Response to Threats Against Cooper City Staff and Commission

October 19, 2012

RE: Written threats against Cooper City staff and commission members

To Whom It May Concern, 

During a recent review of the Cooper City attorney’s invoices and fees (they are outrageously substantial and are roaring completely out of control, with the city attorney given a recent hefty pay raise) I encountered an invoice from the city attorney substantially charging the city and taxpayers for review of an ‘anonymous letter’ threatening and alleging some sort of attack against the city and one or more city official(s), which was apparently in the possession of the Mayor and was being reviewed by the city attorney at her request. The city attorney never responded to the Mayor but was paid very handsomely. 

Given the times we all live in, I was initially shocked that this alleged written threat had never been brought to the staff or the commission’s full attention. Furthermore, as I thought of the possible implications of such a serious threat, the more concerned I became. Several questions began to arise in my opinion that I found almost incomprehensible, yet realistic and somewhat frightening. 

Why was this potential and serious alleged threat to the city, city official(s) and presumably city employee(s), not brought to the immediate attention of the city manager, chief law enforcement officer and the rest of the members of the city commission? Why was there no investigation of such a potential damaging letter and its inherent imminent threat? Why was there no initial warning of a possible threat to all persons who might be the target of such a threat? I thought immediately of many of our city employees are working outdoors who are most susceptible to possible dangers from person or persons who might seek to harm them.

I have now asked the city manager to investigate this letter, if it actually exists, and to report to the city commission on what occurred and allow the commissioners to ask questions of why no awareness was made regarding this threat. This request was made weeks ago and no response has been provided as of today. This is a serious breach of duty in my opinion. 

Most of all, I am appalled that Mayor Debby Eisinger showed so little concern for those of the city staff and her fellow commissioners that she did not take immediate action to protect them against a potential and serious threat. While in retrospect it may now turn out to have been merely a false or meaningless threat or childish attempts to scare someone, I can’t comprehend that the Mayor would simply dismiss any alleged threat based upon her selfish and personal interpretation of the alleged letter. The comments by the city attorney did not indicate that he recommended any action, nor did he advise anyone else of the threat. In fact, his response to me was that he never even responded to the Mayor’s concerns which I find incomprehensible. This of course follows the City Attorney’s long and contentious track record of not responding to commissioner’s questions, requests and demands which is a very serious issue in his line of work. 

I am clearly relieved that this threatening letter has not yet result in any harm or damage to anyone…yet. That notwithstanding, I am quite disturbed that Mayor Debby Eisinger, and for that matter the City Manager and City Attorney, lack the responsibility if not the ‘common sense’ to take the minimal steps of advising the law enforcement officials as well as the city staff and commission members to ensure the safety of all of the potential persons placed at risk by this perceived threat. 

I can only hope that my fellow commissioners will join with me and immediately demand that an action plan for any such further occurrences of this nature be developed and be available for implementation should this ever happen again. I also hope that my fellow commissioners will join with me in severely reprimanding the Mayor and City Attorney for this type of blatant irresponsibility and unconscionable behavior.  

The safety of all persons within our city, especially those who proudly and diligently serve our city need to know that their safety and welfare are foremost in our minds, hearts, and actions whenever a threat, no matter how insignificant it might turn out to be, will be treated with the upmost of urgency and seriousness, more so with the current turmoil in the world in addition to the political hatred that most of America has for incompetence, irresponsibility and lack of action to resolve problems in government at all levels.

 

Respectfully,

 

John Sims

City Commissioner, Dist. 1

Cooper City, FL 

CC:       Cooper City Commission

BSO

             Cooper City Staff

Cooper City's Election Challenge

Dear Residents, Friends and Business Owners:

Cooper City has never faced a more serious ethical, financial and economic challenge. We need serious leaders capable of crafting and implementing workable plans that will help lift our community toward financial recovery, rid our city of politricks and create jobs.

In this campaign, I have spoken to a lot of residents about the city's contentious past under our current Mayor with more to go. I have spoken face-to-face with hundreds of people about what is important to them. They care about jobs and balancing budgets, keeping taxes low, their safety and putting families first.

They want officials who have proven themselves to be independent -- not just who say it, but who live it -- and who have the guts to vote their conscience on behalf of the residents and business owners, not voting just to go along and get along with their colleagues on the dais.

I have been that kind of leader and I need your help. That's why I ask for your support November 6th for Greg Ross for Mayor and Daniel 'Dan' Barrett for District 3 Commissioner.

I think the best days for Cooper City await us, but only if we stop focusing on what is unimportant and get back to work on the agenda that matters to We the People.

Warm regards,

John

Cooper City - Seniors vs. Crime

SENIORS VS. CRIME

By Noreen S. Gilman, Volunteer Seniors vs. Crime

Many residents are not aware that there is an organization devoted to assisting Floridians of ALL ages who believe they have been victimized by improper practices, scams or other economic crimes. It is called “Seniors vs. Crime” and it is a Special Project of the Florida Attorney General. Our organization is non-profit, and we never charge a fee for our services. Our mission is to assist the Florida Attorney General in preventing crimes against the elderly, to educate and to alert seniors about consumer frauds, con games, scams, identity theft and other criminal acts that target senior citizens. There are several offices around the state including North Miami Beach, Delray Beach, and the newest office in Cooper City.

Earlier this year many of our residents were defrauded from the theft of thousands of dollars of refunds due them from the IRS. Seniors vs. Crime assisted several of these victims to file the necessary forms to recover their money. Now that we are in the middle of hurricane season, we are prepared to assist residents in roofing problems, flooding, as well as other storm damage received during a Tropical Storm or Hurricane. We regularly receive alerts concerning possible storm damage and the repair of homes after a storm by fly-by-night contractors.

As part of our outreach to the community, we have also established a Speakers Bureau which has qualified individuals who will offer a presentation, without charge, on a variety of topics such as identity theft, the current scams and many more subjects of interest. To arrange for a speaker for your organization or group, or for more information if you feel you are a victim of an economic crime,  please call our office in Cooper City at 954.441.8339. 

Also, be aware...As an FYI - the city received two phone calls this afternoon from residents in Summertime Isles who advised that a person knocked on their door (one last night at 8:00 pm and the other today) and told the residents that they were from the City and needed to speak to them.  When the resident refused to open the door last night, the person became aggressive and frightened the resident.

In both cases, the residents were told to call BSO immediately to relay this information. PLEASE, take NOTHING for granted and call BSO and 911 if you see ANYTHING suspicious...

Keeping you informed,

John

Commissioner John Sims

Cooper City Special Report

Cooper City Report: ‘Recession Hurt American Families’ Wealth; Recession wiped out nearly two decades of American families’ wealth; Net worth plunges 39% over three years; Median income dropped 7.7% from 2007- 2010’.

These are a few recent headlines reflecting our residents and businesses economic status. I mention them as we look to our city budget meetings this month (July 18^th & 19^th) and ask the question, “What are the challenges that face the Cooper City Commission?” What can we do to lighten the load on our businesses and residents?

I have asked this question to your commissioner’s previously, without a response. They responded by raising taxes for the 7^th year in a row. When I ask residents about the city’s management style, the answer seems to reflect ‘lightening the financial burden on us’. When I asked what specifically do you mean? Here are some of their thoughts…

The cost of living in Cooper City continues rise exponentially and crime is increasing. When asked for clarification, here is the consensus...The cost of overall taxes rises without any improvements in the city. Quoting one commissioner, “We are starting to look like West Hollywood” and I agree. A review of the last several years shows a 15-17% of increase in assessed property values (under Save Our Homes) and taxes and fees continue to rise, the Fire Assessment being the most confusing to many.

“We already pay for that service don’t we?” is a frequent comment. The assessment increased from $64 to an increase scheduled for this year of $164, almost 2 ½ times. One resident made several blunt comments about the Special Magistrate, implemented as a service to our residents, saying that it has become a money machine for the city. The Commission has yet to review or question its performance (or that of our city attorney) since inception. The common item complained about is the cost of water. The Water & Sewer Enterprise is still an area that the city commission has failed to review or question during past few budget workshops.

Without fully describing the business climate in Cooper City, one only has to look around and see the number of empty stores. This in turn this costs our residents more money and time if they are not able to obtain goods and services from local vendors. Again, is the atmosphere created by the city conducive for businesses to flourish, or are we too rigid in our antiquated and controlling thinking about yard sales, signs, banners, balloons or other methods needed to attract more customers?  Should we not be asking, ‘What can we do to help?’ This is the pleading I have made since elected with no solutions by your city commission as a whole.

These, and many more questions I want to raise to prompt discussion and changes to many of the things that are essential to creating a friendly attitude of what once was ‘Someplace Special”, but may have lost its luster in the last 5 to 10 years. We can do better if we try, and we must do better at the November polls. We must elect candidates with business savvy, who want to take risks to make positive change on your behalf. We must reject city commission candidates who are political operatives, who have nothing substantial to offer to vastly improve your city’s future.

This upcoming election year will be about positive change on your behalf. Its way past the time for the city to take positive action for the well-being of our residents and business owners, which means reducing ‘feel good’ spending, eliminating unnecessary assessments and lowering taxes.

I can say for certain that I will continue to work very hard to serve the public and do my very best to be the leader that our residents and business owners rightfully expect without a political agenda. There have been many problems over the past that have not been addressed effectively, timely or appropriately by the current leadership. That must change in November.

As a commission, we must improve the city’s image, address unfunded mandates, address ten year budget projections, reduce our current spending, implement more diverse programs, improve customer service and most importantly, restore fiscal responsibility and accountability to public office.

How can we make this happen? We must review every detail of how we do business as a city, and how we lead as elected officials. Visit my website www.keepsims.com or e-mail me for any city concerns at Commissioner_Sims@CooperCityFL.org.

A Message from Your ‘GO TO’ Commissioner

A Message from Your ‘GO TO’ Commissioner 

Dear Business Owners, Friends and Neighbors,

I consider it a great honor and a great privilege to represent the residents of District 1, along with all of Cooper City. As your fiscally responsible representative on the Cooper City Commission, a job I have been proud to hold since March, 2007, I have had much opposition by the career political cronies of this city. Many of you first met me during my campaign to eliminate favoritism, corruption, excessive spending and malfeasance in our city government. I was first elected in 2007 based on my vast experience in business and you convinced me that I could bring new ideas and a fresh approach to the City Commission which I have proudly done.

Since my election to the Commission one of my main focuses has been on assessing, prioritizing and expanding programs and services for senior citizens and recognizing the importance of utilizing data and technology in our current systems which has been underutilized. Earlier this year I served as the driving force for the Senior Advisory Board, which brought community elders and leaders to the table in order to discuss the troubling issue of the lack of top quality seniors programs. Providing for the needs of our elderly population is critical and will continue to remain one of my priorities. To that end, the Senior Advisory Board must be concerned with matters relating to the well-being and improvement of the quality of life for Cooper City’s elder residents, although to my extreme dismay, dirty politics, internal favoritism and prejudice have taken over that process.

I am referred to as the “Go to Commissioner” because many have said ‘Go to Commissioner Sims if you want results for your issues’. I resolve our residents’ and business owners’ problems and I timely address their issues. I know that with good business practices, and great leadership, good government will be an everyday occurrence. The one process that needs curbing is one that I am working hard to streamline: the party line bureaucratic process that is often inherent in government. I am and have always been committed to making Cooper City government more efficient and less costly.

One area that is of particular interest is the County’s bid process. Accountability is critical. Utilizing data to make decisions is in the best interest of the residents and business owners of Cooper City are paramount to our success. There have been too many issues not bid on, such our city attorney, who reports to no one and now is considered the ‘Rainmaker’ for his law firm. The position is unbridled, unmanaged and sometimes used for political purposes, which is one reason why our legal bills have soared beyond belief. 

Some of your elected officials have had long term relationships with the city attorney and failed to disclose that fact when they voted to hire him and his law firm. His decision making ability and legal advice has not always been in the best interest of the city, its residents and business owners, but sometimes made in the best interest of those he chooses to support politically and made in the best interest of making tons of money for his law firm. This must end immediately.  

One other issue of vast interest is the Charter Review Board recommendations, and the haste in which it was convened and adjourned. The issues will be placed on the November ballot and have been approved by the city commission. They will affect you greatly, and already have, as many of your rights were stripped away by a renegade few on the commission in 2006, without your knowledge. I will blog about this issue in the very near future, so stay tuned. 

In the past I served on a number of boards, committees serving our community. My involvement included alternate memberships on the Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Water Resources Task Force. I also served as the Director of Government Affairs and Ethics for the Human Relations Council of Florida along with being directly involved in other entities supporting our community such as the Kiwanis Club and the American Legion.

I was raised in Dade County, but I have been a resident of Broward County for more than 20 years. My beautiful and loving wife Janet and I are proud parents and step-parents of two fine boys and now have had the pleasure of watching them grow up and remain close to our beautiful community. I want you to know that I am here to work with you and for you for any of your concerns no matter what the issue is. I understand the role of a policy maker and a leader, and I believe I have the determination, professionalism and integrity to serve you well leaving the politricks aside and doing what is right for your success. 

It is critically important to me that cities and other local governments work together for the common good of We the People. We can find the common ground necessary to create the partnerships which are beneficial and productive to you, our constituents without a lot of expense, political maneuvering and red tape.

As many of you have already discovered my office serves as a resource to all of you in our community. I regularly provide valuable and current information to our Home Owner and Civic Associations and all of our business owners on all matters affecting our city, both personal and political, and I work very hard to resolve the issues that you bring to my attention.

I strive to be fully accessible, accountable and responsive to your issues and concerns. Your opinions and thoughts are very important to me and intend to continue to put your concerns ahead of all else. As such, please feel free to contact me at any time by calling 954-445-6997 or by e-mail at: johnsims@bellsouth.net I look forward to hearing from you, so feel free to contact me at any time and for any reason and be sure to keep up with what’s happening in Cooper City at http://www.keepsims.com

John Sims
Cooper City Commissioner, District 1

*Please forward*

The Great Power Grab Caper in Cooper City

The Great Power Grab Caper in Cooper City

That is the title of a document that I received recently in an email. Upon reading I thought it warranted and I agreed to posting it for all Cooper City voters to read. It does raise the concern, “Were the voters of Cooper City in the last ballot change to the city’s charter, hoodwinked into believing that the statement on the ballot was accurate description of the actions to be taken, or were they deceptive and as a result lost a “charter right”, that being the right to approve certain major financial expenditures by the city commission when it exceeded a specific amount?”

One can only assume that there may well be some truth to it and should be viewed by the current sitting commission as an egregious transgression by the previous commission. A quote from a past virulent and outspoken dissident, who has receded into the background and is rarely vocal and then only acting as a surrogate for the Mayor or Commissioner Mallozzi.

“Unity among commissioners should never be an issue. The issue should be five individuals bringing their own independent thoughts and ideas to the people, and doing what’s right for this city, not agreeing with each other just to have a commission group hug. We’ve had enough so called commission(al) harmony, being nothing more than rubber stamp voting. The people demand you represent us, NOT each other.

Also, please don’t claim our finances are strained until a forensic audit is done, and our books are looked into in detail. You might be surprised at what you find, or don’t find.” 

 - [verbatim comments of Diane Sori, Embassy Lakes resident, at a public meeting on citizens’ concerns during a Cooper City Commission meeting.]

To: Coopercityinsider@Blogspot.com

Emailed as Follows; This is the part of the old city charter that was removed in November of 2006 which was not properly described in the ballot items and as a result can only be described as the

The Great Power Grab Caper by the

Elected Officials of Cooper City

Mayor Debbie Eisinger

November 2006

Section 5.15. Requirements for referendum. -- The City of Cooper City may borrow money, contract loans and issue bonds payable from ad valorem taxes and maturing more than twelve months after issue only to finance or refinance capital projects authorized by law and only when approved by a vote of the electors of the city.

(Added to the current Charter) The city shall have full power and authority to issue municipal bonds or to borrow funds [or municipal purposes to the extent authorized by and subject to the limitations provided in the Constitution of the State of Florida, the Municipal Home Rule Law, other applicable statutes and this charter.

(Deleted from the current Cooper City Charter) The purchase or construction of a capital project or facility or the purchase of capital equipment, the cost of which shall exceed seven and one half percent (7.5%) of the then existing current budget as adopted for the fiscal year, and which requires the borrowing of funds by the City or the issuance of bonds to fund such expenditures shall require prior voter approval of a majority of the electors voting at an election.

The referendum requirement of the section shall not apply to capital projects within the water and sewer utility systems of the city. Nor shall it apply to expenditures mandated by federal or state governments.  

Also removed in its entirety, the section noted below of almost 1000 words.

Section 3.13. Initiative, referendum, recall.—

I leave it to you the reader to determine for yourself the following questions;

What is the significance of this?

Were we told of this?
What should be done to restore the voter’s charter rights?

TheCharter changes will be voted upon at this Tuesday night’s meeting in Cooper City. Be there and watch how more of your rights will be stripped by your commissioners elected to represent you, not their best interests…

Your comments are most welcomed.

Cooper City BSO Alert!

An alert US postal carrier contacted BSO after observing 2 suspicious males parked in a driveway & knocking on front doors in Cooper City. Deputies responded & apprehended both subjects. Stolen property from other residential burglaries was also found in the subject’s possession. The location of the apprehension is unknown at this time. BSO reminds you to always be alert and dial 911 to report any suspicious persons or activity.

Cooper City's Property Values increase 8.6%

Cooper City’s property values are expected to increase approximately 8.6% as per the Broward Property Appraiser, the highest in Broward County according to this estimate.

Real Property Values (does not include TPP or Centrally Assessed)

MUN
2011 WCC*
2012 EST
Diff
% Diff

COUNTY
119,008,960,880
122,539,381,960
3,530,421,080
3.0%

UNINCORPORATED
371,558,560
389,350,470
17,791,910
4.8%

COOPER CITY
1,853,919,930
2,013,671,130
159,751,200
8.6%


Best regards,

Commissioner John Sims
Cooper City, FL
954-445-6997

Cooper City's Breakfast with the Principal's meeting

Good Afternoon, I hope all of you had a great Valentine’s Day! This morning I attended the ‘Breakfast with the Principals’ meeting at City Hall, which was a great event and open to the public (see attached Agenda). The Mayor made introductions and in her opening statements commented on the State Legislature’s lack of attending to the ‘Texting while driving’ issue. Her comments were somewhat that the State did not address the texting issue, which our High School students have lobbied for and the full commission supports, yet the state legislators addressed auto racing, promoting it as the state sport.

Well, I will have to assume at this point that either the State has better things to do than addressing citizen’s texting habits, or quite frankly, they didn’t want to reduce texting revenues, which derives serious money for the state and other governments in the form of utility taxes. Think about it…if the state banned texting, millions upon millions of dollars would probably be lost in revenues to the state. How sad. What’s a life worth? If you look at your phone bill, you’ll see just how much of it is taxes, rather than actual service charges. Was it based on money? Maybe we will never know, but we need to call and write our Legislators and let them know that a life is priceless, and not be ignored in exchange for revenues to the state.

The Charter School millage issue was raised as well as the issue as to why Charter School’s don’t pay property taxes. They don’t pay, even though they are a ‘for-profit’ entity, which is based on state law. So…the Charter Schools utilize the local government’s resources, but they don’t contribute to the cost of them. The costs, police, fire, SRD’s, etc., are placed on the backs of us, the resident taxpayer and local business owner. Sounds like another famous unfunded mandate to the local government for which you pay for. Speaking of unfunded mandates, did you know that the BCSB expends over 2 million of your tax dollars to bus children to schools outside of their residential district?

The discussion then led to the School Board re-districting issue (which can be found here: http://www.broward.k12.fl.us/redistricting/welcome.shtml ) and the upcoming public workshops. I implore you to get involved! Regarding re-districting, let me comment on the issues of the BCSB wanting to change boundaries. It’s not right that the BCSB (Broward County School Board) wants to bus our students out of our schools while there are students in our local A-rated schools who don’t even live near here. Granted, some non-resident students are allowed to attend for various and sundry reasons. I’m talking about those who are deliberately being dishonest, cheating and beating the system to attend our schools to the detriment of our legitimate local residents’ and their children. Cooper City will indeed be impacted by the BCSB’s district changes along with the boundary changes. I have previously sent notices of the boundary change meetings for your review.

Fire Chief Rusty Sievers then announced an upcoming Teen CERT program and asked everyone to get involved. If you want more information on this, contact me. Our building department Director Ted Fowler stated that the Charter School on Palm Avenue will open this year and is scheduled for a March 8th ramp-up.

Matt Wood, Director of Growth Management, stated that in regards to Monterra, 600 Certificates of Occupancy (CO’s) have been issued out of 652 units (30%) for Monterra. There is estimated to be an additional 500 CO’s issued in 2012, and a further 400 estimated to be issued by 2013. This equates to about 500 additional students that will be attending Cooper City schools, based upon the average residents per household criteria.

Moving on to our Utilities Director, Mike Bailey, he reminded us that our water conservation program, now in its third year, has won the Emerald award for Broward County (See attached notice) and that we won the ‘Best tasting Water in the State of Florida’. As always, a job ‘well done’ Mike!

Our school Principal’s then made comments about their individual schools, some of which were as such; Pioneer Middle School was rated the number 2 middle school in Broward County, and number 55 in the State out of 583 schools! YEAH! Embassy Creek was rated number 36 out of about 3000 schools. Congratulations Embassy Creek! Also, Cooper City High School's drama department will be hosting the play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ on March 6th & 7th. Contact me for more information if you’d like to attend.

Also, comments were made about the school's Parent/Community Involvement Task Force which consists of about 100 volunteers (Thank you!). The municipal outreach is crucial to our local schools in addition to the 6 sub-committees that were formed. This Tuesday, there will be a workshop at the BCSB building should you wish to tune in on the BCSB website, or attend.

In closing, I’d like to personally thank the Cooper City Kiwanis Club, our local non-profit organizations and our local business owners for becoming involved in the Parent/Community Involvement Task Force.

Also, don’t forget to attend some of our events sponsored by the recreation department as outlined in the attachment, and I look forward to seeing you all on Founder’s Day at the parade on April 28th! Until then, thank you for your continued support and feel free to contact me. Your ‘Go To’ Commissioner, at johnsims@bellsouth.net or at (954) 445-6997. Have a great weekend everyone!

Cooper City Emergency Notice

Subject: Emergency Notice

Effective immediately until further notice.

An alert has been issued by Pembroke Pines Police Department and the Broward County School Board of a threat to shoot into a school facility or government building. All schools in Pembroke Pines and Cooper City are on “lock down“ until further notice. Cooper City government buildings are also on 'lock down'. Please take precautions at your facility by locking your front doors and only let in people that are known to you. If there are any problems please call 911.

###

The statement below is from Superintendent of Schools Jim Notter:

Broward County Public Schools will remain on districtwide lockdown, code red until such time that police authorities communicate that it is no longer necessary. Pembroke Pines police are working in unison with SIU, BSO, as well as other police authorities at their command center in Pembroke Pines. There has been an email indicating a generalized threat that something big was going to happen at a government facility, post office, or school.

The police will dictate the status and continuation of the lockdown, and will communicate with the Distrtict when the lockdown is lifted. As of this moment, we are continuing lockdown and code red at all schools and district facilities in the county.

The District's rumor control hotline has been activated (754.321.0321) and information will be updated as it becomes available.

Charles Webster
Coordinator
Public Relations & Governmental Affairs
Broward County Public Schools
754.321.2300

Cooper City Candidates Fall Victim To Political Smear Campaign

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Cooper City Candidates Fall Victim To Political Smear Campaign

Candidates say their fiscal conservatism is challenging the political establishment

October 29, 2010, Cooper City, Florida - John Sims and David Nall, two candidates vying for seats on the commission in the small bedroom community of Cooper City, Florida are saying that the mudslinging which is occurring in their bid for the Cooper City commission, rivals that of some of the nationwide races.

“It’s really pathetic that people would stoop to this level,” said David Nall whose opponent is currently the incumbent. “I had no idea that things could sink this low in a municipal race.” If anyone has a gripe, it is Nall. Several months ago the Cooper City Commission voted to have background checks performed on all candidates, an act initiated by Mayor Debby Eisinger. According to Nall, his background check came back indicating that he had been guilty of credit card fraud.

The problem? Nall had no such blemish on his record. Before the city could even review and subsequently redact the false information, several people, including Mayor Debby Eisinger, made a public request for it. Nall says, “Word quickly spread and some people, a few of which were supporters of my opponent, distributed the misinformation.” Within days, City Clerk Susan Poling issued a public apology to Nall which was posted on the City website. Additionally, Commissioner Neal De Jesus also apologized on behalf of the city at the next Commission meeting, but that didn’t prevent the story from making local and national news.

Commissioner John Sims, who is running for reelection has also been in crosshairs of the same political operatives. “I’ve actually been a target since my first election,” said Sims. Sims is referring to the drinking and dining scandal that ultimately was responsible for unseating all but Mayor Debby Eisinger. Sims, a private citizen at the time, helped bring to light the practice of the sitting commissioners in which they would eat and drink on the taxpayers of Cooper City’s dime prior to commission meetings. “Obviously, when you call attention to wrongdoing, people like to take the attention off of themselves by attacking the messenger,” Sims said.

During his first election bid four years ago, people anonymously published a 16 year old complaint filed by Sims’ former wife along with his social security number and distributed it around the city. And according to Sims, they are at it again. “My wife received a robo call in which they were attacking my character once again with this 20 year old information.” Sims also confirmed that other supporters of his had received the same call. “They have also been harassing organizations of which I am a part and also disseminating misinformation online and in print,” said Sims. “They hate what I stand for so much they will stop at nothing,” Sims added.

Both Sims and Nall are fiscal conservatives with extensive business and finance backgrounds. Daniel Barrett, who is running for the District 3 seat recently vacated by Commissioner Neal DeJesus, is also a successful businessman with a similar background to Sims and Nall. According to records, Sims’ opponents are a School Board employee and a businessman who has deep ties to current Mayor Debby Eisinger, whom Sims believes is the “Maestro behind this orchestration of misinformation.” Nall’s opponent is a sitting commissioner who is married to a municipal employee in a neighboring city. While she is very involved in the community, she brings little business experience to the dais, according to Nall. “Both camps are pulling out all the stops.

They are attacking us at public meetings, passing out literature, harassing local businesses who display our signs and demeaning us through social media outlets. All I can say is they must be nervous,” said Nall. “This election comes down to one thing. If you want more bureaucracy and more government waste then vote for our opponents. But if the citizens of Cooper City want business people who will trim municipal waste and run the city like a business then vote for us,” said Sims. “It really is just that simple,” Nall said. Sims added, “Who would you rather have representing you, the political establishment or business professionals who clearly understand what needs to be done? Let the voters decide.”

John Sims can be reached by going to http://www.keepsims.com, and David Nall can be contacted by going to http://www.davidanall.com

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Keep Cooper City Commissioner John Sims

My fellow Cooper City Residents think seriously about the vote you will cast this Tuesday,
November 2 for Cooper City Commission.

Have you had enough of tax increases?

Have you had enough of water rate increases? (and...there are more to come)

Have you had enough of Assessment increases?

Have you had enough of your services being cancelled or cut back?

Have you had enough of awarding contracts or jobs to friends of city officials?

Have you had enough of the current TAX AND SPEND Commission?

Cooper City Residents, HAVE YOU HAD ENOUGH...YET?

Help me continue the fight to end the waste of your hard earned taxpayer money!

Vote to Keep me, John Sims, your 'Go To' commissioner for District 1 and all of Cooper City!