Come Nov. 3, voters in central Hollywood\u2019s District 3 will elect a successor to Vice Mayor Traci Callari.<\/p>\n
They have two options: David Raskind, the owner of a Jewish nursery and preschool, or Alex Recio, the owner of a bakery and the son of a retired Hollywood police officer.<\/p>\n
Callari, a registered nurse who joined the dais 14 years ago, cannot run due to term limits.<\/p>\n
With two other veteran commissioners also leaving the dais, the District 3 winner will be one of three new faces joining Hollywood\u2019s seven-member board at a time when Hollywood is tackling flooding woes, development concerns and other challenges.<\/p>\n
Recio, who has served on several city boards and frequently speaks on important issues at City Hall, argues he\u2019s the right person for the job.<\/p>\n
He points to his ability to build bridges between people who clash and disagree \u2014 including the folks on his very own campaign host committee.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the beach to west of the Turnpike, some of my host committee members absolutely hate each other,\u201d Recio confided. \u201cThey cannot agree on the color of the sky \u2014 but they agree on me. Because they know me, they\u2019ve seen me in action on city, county and nonprofit boards. And because they know my ability to bring different sides together for the betterment of Hollywood.\u201d<\/p>\n
A lifelong resident, Recio served on the city\u2019s Charter Review Committee, striving to give voters more of a say on the fate of public lands.<\/p>\n
He has also served on Hollywood\u2019s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee and currently serves on the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization as Hollywood\u2019s citizen representative.<\/p>\n
Recio, 38, has received a slew of endorsements: Six out of seven members of the commission, including Mayor Josh Levy, have backed him in the race along with a trio of Hollywood unions representing police officers, firefighters and municipal employees.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat distinguishes me from my opponent is my widespread community support, because of our vastly different histories and experience levels in Hollywood,\u201d Recio said. \u201cMy opponent moved to District 3 only two years ago. He has never once attended a civic association meeting \u2014 including our candidate forum \u2014 never once spoken before the City Commission on any issue, and never once served on any city boards or committees.\u201d<\/p>\n
Raskind describes himself as an outsider, but he argues that\u2019s not a bad thing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am offering District 3 a fresh, independent voice and a different perspective at City Hall,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Raskind, 37, acknowledges that he has not served on city boards or spoken up on hot issues at City Hall, but says that makes him like thousands of other residents in the city who he hopes to represent.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a 100% pure outsider,\u201d Raskind said. \u201cI think we have to understand that there are groups of people in Hollywood. You have the governing group. You have the civic group. You have people who have gotten involved like Alex (Recio). But you have thousands and thousands and thousands of people who are residents of Hollywood, who are taxpayers, who live here, who\u2019ve raised their kids here, who haven\u2019t stepped foot into City Hall.\u201d<\/p>\n
Raskind says he wants to give those people a seat at the table and a chance to take part in civic life in Hollywood.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t come up through the traditional political or civic pipeline,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019ve never held elected office or served on city boards or committees. I came to this as a resident, a father, a small-business owner, a school founder and someone who became increasingly concerned about the direction and priorities of our city. I believe that gives me a fresh perspective and allows me to look at issues without being tied to the way things have always been done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Recio says that while Hollywood has challenges, the city is generally heading in the right direction.<\/p>\n
He points to the fact that the city budget is structurally balanced, Hollywood\u2019s police and fire departments are rated Class 1, and the city is finishing up with the successful implementation of a voter-approved General Obligation Bond that saw $200 million invested in Hollywood\u2019s parks, infrastructure and public safety<\/a>.<\/p>\n But he does think the city needs to use caution and care in planning ahead for the next 100 years.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a small-business owner and longtime Hollywood resident, I understand that growth can bring opportunity, but it also comes with impacts,\u201d Recio said. \u201cTraffic, noise, flooding, parking, pressure on roads and utilities, and the overall character of our neighborhoods all need to be considered when we make development decisions.\u201d<\/p>\n