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Broward Mayor John E. Rodstrom, Jr., gives an overview of the State of the County at the Fourth Annual State of Our County Forum.
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DATE: April 13, 2012
MEDIA CONTACT: Kimberly Maroe, Public Information Manager
Broward County Board of County Commissioners
PHONE: 954-357-8053
EMAIL: kmaroe@broward.org
Broward County Mayor John E. Rodstrom, Jr. delivered a State of the County address at the Fourth Annual “State of Our County” Forum sponsored by the Broward Workshop at the Signature Grand this morning.
“Over the past decade, we’ve refused to raise property taxes, have cut government spending, reduced the size of County government and maintained a healthy financial reserve. We’ve been prudent stewards of your money and, as a result, we have a triple-A bond rating. Do you know what that means? Broward County is more fiscally sound than the federal government,” said Rodstrom, who drew a loud round of applause.
The Broward Workshop hosts "The State of Our County" forum annually to address current and future issues related to Broward County business. This year, the event was attended by nearly 1,000 business and civic leaders and elected officials from across South Florida.
Featured speaker Mike Jackson, chair and CEO of AutoNation, outlined the company’s recipe for success, even in an economic recession. “We identified the best talent we had and kept them. We hired good talent that was newly available and on the market. Unlike our competitors, we accelerated innovation and continued to invest in the company. We made changes during good times,” said Jackson.
David Walker, founder and CEO of the Comeback America Initiative, gave the keynote presentation titled the “True State of Federal Finances.” Walker noted that federal government spending has more than “tripled” in the past decade. He said that 43 percent of government spending last year financed social programs, such as Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Walker warned that the current federal deficit of approximately $15 trillion could jeopardize the U.S. economy if drastic reforms are not imposed. He continued, saying that reforms must be made to reduce the growing interest on debt, which is currently $3 billion annually, healthcare costs and defense spending, and he said drastic tax reforms need to be put in place.
The Broward Workshop is a private, non-profit, non-partisan business organization established in 1981, consisting of the chief decision makers representing 100 of Broward County's major businesses and professions.
For more information on the Fourth Annual Broward Workshop State of Our County Forum, visit browardworkshop.com.
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