By Dr. Eric H. Jones, Jr.
In March 2005, I was elected as the First Mayor in the City of West Park, a municipality in Broward County, Florida. The city consists of the neighborhoods of Carver Ranches, Lake Forest, Miami Gardens, and Utopia which were previously unincorporated neighborhoods. Incorporation was ratified in 2004, after the Florida Legislature approved House Bill 1491, which provided for an election on November 2, 2004. Following a vote of 3,400 to 956 for incorporation, West Park was on its way to becoming Broward County’s 31st city. After the election, residents elected an interim transition committee and held a series of workshops to gain input on the level of municipal-type services to be provided. It was decided that the new municipality would be known as West Park until a consensus was reached on a permanent name. West Park is a multi-cultural municipality where a large portion of the city lies west of the town of Pembroke Park, so the new city was called “West Park.” The city had a population at that time of 15,130 according to the 2020 census. On March 8, 2005, the election of the City Officials was held, and I (Eric H. Jones Jr.) was elected Mayor and four Commissioners were elected: Felicia M. Brunson, Thomas W. Dorsett, Sharon Fyffe and Rita “Peaches” Mack. We were sworn-in as the municipality’s first elected leaders on March 10, 2005. Everyone was elated as we embarked on the exciting challenge of developing our new city. The vision and hope for the future was, “THE CITY OF POSITIVE PROGRESSION” as the motto. Up to the point of becoming a city, the area was unincorporated with services rendered by the county.
Incorporation mattered because the residents could have a say so in the development of their neighborhood. When a community becomes an officially recognized municipality, it fundamentally shapes how that community governs itself, delivers services, and plans its future. However, we soon discovered that the feasibility study had a number of deficiencies including the failure to contain a 5-year operational plan. It was at that point we decided not to fail. We were standing at a breaking point facing a decision whether to continue and move beyond the situation with determination to arrive at our destination or walk away in defeat. History is full of stories with viewpoints of people who can’t see beyond the challenge ahead. However, there are also those who never stop believing in their efforts to succeed. How satisfying it is when you can look back and remember the hard struggle from lean years spent overcoming the distractions, the naysayers, and the diversions that were in the path.
I’ve discovered that there are three kinds of people in the world, rowboat people, sailboat people, and steamboat people. Rowboat people need to be pushed or shoved along. Sailboat people move when a favorable wind is blowing. Steamboat people move continuously; through calm or stormy seas they press forward. They are masters of themselves, their surroundings, and their fate. Those that are pushed along have no self-motivation; those that move only when things are ideal have fair weather motivation. However, those that are determined and have set their course have self-motivation and nothing will stop them from moving forward. As the city comes to its 21st anniversary, it celebrates with optimistic hope. We can get a little discouraged sometimes when we hear all the negative narratives about our city. However, there is a better way to use our energy than sitting around complaining about what is not. Together we can do something better if we pool our energy. Are we just going through the motions of being a city? Are we just methodically going through our everyday routine without taking advantage of opportunities? Are we just surviving or are we thriving? As your former Mayor, I believe in our ability to thrive. I will not participate in any other conversation. Let us resolve to use where we have come from to get where we need to be.
Doctor Eric H. Jones, Jr. is the Founder/Senior Pastor of Koinonia Worship Center & Village and the first mayor of the City of West Park