2022 City Commission Elections
The Oakland Park City Commission is made up of 5 members chosen by residents. This year residents were charged with choosing two new Commissioners to fill the seats left empty by Jane Bolin and Michael Carn.
Six candidates competed for the honor of serving: Steve Arnst, Fitzgerald Budhoo, Coby King, Tim Lonergan, Kedner Maxime, and Letitia Newbold.
Winner Apparent Changes in the Final Hour
Early election results around 10:00 am this morning showed Tim Lonergan and Leticia Newbold in the lead. Steve Arnst was in third place, trailing behind Newbold by a mere 150 votes. Lonergan’s lead over Arnst and Newbold, was significant in comparison. However, the die was not yet cast, as three precincts had not yet reported their results.
Soon after the SOE website refreshed the results, the update revealed that one winner apparent had changed. Arnst took the lead over Newbold winning the Commission seat by a mere 39 votes.
Our Two "New" City Commissioners
Steve Arnst and Tim Lonergan won the election and will serve as Oakland Park’s “newest” City Commissioners, but they are not new at all to the dais.
Arnst and Lonergan bring a combined 24 years of experience on the City Commission.
Arnst served on the Commission twice for two terms from, 1993 – 2001 and from 2003 – 2011. He ran on a platform of reigning in City spending, controlling property taxes and providing oversight of the bond projects.
Lonergan has similar goals. He would like to make sure property taxes remain fair and proportionate to actual home values. He would also like to insure that the bond projects are built and that the public’s intention behind the bond is executed.
Throughout the interim years in which neither candidate has been on the Commission, they have stayed tuned into Commission business. This zeal for being in the know when it comes to City business, combined with their years of experience, augurs continued, responsible and enlightened leadership for the City and its residents.