PEMBROKE PARK, Fla. – Broward County voters in District 3 will choose between Michael Udine and Randal Cutter as their next commissioner.
The district includes Tamarac, Coral Springs, Parkland and parts of North Lauderdale.
"I think the big issues that are facing the county are transportation (and) public safety," Udine said.
Udine is currently the mayor of Parkland. The Democrat grew up in Tamarac and graduated from J.P. Taravella High School. He told Local 10 News that traffic light synchronization and police funding are top priorities.
"The county needs to make sure that they are giving the public safety professionals what they need," Udine said. "They don't need to micromanage them. They need to make sure that public safety experts are making these decisions."
His Republican opponent is the pastor of New Dawn Community Church in Coral Springs.
Cutter said he is strongly against two proposed half-cent sales tax increases on the November ballot that would go toward county transportation and infrastructure projects in Broward County's cities.
"I'll believe this is about helping the poor when the 10 wealthiest communities in Broward County give their windfall from this tax to the 10 poorest communities," Cutter said.
Cutter said the county should go back to the drawing board on how to fund much-needed transportation projects. He is also critical of commissioners' practice of donating money left over from their annual budget to potential pet project charities.
"Not your favorite charity or my favorite charity, their favorite charity," Cutter said. "Those who watch this sort of thing are very concerned instantly about political patronage."
Sending that money back to the general fund for the next year is something on which both candidates agreed.