I'm done knocking on new Broward County Mayor Stacy Ritter. Why? Because I like her. I really like her.
There are signs that she's going to make county hall fun again. She possesses a huge ego -- so big that she actually had staff move a wall this weekend to make her new mayor's office bigger (and reduce the size of her staffers' quarters). An ego like that holds grudges; that's just the way it works. There's no love lost, for instance, between Ritter and fellow dais-sitter Lois Wexler. When Ritter took over for Wexler there was one thing missing during the pomp and circumstance: A plaque. Every other former mayor (or, before that, chairperson) had been given a plaque to mark their year of service. Not so for Wexler, who was reportedly upset at the omission.
Ritter can afford to offend Wexler. She has the majority in her favor. Right now there's only a hard-core trio who are setting up as a sort of opposition to Ritter's power: Wexler, John Rodstrom, and Joe Eggelletion. One might note that all three of them are deeply tied to lobbyist Judy Stern, who is no FOS (Friend of Stacy).
The games are just beginning. Because at the commission, it's not about the county's problems, it's about petty power struggles.
