Four rivals competing for Fort Lauderdale commission seat in flood-prone District 4

Warren Sturman, a longtime resident and cardiologist, scored a narrow victory in a crowded race for Fort Lauderdale commission two years ago.

Now he’s facing three challengers for the District 4 seat in the city’s Nov. 5 election: Kevin Cochrane, the software executive he narrowly defeated by 49 votes in 2022; Ted Inserra, a community activist and retired chef; and Ben Sorensen, an executive coach who held the District 4 seat before resigning two years into his term to make an unsuccessful run for Congress.

The winner will earn $89,100 a year representing District 4.

The district encompasses the southern end of Fort Lauderdale, extending from the beach on the east all the way west to State Road 7 and from Southwest 34 Street on the south all the way north to Broward Boulevard.

Sturman has won key endorsements from both the police and fire unions.

Sturman says he and his staff respond to every email and every complaint — including those critical of the city’s controversial plan to remove the famous tree-lined median on Las Olas.

If not for him, the trees and the median would have already disappeared to make room for wider sidewalks, Sturman says.

“If it wasn’t for me being elected, it would be gone by now,” Sturman told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Since Sturman’s election, critics have complained about him not providing timely responses to issues brought forward by neighborhood leaders.

In response, Sturman says he and his staff are focused on community engagement.

“We have a workshop once or twice a month,” Sturman told the Sun Sentinel. “We go to all the HOA meetings. We have Zoom conferences.”

‘People are frustrated’

Sorensen, a pastor and Navy reservist, argues that Sturman is not responsive to residents’ complaints.

“I’ve knocked on over 10,000 doors in District 4, talking with thousands and thousands of people,” Sorensen said. “And one of the common refrains you hear from people is that they have concerns. They reach out to the current commissioner and they don’t get a response. They don’t get the help they want. And this is a major problem.”

Sorensen said several neighborhood association presidents in District 4 asked him to run for commission because they’re not getting the help they need.

“This job takes a lot of time, a lot of hours,” Sorensen said. “As a small-business owner, I have the ability to schedule around this job (and make time for commission work).”

Cochrane, who has knocked on thousands of doors in the past several weeks, argues that both Sturman and Sorensen have failed to address crucial issues affecting District 4.

“People are frustrated,” Cochrane said. “They do feel ignored. They have felt this way for many, many years, even when (Ben) Sorensen was commissioner. People feel that for the past two decades, they’ve been arguing for the need for stormwater (upgrades), for better sewage, for cleaner waterways and solving traffic and homeless problems.”

Flooding is a major problem in District 4, home to Edgewood and River Oaks.

Inserra, president of the River Oaks Civic Association, has been a fierce advocate for his flood-prone neighborhood, one of several hard hit by the record-breaking rainstorm in April 2023.

A self-described squeaky wheel, Inserra is known for speaking his mind at City Hall meetings and waging war via email to get the attention of city officials, whether it’s about a flooded street or an old oak in danger of being cut down.

Inserra says he’s not afraid to poke fun at the establishment — or himself.

Inserra made headlines in 2012 for doing a 30-day stint in jail for speeding on his vehicle of choice: A scooter.

“It was either pay the fine or go to jail,” Inserra told the Sun Sentinel.

He chose jail. Before going behind bars, he threw himself a “going away” party at a downtown restaurant.

“It was reggae night,” Inserra said. “I sang “No Teddy, No Cry” and made up all my own lyrics. That was my farewell swan song.”

Inserra was among the seven candidates who ran for the District 4 seat in 2022.

Inserra says he may have lost the election, but he only got more involved as a community activist.

“I have people contacting me because they say they don’t get much response from our commissioners or our city officials,” Inserra told the Sun Sentinel. “I have this reputation of being the guy who can get things done. I even get calls from outside the neighborhood.”

‘Voices fell on deaf ears’

Inserra spoke loudly against a controversial deal that paved the way for a developer to build a 43-court pickleball complex on taxpayer-owned land in Snyder Park.

“This was a rotten stinking deal,” Inserra said. “All of the neighboring civic associations were against it and made their voices heard, yet the voices fell on deaf ears.”

The commission vote was 3-1 on Nov. 1, 2022.

Sorensen, who represented District 4 at the time, left the meeting before the vote to attend a conference the next day.

Now he says he would have voted against it.

“I am sorry for missing the vote,” he told the Sun Sentinel. “I would have voted against it. The neighborhood concerns were all valid.”

In the end, Sorensen let down his constituents, Cochrane said.

“There was a higher priority, which was attending a conference to give a speech,” Cochrane said. “His responsibility to his constituency was to stay because the consequences were dire and we’re still dealing with them today.”

The $20 million project will bring an 8-acre pickleball complex and lakeside restaurant to Snyder Park along with 14 weatherproof courts, luxury suites, volleyball and a 4,000-square-foot event center.

Commissioners who backed the deal say the pickleball complex will bring more crowds to the 93-acre Snyder Park. The courts will take up a section of the park that had been home to a trash transfer station and seaweed composting site.

The developer, My Park Initiative, will operate the complex for 50 years with an option for two five-year extensions. Under the deal, Fort Lauderdale will collect $100,000 a year or 1% of the gross revenue collected the previous year, whichever is greater.

But in the months before the vote, Cochrane led a “Save Snyder Park” petition drive, helping gather more than 1,000 signatures in an effort to protect Snyder Park from commercial development. The effort ultimately failed.

“When you talk to everyday citizens, what they don’t understand is why some private developer in the dark of night can throw out unsolicited bids for a project and get fast tracked to get something built using public dollars in Fort Lauderdale,” Cochrane said. “Free land. No property taxes. No or very little revenue to the city. They don’t understand it. People think it’s rotten.”

If elected, Cochrane says he would fight what he calls public land giveaways.

“This commission is locking up our public resources for 50 years or 100 years,” he said. “The decisions they are making are going to last more than my lifetime, more than my future children’s lifetime. These things have long-term consequences. I am a businessman. I negotiate contracts all day long. These were all badly negotiated contracts.”

Sorensen, who has been endorsed by the Sierra Club, defended some of the deals Fort Lauderdale made with developers to lease taxpayer-owned land.

Sorensen voted for the Inter Miami stadium deal and the food hall/concert venue on city-owned land referred to as the One Stop Shop.

“I’m a big believer in the other (public-private) projects we’ve engaged in,” Sorensen said. “The IcePlex at Holiday Park. We kicked out a gun show and brought in a Stanley Cup. The movie studio out west is going to bring in high-paying jobs on what was unused land. These projects are improving our city.”

Strike a better deal?

Sturman argues the city should have negotiated better deals.

He pointed to the deal Miami negotiated with the billionaire owners of the Inter Miami soccer club. Miami struck a much better deal than Fort Lauderdale, Sturman noted.

In Miami, commissioners approved a 99-year lease with the owners of Inter Miami. They plan to build Miami Freedom Park, a $1 billion project that will transform a former golf course into a 131-acre entertainment site with a professional soccer stadium, 58-acre park, shops, restaurants, hotels and office buildings. Miami will collect $2.67 billion in rent over the course of the 99-year lease.

Five years ago, Fort Lauderdale commissioners signed off on a deal with Inter Miami’s owners allowing them to lease city-owned land for 50 years and build a $170 million soccer stadium. The rent paid to the city: $1 a year.

“We could be getting $4 million to $6 million a year,” Sturman said. “We are getting $1 a year.”

Sturman says voters should choose him because of what he called his proven voting record of opposing overdevelopment, preserving city parks and working on solutions to Fort Lauderdale’s homeless crisis.

“I have lived in Fort Lauderdale for 30 years and raised my four children here,” Sturman said. “I love this city and have a proven record of service to this community my opponents simply cannot match.”

Sorensen argues he’s the best choice for District 4.

“My commitment and dedication to serving District 4 is demonstrated through meeting with residents in person, at their doorstep since filing in October of 2023,” he said. “I have consistently been connecting directly with voters in homes, neighborhoods and events across District 4 to meet residents and discuss key issues. My proven experience as a successful small-business owner, Navy intelligence officer, and a get-things-done civic leader makes me the most qualified candidate to represent District 4.”

Cochrane touts his business acumen and smarts.

“I am a business executive,” he told the Sun Sentinel. “I have built billion-dollar companies and managed billion-dollar budgets.”

If elected, he promises to work on restoring the city’s waterways and finding solutions to traffic gridlock, flooding and sewer pipe breaks.

“I have the broadest background in running billion-dollar enterprises and taking them through periods of dramatic transformation, just like Fort Lauderdale today,” he said. “And I am the one candidate that does not have a personal interest — be it financial gain or professional gain — from being on the City Commission. I’m not funded by developers. I’m not funded by their lobbyists. I’m not funded by realtors or the marine industry or anybody. I’m funding my own campaign to empower the voices of everyday citizens and to be accountable to them and them only.”

Inserra says he will work hard for District 4 if elected, just as he does now.

“I have the pulse on the residents of this city and the neighborhoods,” he said. “It takes more than just knocking on a door. I’m actually living in the neighborhood. I have much more of a sense of what the residents want than anyone. No one knows District 4 like I do.”

Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan