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Fifteen years ago, Fort Lauderdale was still "where the boys were" -- a haven for college spring-break revelers from around the country. Since then, it has become a thriving modern city catering primarily to a different brand of tourists: families.
At the same time, city residents have watched as sparkling new buildings have gone up around them. They've seen the revitalization of the beach area, the creation of Riverwalk, the arrival of a science museum and a world-class performing arts center. The city's "Main Street," Las Olas Boulevard, has become a bustling center of retail business and a nice place to take a leisurely stroll even after dark, when the old Las Olas would have been all but shut down.
Throughout most of this period of transformation, Jim Naugle has been the mayor. And while he is the first to admit that "no one person is responsible for the success we have experienced," he nonetheless deserves some credit for the city's progress, just as he would have to shoulder his share of blame had the city's fortunes declined.
The South Florida Sun-Sentinel Editorial Board recommends that voters return Naugle to office for a fifth three-year term on Tuesday.
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Naugle, 48, was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, and attended Broward Community College and Florida Atlantic University, where he was awarded a B.A. in business administration in 1975.
A Realtor, Naugle is chairman of the Fort Lauderdale Community Redevelopment Agency. His long record of civic involvement includes service on the Broward County Planning Council, the Broward County Resource Recovery Board and the Florida League of Cities, of which he is a past president. He also served on a "smart growth" task force appointed by the president of the National League of Cities.
His top priority, if re-elected, is to enhance public safety, for which he is willing to increase spending on both police and fire services. He proposes to rebuild and replace fire stations and the police station without raising taxes.
Another priority is to increase public transportation and improve conditions for pedestrians. He believes mass transit is essential to the city's future.
He envisions "an urban tropical renaissance city with a quality of life second to none." He supports the south runway expansion at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
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