For the last four years, while controversial County Commissioner Dale Holness has focused on trips to the Caribbean and exerting his influence in Miramar, his central Broward district has fallen further behind other neighborhoods. State Senator Chris Smith says the condition of District 9 convinced him to skip retirement to the private sector. Smith was the only District 9 candidate to speak at the recent Haitian American Democratic Club meeting in Plantation.
Smith explained the “broken window” theory to the group; He said broken windows, trash-filled vacant lots and posters plastered on light poles send the wrong message to the public. Smith said these issues make residents feel like nobody cares about their neighborhoods. He said this invites more crime.
Smith, a resident of the neighborhood boardering historic Sistrunk Boulevard, said every neighborhood in District 9 should be as well-kept as other Districts.
