Two candidates with deep roots in South Florida political families are facing off for Fort Lauderdale’s District 1 commission seat, and they can’t agree on much when it comes to Amendment 3, the statewide property tax measure on the November 3 ballot. Attorney John Rodstrom III opposes the measure outright, while former commissioner Heather Moraitis is backing it. Both say they’d personally absorb a pay cut if it passes and city revenue shrinks.
The special election was triggered by the resignation of Commissioner John Herbst, who stepped down effective November 2 to set the stage for a vote on the final two years of his term, according to WLRN. Herbst’s path to the commission was itself unusual — he spent 16 years as Fort Lauderdale’s city auditor before being fired in 2022, then won the District 1 seat later that same year. As Axios reports, Rodstrom and Moraitis are now running to fill the remainder of that term, with Amendment 3 emerging as the defining fault line between them.
Rodstrom, a business litigation lawyer, has called Amendment 3 poorly drafted and not thought out, per the same Axios report, warning it could create significant consequences for local governments and other taxing authorities that provide essential services. He has said Fort Lauderdale could manage the amendment’s financial fallout without sacrificing core services, but added that leadership should be willing to share in the sacrifices it asks of others — telling Axios he would accept a pay cut himself if the measure passes.
Moraitis Bets On Belt-Tightening At City Hall
Moraitis, who represented District 1 from November 2018 until stepping down in April 2022 and is married to former state representative George Moraitis, takes the opposite view. She supports Amendment 3 and argues, per Axios, that government should tighten its belt before taxpayers when affordability is a top issue, insisting residents should keep more of their own money. She has pointed to $15 million in savings she believes Fort Lauderdale could find without touching police, fire, or other core services, and like Rodstrom, she says she would accept a pay cut to help offset any revenue loss…