanes were not affected. Broward County and the Florida Department of Transportation are working together to evaluate and repair the damage. The County is helping to reduce traffic congestion in that area by synchronizing the traffic lights to maximize the flow of traffic. Drivers are encouraged to seek an alternate route until all of the repairs have been completed. < Previous News Next News >

Funny & Brilliant: Part of the Aventura Stand Up Comedy Series March 14, 2024 Share Straight from Showtime and three blockbuster comedy specials, The City of Aventura presents Funny Women of a Certain Age in the Aventura Stand Up Comedy Series on Friday, March 22 at 8 p.m. The hilarious line-up features Carole Montgomery, who created and stars in the Showtime specials. A stand-up comic described by The Last Vegas Sun as "one of Vegas’ premier comics,” Montgomery has had a long and varied career. With over two dozen television credits to her name, she is a respected veteran of the standup comedy scene nationwide. In her ten years as a Las Vegas star, she was seen by over five million audience members. Montgomery is joined by Vanessa Hollingshead, a comic and natural storyteller with a unique repertoire of heartfelt, funny characterizations of all the people that cross her path. Jerry Seinfeld raves, "Vanessa is extremely funny, has a strong, great point of view and fresh material. She's really, really, good and I wish her much success. She's got what it takes." Trish Keating completes the comedy trio with her comedy that is one-part social satire, two-parts personal pain, and most parts attitude. An alum of Chicago's Second City, she has been seen on NBC, FOX, HSN and CBS. Keating has appeared with such talents as Caroline Rhea, Wanda Sykes, Jay Mohr, Judy Tenuta, DL Hughley, Victoria Jackson, Jeff Dunham and George Wallace. These women are all brilliant, funny, and vibrant – and it just so happens, of a certain age. This event may contain adult language or content. Ticketmaster is the only official ticketing service of the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center. Buy tickets online at: www.aventuracenter.org - By phone at: (877) 311-7469. Or: (954) 462-0222. Or in person at the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center box office Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. and 90 minutes prior to each performance. For Group Sales, please call: (954) 660-6307. The Aventura Arts & Cultural Center is located at 3385 Northeast 188th Street, Aventura, Florida 33180. Join the conversation, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram @aventuracenter or #aventuracenter. The Broward Center for the Performing Arts manages the Aventura Arts & Cultural Center, a 14,864-square-foot, 330-seat waterfront complex that hosts performing arts, cultural and educational programming for all ages. < Previous News Next News >

The Gift of Love: The New Book ‘Committed’ Helps Readers Cultivate Lasting Relationships December 23, 2021 Share Stories of flawless families and perfect romances fill social media feeds and TV screens year round, but during the holiday season in particular, these idyllic narratives can trigger feelings of loneliness in those still searching for that special someone. Here to help readers discard preconceived notions, reconsider unrealistic expectations and truly understand people and personalities that work well together is world-renowned Psychologist Dr. Carmen Harra. “Commitment can’t be forced, scheduled or altered. It either comes from the heart or it doesn’t,” says Dr. Harra. Whether you’re entering the dating scene for the first time, starting over or hoping to strengthen a current relationship, Dr. Harra’s new book, Committed: Finding Love and Loyalty Through the Seven Archetypes, will prompt you to reevaluate the way you think about love and ultimately make better choices. In Committed, Dr. Harra, Co-author and daughter, Alexandra Harra, who is a certified relationship coach, explain the seven main archetypes we all encounter, the promises they hold and the challenges they pose to relationships. The first part of Committed is devoted to the work we need to do on the inside and readers will learn how to reexamine core beliefs they hold, clear karmic patterns, heal any emotional trauma, liberate themselves from people who no longer serve them and develop an unshakable sense of self-worth. The second half of the book teaches readers how to identify archetypes in others and themselves, navigate the world of online dating, build emotional intimacy, mediate external influences and apply real-world solutions to resolve relationship problems. Ultimately, Committed aims to help you find and keep the love you deserve: an authentic, impassioned relationship that fills you with excitement each morning and puts your mind at ease every night. Dr. Carmen Harra is an intuitive Psychologist, best-selling author, radio show host and relationship expert. In the past 25 years, she has helped over 40,000 people rediscover peace of mind, reclaim personal power and regain joy. Her clients come from all walks of life, from the lady next door to Hollywood celebrities and eminent politicians. She’s the author of international best-sellers like Everyday Karma, Decoding Your Destiny, The Eleven Eternal Principles, and Wholeliness, among others. Carmen has been featured in such publications as The New York Times, New York Post, New York Daily News and on shows like Good Morning America, The View, Good Day New York, the Today show, and Fox News. She currently hosts Miracle Guidance for Everyday Life every Tuesday on OMTimes Radio and her new show, Live Now!, debuts on KMET News ABC Radio Affiliate Station on January 7th, 2022. Alexandra Harra is a certified life and relationship coach and author, while also boasting commendable career accomplishments as a writer. She writes regularly for renowned publications such as The Huffington Post and proactively aids her mother's mission to bring joy and love into people's relationships. For more information, visit: www.CarmenHarra.com Or follow the author on Instagram At: (carmenharra). Or on Facebook At: (DrCarmenHarra). < Previous News Next News >

BCT Makes A Statement: Eye-Catching Buses Drive Community Engagement August 1, 2024 Share Broward County Transit (BCT) is revving up ridership and community spirit with a fleet of dynamic buses that transform into rolling billboards for local celebrations. Forget the plain vanilla buses of yesterday – BCT is turning heads with eye-catching wraps that celebrate everything from holidays to hometown sporting heroes. This innovative approach isn't just about aesthetics; it's about forging deeper connections with the people BCT serves. "Broward County Transit (BCT) is deeply committed to celebrating diversity and fostering a sense of community," said Coree Cuff Lonergan, CEO/General Manager. "We showcase this commitment by wrapping our buses for major events like Juneteenth, the Panthers' Championship Run, and Pride. These initiatives enhance the rider experience while demonstrating our support for the vibrant communities we serve." Pop-Up Park & Ride: Taking Fans to Victory Lane BCT's innovative Pop-Up Park & Ride service wasn't just about shuttles; it was about creating a seamless fan experience. Specially wrapped buses, emblazoned with Florida Panthers Pride, became an extension of the team spirit. This convenient and affordable option not only reduced traffic congestion around Amerant Bank Arena, but also offered a sustainable way to cheer on the Cats. Coree Cuff Lonergan, CEO/General Manager of BCT, summed it up perfectly: "We were thrilled to be part of the Panthers' Historic Run. Our wrapped buses added to the electric atmosphere and, more importantly, provided a hassle-free way for fans to experience these unforgettable moments." Celebrating Champions: A Parade Fit for Royalty BCT didn't stop after the final buzzer. To ensure fans could celebrate the Panthers' Historic NHL Championship win in style, BCT offered special bus services for the Championship Parade. These frequent shuttles allowed the community to come together and showcase their Panther pride without the worry of parking or traffic woes. This commitment to enhancing the fan experience went beyond transportation; it was about creating a hassle-free way for the community to join the celebration. BCT's partnership with the Florida Panthers is a shining example of how a public transit agency can go beyond its core function to become a true community champion. Cheering for Cricket: World Cup Transportation BCT's commitment to supporting local and international sports events was also evident during the Cricket World Cup, which was hosted in Broward County. A specially wrapped bus celebrated the excitement of the Cricket World Cup, providing fans with a vibrant and convenient transportation option to attend the games. This initiative celebrated Cricket within the community and showcased BCT's dedication to creating enjoyable and accessible experiences for all attendees. Beyond the Bus: BCT's Broader Impact BCT's commitment extends far beyond transportation solutions. Events like the Stonewall Wilton Manors Pride Parade, supported by BCT, generate significant social and economic benefits. The Pride Parade, attracting over 50,000 attendees, contributed an estimated $6 Million to the local economy. BCT's colorful and inclusive bus wraps played a vital role in the vibrancy and success of these events. Celebrating Freedom: Juneteenth on Wheels BCT's deep community engagement was evident during the recent Juneteenth Celebration held at the Lauderhill Transit Center (LTC). A unique exhibition transformed a bus into a moving museum adorned with vibrant Juneteenth imagery. This immersive experience educated attendees about the historical significance of Juneteenth, the day marking the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Over a hundred community members, including families and children, participated in the event. The Juneteenth bus served as a backdrop for crafting activities and coloring pages, fostering a deeper understanding of the day's importance. The enthusiastic participation and impressive turnout testified to the event's success. BCT: More Than Just a Ride BCT's wrapped buses serve as vibrant ambassadors, embodying the agency's values of celebrating diversity, supporting local events, and enriching the community experience. By offering practical yet visually engaging transportation solutions, BCT continues to build strong connections with Broward County residents. Looking Forward: Deepening Community Engagement BCT is committed to further strengthening its involvement in community activities, with a focus on major events and parades. This ensures that public transportation remains an integrated and celebrated aspect of Broward County's social fabric. Through participation in these celebrations and each wrapped bus and supported event, BCT reaffirms its dedication to fostering community bonds and providing seamless transportation. < Previous News Next News >

Wars Are the Enemy of Freedom By John W. Whitehead & Nisha Whitehead March 2, 2022 Share It’s time for the U.S. government to stop policing the globe. “No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.” — James Madison War is the enemy of freedom. As long as America’s politicians continue to involve us in wars that bankrupt the nation, jeopardize our servicemen and women, increase the chances of terrorism and blowback domestically, and push the nation that much closer to eventual collapse, “we the people” will find ourselves in a perpetual state of tyranny. It’s time for the U.S. Government to stop policing the globe. This latest crisis — America’s part in the showdown between Russia and the Ukraine — has conveniently followed on the heels of a long line of other crises, manufactured or otherwise, which have occurred like clockwork in order to keep Americans distracted, deluded, amused, and insulated from the government’s steady encroachments on our freedoms. And so it continues in its Orwellian fashion. Two years after COVID-19 shifted the world into a state of global authoritarianism, just as the people’s tolerance for heavy-handed mandates seems to have finally worn thin, we are being prepped for the next distraction and the next drain on our economy. Yet policing the globe and waging endless wars abroad isn’t making America — or the rest of the world — any safer, it’s certainly not making America great again, and it’s undeniably digging the U.S. deeper into debt. Indeed, even if we were to put an end to all of the government’s military meddling and bring all of the troops home today, it would take decades to pay down the price of these wars and get the government’s creditors off our backs. War has become a huge money - making venture, and the U.S. government, with its vast military empire, is one of its best buyers and sellers. What most Americans — brainwashed into believing that patriotism means supporting the war machine — fail to recognize is that these ongoing wars have little to do with keeping the country safe and everything to do with propping up a military industrial complex that continues to dominate, dictate and shape almost every aspect of our lives. Consider: We are a military culture engaged in continuous warfare. We have been a nation at war for most of our existence. We are a nation that makes a living from killing through defense contracts, weapons manufacturing and endless wars. We are also being fed a steady diet of violence through our entertainment, news and politics. All of the military equipment featured in blockbuster movies is provided — at taxpayer expense — in exchange for carefully placed promotional spots. Even reality TV shows have gotten in on the gig, with the Pentagon’s entertainment office helping to sell war to the American public. It’s estimated that U.S. military intelligence agencies (including the NSA) have influenced over 1,800 movies and TV shows. And then there are the growing number of video games, a number of which are engineered by or created for the military, which have accustomed players to interactive war play through military simulations and first-person shooter scenarios. This is how you acclimate a population to war. This is how you cultivate loyalty to a war machine. This is how, to borrow from the subtitle to the 1964 film Dr. Strangelove, you teach a nation to “stop worrying and love the bomb.” The media, eager to score higher ratings, has been equally complicit in making (real) war more palatable to the public by packaging it as TV friendly. This is how you sell war to a populace that may have grown weary of endless wars: sanitize the war coverage of anything graphic or discomfiting (present a clean war), gloss over the actual numbers of soldiers and civilians killed (human cost), cast the business of killing humans in a more abstract, palatable fashion (such as a hunt), demonize one’s opponents, and make the weapons of war a source of wonder and delight. Not satisfied with peddling its war propaganda through Hollywood, reality TV shows and embedded journalists whose reports came across as glorified promotional ads for the military, the Pentagon has also turned to sports to further advance its agenda, “tying the symbols of sports with the symbols of war.” The military has been firmly entrenched in the nation’s sports spectacles ever since, having co-opted football, basketball, even NASCAR. This is how you sustain the nation’s appetite for war. No wonder the United States is the number one consumer, exporter and perpetrator of violence and violent weapons in the world. Seriously, America spends more money on war than the combined military budgets of China, Russia, the United Kingdom, Japan, France, Saudi Arabia, India, Germany, Italy and Brazil. America polices the globe, with 800 military bases and troops stationed in 160 countries. Moreover, the war hawks have turned the American homeland into a quasi-battlefield with military gear, weapons and tactics. In turn, domestic police forces have become roving extensions of the military—a standing army. We are dealing with a sophisticated, far-reaching war machine that has woven itself into the very fabric of this nation. Clearly, our national priorities are in desperate need of an overhaul. Eventually, all military empires fall and fail by spreading themselves too thin and spending themselves to death. It happened in Rome: at the height of its power, even the mighty Roman Empire could not stare down a collapsing economy and a burgeoning military. Prolonged periods of war and false economic prosperity largely led to its demise. It’s happening again. The American Empire — with its endless wars waged by U.S. military service people who have been reduced to little more than guns for hire: outsourced, stretched too thin, and deployed to far-flung places to police the globe—is approaching a breaking point. The government is destabilizing the economy, destroying the national infrastructure through neglect and a lack of resources, and turning taxpayer dollars into blood money with its endless wars, drone strikes and mounting death tolls. This is exactly the scenario President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned against when he cautioned the citizenry not to let the profit-driven war machine endanger our liberties or democratic processes. What we have is a confluence of factors and influences that go beyond mere comparisons to Rome. It is a union of Orwell’s 1984 with its shadowy, totalitarian government—i.e., fascism, the union of government and corporate powers—and a total surveillance state with a military empire extended throughout the world. As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People and in its fictional counterpart The Erik Blair Diaries, this is how tyranny rises and freedom falls. Editor’s Note: John Whitehead is an attorney and author who has written, debated and practiced widely in the area of constitutional law, human rights and popular culture. John Whitehead's commentary are his views and he is open for discussion, he can be contacted at: johnw@rutherford.org . Information about The Rutherford Institute is available at: www.rutherford.org . < Previous News Next News >

Get Up & Get Dancing: The City of Aventura Offers An Opportunity For Better Health March 18, 2022 Share The City will be offering complimentary Zumba classes to Aventura residents of all ages starting in March and running every Thursday. The new Zumba program will include a certified Zumba instructor teaching this fun fitness class involving aerobic movement and Latin dance. Participants should be ready to bring a positive mood, have fun and bring a refillable water bottle to stay hydrated. Cost: FREE When: Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Where: Founders Park 3105 NE 190 St. Benefits of Zumba Designed as a combination of salsa and aerobics, there’s no right or wrong way to do Zumba. As long as you move to the beat of the music, you’re participating in the exercise. And since Zumba involves movement of the entire body — from your arms to your shoulders and to your feet — you’ll get a full-body workout that doesn’t feel like work. A small study found that a standard, 39-minute Zumba class burned an average of 9.5 calories per minute. This adds up to 369 calories in total throughout the class. The American Council on Exercise recommends that individuals burn 300 calories per workout in order to promote weight loss and maintain a healthy bodyweight. Zumba fits their criteria perfectly. Evidence also shows that a 12-week Zumba program can provide significant improvements in aerobic fitness. Also, since music played during a Zumba class is relatively fast-paced, moving to the beat can help build your endurance after just a few workouts. You may not realize this but while doing Zumba, your mind and body work quite hard to make sure your movements follow the fast beats of the music and that your steps are aligned with others who are also dancing around you. Regular practice of Zumba boosts your mind-body coordination. Zumba is fast, intense, and rigorous. And Zumba is fun also. This is one of the main reasons why people who practice Zumba keep going back to it. They look forward to attending the class so they can dance away to the music along with their friends and family. Zumba also presents you with opportunities to socialize and make new friends. Registration Aventura residents of all ages welcome, registration is open and spots are limited. All participants must be registered prior to attending. Registration can be completed exclusively online only with a valid and existing account at cityofaventura.com/ors. For more information, visit cityofaventura.com or contact Founders Park at 305-466-0183 or parksrec@cityofaventura.com . Online registration must be completed prior to attending at https://secure.rec1.com/FL/aventura-fl/catalog < Previous News Next News >

Tug-Of-War: Bodily Autonomy Vs Economic Livelihood Thu Nov 25 2021 05:05:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

It's Budget Time: What's The Process & What To Expect By Hallandale Beach Mayor, Joy Cooper August 24, 2023 Share This week’s news: It is budget time. Our budget cycle kicks off around February and culminates with two Public Hearings where the Final Budget and any Amendments are adopted. We also adopted the two Safe Neighborhood Districts’ Budgets and the Fire Fee. The good news is the Millage Rate Fire Fee remained the same. This does not mean individuals will not see an increase in their Taxes. The State Requirements show an increase in Market and Fair Market Taxable Values. When Values go up, taxes go up. Homestead Property Percentage Tax Increases are capped at 3 percent and Non-Homestead Properties are Taxed at Value. This system has been in place for years and is not changing anytime soon. It is called Save Our Homes For A Reason. It protects Homeowners that live here full time from Tax Increases as a result of extreme jumps in Values due to speculation and spikes due to Market Conditions. It is not at all a perfect system and obviously, we are seeing the impact now on the Rental Market. On the other hand, Values are so high it is doing its job to keep residents in their homes. Over the course of the past five years, we have been implementing a Budget Stabilization Process. If you've followed my articles, I covered this topic extensively in my State Of The City Address and the South Florida Sun Times ran multiple articles covering it. We have made tough decisions and stopped kicking the can down the road. Recently I had an opportunity to speak with someone in regard to municipal services and the disconnect individuals have about what we actually provide as a City to our residents, the costs and more importantly the value. While the trim notice is not a welcoming piece of mail, since it is a statement of Taxes. I will tell you that we are utilizing every bit of those Tax Dollars to ensure we stabilize, maintain and in some cases increase services. It needs to be noted that when you get a Tax Bill it includes every Taxing District and Special District for Broward County. Ours is a portion of your Tax Bill. Municipal Taxes and Fees provide the necessary life sustaining and Quality Of Life Services that are Required by Law for us to provide. We watch every dollar and individuals would be surprised to just see what you get for each dollar. I like to say you get round the clock Security and Fire Protection, round the clock Emergency Healthcare, Safe Drinking Water. The ability to flush your toilets, Trash Removal, Roads, Parks to recreate and other daily items that are often taken for granted. I like to break them down to a dollar. The Ad Valorem Taxes go to the General Fund: $0.30 of these Funds go to Day-To-Day Operations, Administrative Charges from the various Departments, Non-Departmental Costs and many items that you would expect are needed to run a business. In addition, this portion includes transfers to the CRA, Community Redevelopment Agency. The next largest use of the Fund includes: Public Safety: $0.45. $0.26 of each dollar goes towards Police Services and $0.20 goes towards Fire and Rescue. While we do have a Fire Fee that is $265, this Fee can only be used for specific items relative to Fire and Apparatuses. The General Fund Supplements the other costs to run Fire and Emergency Medical Services. $0.12 goes to Staffing Costs of the City Manager, Procurement, Budget Monitoring, the City Attorney, City Clerk Information Technology, Human Resources and the City Commission. The City also provides Building Services which include: Code Permitting and other Business Operations. $0.03 cents of each dollar accounts for those services. $0.05 goes towards our Parks and Recreation and Open Spaces. Human Services accounts for $0.02 of each dollar and Public Works accounts for one cent of every dollar. So, you can see every dollar is accounted for and goes to services people depend on. The General Fund is only part of the City Budget. Quite often you hear complaints about budgets getting larger. Our budget includes all Capital Works Projects and this year we are embarking on a huge Citywide Rehab and Replacement of our Underground Infrastructure. Hundreds of thousands of dollars will be spent on Water Systems, Sewer Pipes and Pumping Stations. These projects do not just take brick and mortar but involve Staff from multiple Departments. Capital Projects also include: Replacement and Maintenance of our Parks System. This year we are Upgrading Equipment that cleans our Beaches. As we stabilized the Budget, we are also introducing some more programs at our Parks. As a note, we are always looking for partnerships at our Park Facilities. If you have a Special Program that you would like to offer please reach out to our Director. We also continue to Upgrade and maintain our Technology Division to ensure we provide a Safe and Reliable Platform for users to access Services and Information. While in today’s world, everything is moving to Online and to Cloud Based Solutions and these Services cost money. We currently have a great Budget Portal where residents can go Online and see our Budget in an interactive way. Permitting, Business Licenses and Financial Services have all moved Online. We still have In-Person Services for all our residents and businesses Mondays through Thursdays from 8:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. This past Wednesday, we held our Final Budget Workshop. All of them are Online and you can also watch all of our Meetings on our website at: www.Cohb.org Visit the site and click on Agendas. If you have not seen our site, I encourage all of our readers to visit it. Sign up for Notifications. The First Budget Hearing is scheduled on September 13th at 5:05 p.m. and the Final Budget Hearing is scheduled on September 26th at 5:05 p.m. Both meetings are at City Hall located at 400 South Federal Highway. Every resident is encouraged to come out to participate or watch the meeting live. As always please feel free to contact me anytime with your questions, concerns, and ideas to make our City a better place! I am available at: jcooper@cohb.org . Or: joycooper@aol.com . On my Office number at: (954) 457-1318. Or on my Cell/Text at: (954) 632-5700. You can always visit my Facebook and follow me at: Mayor Joy Cooper. < Previous News Next News >

DOGE - Impacts On The City Of Hallandale Beach By Hallandale Beach Mayor, Joy Cooper Aug 6, 2025 Over The Past Months Our Governor Has Been Focused On DOGE. While We Can Agree That There Are Instances Of Spending By All Levels Of Government, Including The State, That Are Questionable. What About The State? Actually, The New “Statewide Taxpayer Funded Campaign” By The Governor Is An Example Of Questionable Spending. These Announcements Could Have Very Easily Been Done From Tallahassee. Cities and counties in our state must submit a balanced annual budget and are subject to annual audits and submit a Comprehensive Annual Report CAFR. Hallandale Beach, for example, just received an audit with zero findings. Our entire budget is online and accessible for everyone including the state for review. The state has access; they should use it and not require our staff to do their work. So, what are they asking for? In short, they are asking our staff to create documents in an effort to cover their own DOGE failure attempt. Mayors and Managers at every level of government received a DOGE basic request back in March and responded. After there was radio silence. The recent DOGE campaign was announced through a staged statewide campaign. The recent DOGE correspondence was sent July 11th, with a response deadline of July 21st. When I first received the email, I was extremely perplexed and annoyed for our professional staff. I sent an email to Dr. Earle to share my thoughts. “While I know we will comply with their request it is perplexing as all this information is available in our audit and our Comprehensive Annual Report CAFR.” At the end of the email the state offered government agencies to contact them if they could not make the deadline. This was a full page of questions asking our staff to comply in their own excel spread sheet form. The report asked once again about population, revenues, and the entire budget with expenses of every single department. This was not just for one year but all the way back to 20-21. Our staff, including the Finance, Budget Committee and Information Technology, got to work instantly and worked over the weekend in hopes of not having to ask for an extension. Many cities and counties asked for extensions, some 30 days. On Monday July 21st in an email to Dr. Earle our Finance Director on behalf of the team explained our complex ledger structure does not simply tie into an excel sheet. IT worked on a solution, and they have completed all the tabs but the final one. Rather than rushing and losing value data the team asked for an extension until August 8th. I am sure this same issue is being addressed by every agency. I cannot imagine what large cities and counties are going through. Many residents may not realize all Florida governments are currently going through their 2024-2025 budgets that must be approved before October 1st. This DOGE mission is taking all our staff away from critical daily duties. As a note, we have a fully accessible state-of-the-art IT system. The main issue is they are asking staff to create a work sheet to fit their needs. Typically, auditors will come in and request access to documentation and our systems, but the auditors do the work. Our staff has requested an extension simply because the time was not possible. The unrealistic request of all the government agencies to comply within 11 days shows a true lack of understanding of the complex financial system or was a deliberate attempt to create a lack of faith in our government. This contrived narrative that all governments have waste and are abusing taxpayer dollars is strictly feeding a political base. The goal is not to cut taxes. They are looking for a “smoking gun” in an attempt to suggest that our property taxes are too high. If you had a chance to read my State of the City. The State of Florida, you already know that our state is the fourth lowest taxed burden state in the nation. Our state does not have income tax and has an incredibly low sales tax rate of 6%. Our cities depend on property taxes to pay for services that directly impact safety and quality of life of each resident. Our state did nothing to cut insurance costs. They cut many local requests to fund much needed infrastructure. Our Northeast Flood Control request was cut. Now, being faced with costs to cover education, schools, and health insurance, they are teeing up a bait and switching. Cut property taxes but increase sales tax. Great for the state as they collect sales tax and do not rely on property taxes. We as a city rely on property taxes to pay for vital services; Police, Fire, EMS, Water and Wastewater Services, Flood Control, Sanitation Services, Municipal Road Maintenance, Park, and Beach Services. Every citizen needs to understand what services each level of government provides. As always, I am available anytime for your questions, concerns, and ideas to make our City a better place on my Phone/Text at: (954) 632-5700. Or you can email me at: jcooper@cohb.org . Please visit me on my Facebook page at: Mayor Joy Cooper. Like! Follow! And share! Previous Next

Experience Serenity And Thrills: A Day At The Newport Fishing Pier Wed May 15 2024 16:18:00 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)