Pine Trails Park Amphitheater. {Photo by Sharon Aron Baron.}
By Bryan Boggiano
Parkland needs you to run for office.
Two commission seats are up for election in 2024 and already have challengers.
Commissions Seats Three and Four, currently held by Commissioners Ken Cutler and Bob Mayersohn, will both be open seats after the two are term-limited heading into the election.
As of Oct. 2, two candidates have filed to run for the election to Seat Three: Howard Berger and Cynthia Murphy-Salomone.
Berger was originally elected to the Lauderhill City Commission in 1984, and served in his role through 1990. He was elected again in 2004. Voters subsequently reelected him in 2008, 2012, and 2016. He was term-limited and ineligible to run in 2020. By that time, he was serving as vice mayor.
During his tenure, Berger generated controversy for voting against resolutions supporting the creation of a regional climate action plan and calling on Congress to pass legislation ensuring equal pay for equal work, regardless of sex. He tried, unsuccessfully, to change his vote on the latter.
Berger supported plans to provide some low-income seniors with additional tax relief and a ban on youth playing outdoor sports such as basketball after 9 p.m.
Upon his retirement from the commission, Lauderhill proclaimed Berger as the “People’s Commissioner” for his volunteerism throughout South Florida, his annual Women’s Tribute dinner, sending out thousands of birthday cards each year, and contributing to numerous causes.
Murphy-Salomone currently serves as the managing legal product director for Travelers Insurance. Before that, she worked for Progressive for 19 years, becoming a senior legal director for house counsel, according to her LinkedIn page. Murphy-Salomone also serves on the charter review board.
Through June 30, the most recent campaign finance reports available, Berger raised $100,000, which all came as a loan to himself. Murray-Salomone has not reported any campaign donations.
The District Four Race is off to a slower start. As of Oct. 3, only Robert Brannen has announced his candidacy.
Brannen serves as president of Happy House Outdoor Living and is a senior consultant at Brannen’s Consulting. He serves on the city’s charter review board. Brannen, a candidate for the same seat in 2020 against Mayersohn, lost.
Brannen has yet to report any campaign donations, according to publicly available finance reports.
For residents interested in running for election, there is still plenty of time. Those interested should contact City Clerk Alyson Morales at 954-757-4132 or AMorales@cityofparkland.org.
Districts Three and Four are set to undergo minor boundary changes at the Oct. 4 commission meeting. Interested candidates should also confirm which district they reside in.
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