Tuesday, October 30, 2018

Thank you for your support Cooper City!


Thank you for your support Cooper City!

By Commissioner John Sims

 

Let me begin by saying THANK YOU to all of the residents and business owners of Cooper City who have supported me for the last twelve plus years! I especially want to thank all of my supporters and the voters who have trusted in me, becoming close friends and neighbors and for allowing me the great opportunity to fill this leadership role for the past twelve years and for standing by me especially through all of the trials, tribulations and successes. I also want to profusely thank all of my closest friends who are too many to mention here along with my wife Janet and my family members for the support and mentorship that they have provided to me over the years. It’s been a fun, and rough ride but worth every second of it!

I am especially proud to have been associated with some of the pillars of our community, the late Gladys Wilson and Walt Jolliff, and many, many others who have stood by my side on the residents’ behalf. They were great mentors and professionals and cared very deeply for our community. I cherish the lasting friendships that I have made both with the residents and with the city’s vendors, and let’s not forget other local elected officials, both currently elected and soon to be elected, many of whom I revere and look forward to for their continued leadership.

Over my tenure on the dais, I have sponsored and supported hundreds of initiatives and local laws that have only supported our residents and business owners. I remember everyone whom I’ve met and everything that I wanted to mention for this article, but unfortunately space doesn’t allow that. I certainly have enjoyed working with so many residents over the years, all of whom have helped me in campaigning, creating literature, websites, blogs, social media pages and supporting me financially. My gratitude and love for all of you will forever be a part of my life, and I will never, ever forget your generosity and dedication! Thank you for your belief in me and your friendship.

We've been involved in some outstanding projects together! I'll always cherish our Senior out-reach program and its extraordinary success.  The drastic increases in feel good spending and tax increases in Cooper City has been a vast financial burden to everyone, especially business owners and fixed income residents. Also, the degradation of truth and the extreme partisan politics in a non-partisan environment in Cooper City politics has produced so much division within our small community. Some in Cooper City politics have even eviscerated the policies and procedures originally designed to protect everyone; minorities, seniors and kids among other vulnerable groups of residents. This must cease immediately and we must move forward and unite together for the betterment of our entire community. But, we can all work hard, hope and pray that tomorrow will be a better day for Cooper City residents and businesses.

As such, I offer a strong apology to my friends, my colleagues on the dais both past and present, the residents and others that I may have offended over the years with my ultra-strong personality and strong stance on certain political and personal issues. I’ve always stood my ground on behalf of the residents, and I’ve certainly said things over the past twelve years that I regret, and I think it’s worthwhile for me to step up and say that I have made mistakes, or that I wish I would have done this or that differently, but what has happened in the past was meant to be.  We have all done things we regret and the lessons learned will be forever engrained in my soul, but I would never change the past for anything.  

As I leave the Cooper City dais, I feel like our elected officials have not yet completely lost the war on truth, honesty, camaraderie and doing what’s right on behalf of the residents. It’s never been about right or left with me, it’s always been about right and wrong! In today’s society it's all too easy to lose sight of the most important element in any organization – the person, the people. Us. You and me, as individuals with hearts, minds, and feelings. My future hopes and wishes for Cooper City are simply this: I implore our elected representatives to ignore their personal agendas and always do what is right for the residents of our great city in addition to listening more and paying attention to the residents!

I feel truly honored and grateful to have served on your behalf as a city commissioner for one of the best cities in the USA! Always remember, it’s not too late to alter course for the betterment of our city, Someplace Special! And yes, I’ll be watching very, very closely…

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