Dean Trantalis for Mayor

Progress. Leadership. Results.

News

Leadership you can trust

In the past six years, our city has faced many challenges. As a community, we worked hard to make it through those tough times to brighter days.
I continue to work to be the leader you trust in challenging times. We get results — working together.

When that major sewer line burst after years of prior neglect, I made sure we partnered with private sector innovation to replace the sewer line in record time — and millions under budget. We quickly cleaned up waterways to restore marine life, and worked with the state to reinvest financial penalties into projects right here in Fort Lauderdale.

After historic rains and flooding, I coordinated first responders and immediately brought in state and federal help to secure temporary housing and reconstruction money for those harmed by this unprecedented weather event. And I am leading the fight for new investment to upgrade infrastructure and drainage systems, $1.6 billion worth, fast-tracked to get the job done now, not later.

And after a tragic shooting and death of a 3-year-old toddler, I brought law enforcement officials and community leaders together to stand against gang and gun violence. It was the right thing to do, and we are pursuing the perpetrators of the heinous incident and will prosecute them when they are arrested.

These are just a few examples of ways that I have shown leadership to fight for you, and bring new progress to our community.

Because there’s nothing we can’t get through together.

Thank you for putting your trust in me. I will continue to earn it.

Dean

Improving our beaches, green space, and waterways

We are a city at the cutting-edge of environmental protection efforts.
As your Mayor, I’ve focused on improving our beaches, green spaces, and waterways with incredible results. And people are taking notice! We were recently recognized nationally with a LEED Gold certification for Fort Lauderdale’s environmental practices.

We’ve worked to keep our beaches clean, combat flooding, and improve our parks. We’re combating climate change head-on. We’re on the way to planting 10,000 trees over the next decade and are honored as a Tree City USA. We also directed that city land-use regulations be rewritten to prioritize green spaces and parks as part of new projects.

Clean water in our homes is also necessary, so we expanded the regional water reservoir capacity to safeguard our drinking water. We’re cleaning our waterways with a program far beyond any surrounding community. We make sure residents know what their water conditions are through our weekly updates.

I look forward to continue protecting our environment and our water, making Fort Lauderdale an even more wonderful place to live.

Dean

Infrastructure is the way.

When I started working for you as your Mayor, I wanted to make sure that we made Fort Lauderdale an even more wonderful place through smarter investments. One way I’ve been able to do that is by dedicating myself to working with the community to fix our city’s infrastructure for this and the next generation.

I voted to commit $1.6 billion over the next ten years to better our infrastructure. Already, we’ve fast-tracked improvements to our water, stormwater, and sewer systems. These may not be the most glamorous sounding efforts, but they are more than necessary to improve the way we live every day and the way future residents live, as well.

In my time as Mayor, we have made great progress.

To protect our families, property, and wildlife:
  • We launched “Fortify Lauderdale,” investing $500 million over the next decade to address tidal flooding and stormwater runoff.
  • We’ve cleaned up our waterways and canals.
  • We’re working on stronger, higher seawalls in areas near canals and rivers to keep us safe from rising floodwaters.
  • We are upgrading our stormwater infrastructure to handle flooding faster with more catch basins, larger pipes, tidal-control valves, enhanced swales and more pump stations.

To improve water quality:

  • We are building a new water treatment plant to ensure clean, colorless water without PFAS and other harmful chemicals.
  • We are installing and improving sewer and water lines around the city.
  • When the main sewer line through the center of the city broke, we moved quickly to replace the aging pipe with a new 7.5-mile sewer line. With two contractors working simultaneously from opposite ends, we finished ahead of schedule and under budget.

We are not done making our city stronger from the inside out.

Thank you for all of your support over the years. With your help, we can continue to improve the quality of life across our city.

Dean

Exciting new movie studio partnership

During my time as Mayor, we’ve been thoughtful and proactive about partnerships to make our city a center for progress and industry. We believe we can build a future in Fort Lauderdale where innovation and the economy grow hand-in-hand.

One of our ongoing success stories is the Fort Lauderdale Studio Initiative. We’ve been working with a group of developers and Infinite Reality to establish a state-of-the-art movie studio and entertainment production complex.
This exciting partnership will bring more than 1,000 high-paying jobs to our city. It invests in our economy and local talent. It will draw business from around the world to boost all industries — from construction to hospitality. It will also breathe new life into the old Wingate landfill and incinerator site that the city cleaned up some 20 years ago.

The project will include sound stages and film sets that will attract major film, television, and streaming productions. Infinite Reality recently announced a one-of-a-kind partnership with Google joining together Google’s Gemini AI with Infinite Reality’s immersive technology to power a wide range of commercial and entertainment content.

The studio will also have an on-site film school and work with FAU, Nova Southeastern, and Broward County Public Schools to advance film studies and provide hands-on experience for young people. Building a new generations’ trade and skills is essential to keep the industry growing and provide high-paying jobs to our residents.

This project will open the door for more tech and content creation firms to move to the region bringing hundreds of good-paying jobs with them. This is truly transformative for our city.

Thank you,

Dean

Inter Miami to the Panthers: Partnerships improving our quality of life

In my time as Mayor, our partnerships with the sporting world have brought global attention to Fort Lauderdale, bringing an economic boom for local businesses and new recreational opportunities for residents.

Imagine, we have two of the best teams in the world playing for our city! This year, Inter Miami has already reached the playoffs with superstar Leo Messi just after the Florida Panthers won the Stanley Cup.

The innovative partnerships we made with local teams are transforming our city – at no cost to the taxpayers. Both facilities provide space for residents to play, expand connectivity for our community, and share a winning culture with Fort Lauderdale’s families.

As part of these transformations, the historic War Memorial Auditorium is being revitalized, and the Baptist Health IcePlex has been built next door in Holiday Park. This acts as the Panthers’ training rink, but there is also a public rink where young people can learn to ice skate to make the sports more inclusive. The auditorium will soon reopen for concerts, graduations and family-friendly events.

The War Memorial site once cost the city millions in maintenance, repairs, and operational expenses each year, but not anymore. Now, the Panthers cover the costs. And as part of our arrangement with the team, it’s under the stewardship of the veteran-owned and -led Panthers, serving as an honored tribute to Broward’s military heroes.

We also reimagined the Lockhart Stadium site, working together with residents and David Beckham’s Major League Soccer Inter Miami franchise, constructing the magnificent Chase Stadium in record time. It’s part of a larger $160 million redevelopment entirely paid for by the team. The deal also ensured it’s used for community-building with the team’s free youth training academy, a public football stadium, training facilities, and athletic fields where concerts and athletic events for Fort Lauderdale and Stranahan high schools are held. We are also hopeful women’s soccer will play here in the future.

This is just the beginning!

These visionary agreements happened thanks to quick and decisive actions by our City. We are proud to have enhanced the way we live and play in Fort Lauderdale.

Dean

Fort Lauderdale keeps raising the bar

I’ve been out in Fort Lauderdale meeting with voters, and, just like me, they see the upcoming election as an important moment for our city. The campaign is well on its way, and I’m so honored to have all of your support as I move ahead.

Recently, I attended the National Night Out, an evening dedicated to fostering community bonds and enhancing public safety. I also visited a forum with Residents for Resilience, a local group making waves by advocating for a sustainable future, clean drinking water, flood mitigation, coastal resilience, and waterway restoration. It’s clear that this is a really exciting time to be living in Fort Lauderdale.

Already, the job market is booming, we’re making moves to update our city-owned seawalls to protect our city from climate-related changes, and we’re launching a new initiative to tackle the challenges of homelessness. We have big jobs ahead and great plans in place to get them done.

  • We worked with national financial rating analysts to raise the city bond rating to AAA, the highest possible rating to ensure the lowest cost for critical infrastructure projects.
  • The city was inducted into the All-America City Hall of Fame for community collaborations, following our previous prestigious recognition by the National Civic League as an All-America City.
  • We won LEED for Cities Gold certification, which recognizes the city’s efforts to protect our environment.
  • We increased Fort Lauderdale’s rating on the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index to 100% for honoring our community’s diversity and embracing all who live here.
  • We consistently made media lists of top places to live, vacation, work, and retire.
  • We were a finalist in IDC’s 2023 Smart Cities North America Awards.
  • Our Prospect Lake Water Treatment Plant Project won the prestigious Best P3 Utility Project of the Year. The project will lead to the delivery of resilient, innovative, critical infrastructure improvements through public and private partnerships.

These designations make me so proud of the work we’ve done together. Let’s continue to raise the bar here in our city.

Dean