Questionnaire: Dan Caradonna, candidate for Pompano Beach City Commission, District 3

Name: Dan Caradonna

Which seat are you running for? Pompano Beach Commissioner District 3

Age: 46

Family status: I live with my spouse of 14 years

What is your address and how long have you lived there? 621 SE 2nd Ave Pompano Beach, FL 33060 (25 years)

Please tell us about your education and the highest degree you attained. I attended Cardinal Gibbons High and completed my education at Florida State University with a degree in Criminology. I attended Lively Law Enforcement Academy in Quincy, FL while attending FSU.

What is your occupation? Self Employed e-commerce business

Please outline your work history for the past 15 years. (Please do not attach a resume.)

2005-2015 Property Catastrophe Adjuster for State Farm, Liberty Mutual and Multiple Insurance Carriers. I traveled to states throughout the US to help homeowners with their claims after disasters including Hurricane Sandy in NY. This job had a lot of independence where I had to make difficult decisions on a daily basis. I also enjoyed the fact I was helping people in difficult situations. Ecommerce business owner since 2015 where I have dealt with US and international markets.

Have you ever been arrested, charged or convicted of a crime? Have you ever received a “withheld adjudication” or had a matter sealed or expunged? If yes, please explain. Yes, for a misdemeanor charge but adjudication was withheld.

Have you ever been a plaintiff or a defendant in a civil action, including bankruptcy or foreclosure, or had a restraining order issued against you? If so, please explain. (Same as above.) No

Are you a member of any civic groups? If so, please name them. No

Have you ever run for office before? If so, where and when? No

Why are you running for this office?

If given the opportunity to serve the community, I feel I can better represent the views and desires of what the people want at this time. The people deserve better representation than what they have now. The highlights that concern me are excessive amounts of overspending and higher taxes. Especially during this time with Covid. The only way to pay for all the spending is to increase the taxes and/or have our have future generations pay for it. The current administration won’t care if our grandkids are paying for it, because they will be long gone.

My second concern is overbuilding in the past few years. Some of the newly constructed apartment buildings are completely empty as well as the older buildings, yet we continue to build more. The current administration wants to move the newly constructed City Hall to Dixie Highway and Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd. This is a perfect example of the frivolous spending we don’t need. I want to see the revenue of our taxes to go back into our community and not into the hands of larger companies. A major portion of Pompano Beach residents' taxes are going to the banks to pay for the interest on the loans to pay for these big projects. I’m a very hard worker and I get things done. I’m doing this for myself and for every other person who lives, works and owns a business in District 3.

If you have chosen to run against an incumbent, why specifically have you done so? N/A. Answered above

Please describe your city and/or your district as you would to someone who has never visited.

We are a small oceanside community with a small-town community feel. We are accepting, and friendly, especially compared to Palm Beach and Miami/Dade counties. We are refreshingly diverse and have a beautiful aesthetic and business culture. While somewhat sleepy, it is the way we like it and want to preserve it. Pompano Beach backs right into the Atlantic Ocean with beautiful beaches. We enjoy afternoon ocean breezes and nearby shopping. Our beautiful wooden pier is loved by both locals and visitors to take a leisurely stroll, go fishing, watch surfers or grab a bite to eat or drink at some of the best restaurants in the county.

In your view, what are the top three issues facing your city or district?

That’s easy...but there are a lot more than three and I will give them all equal and immediate attention.

1, Overdevelopment and misplaced improvements. 2, Overspending and literally wasting taxpayer money like it were water. 3, Under-serving. Ask any business person or resident how easy it is to get something from the city and they will tell you not only is it difficult, it can seem impossible.

How would you assess the performance of the city commission? What grade would you give the commission for how it works? Why?

As a whole, I give the current Commission a D- to an F. The current commissioners by and large don’t want to be bothered by the public or influenced by the citizens' views. Read the New Pelican or other local publications that have covered in detail what the Commissioners do and say. It’s often shocking. One example I can give was the way the current Commission voted, among themselves, for 3 blank check issued bonds. Most of these funds are not even being used. I would like to see some of that money given back to the taxpayers, businesses, and address the homeless. Now more than ever, a lot of that bond money should be re-directed. Another example, we do NOT need a new City Hall, especially one that will cost $97 million! That will be off the table.

On a positive note, one commissioner has greatly and consistently impressed me, and that’s Beverly Perkins. Her constituents should be proud of having a voice that stands up for their interests and standing up to the other commissioners. She speaks her mind, stands up for what she believes and for what’s in the best interests of her neighbors, and I look forward to working together with her to get the right things done for our city.

Is there anything you want us to know about your opponent(s)?

I would say that Mr. McMahon and his team need some accountability. The current commissioners just keep running up the city expenses and don’t seem to have any experience with a budget.

Is there anything that we didn’t ask about that you would like to bring up?

I will introduce a lot of new and positive changes to programs, especially ones that will benefit individuals and will bring about more jobs and rescuing and expanding our business community. The population density in Pompano Beach is getting close to Fort Lauderdale and we don’t need to flood our city with even more people so the politicians can benefit and taxpayers foot the bill so the streets can be even more crowded. In addition, the money spent on the beach parking garage alone could have put to far better use for our citizens by spending it on infrastructure. The idea of a new City Hall has to be abandoned and that money spent directly on programs that assist individual citizens, protect them, and serve them.

It is important we enhance property values and maintain the integrity of the quality and character of neighborhoods and communities. My opponent is on the wrong side of this, and I request your support working with me by covering the goings-on in Pompano Beach to help to preserve the residential character and community, our commercial districts. My door will always be open. Please pass this message on to your readers. I realize the incumbent usually is supported by the major newspapers, but you have to start somewhere and sometimes give the new guy a chance. It can’t get much worse than it is with the current administration rubber stamping everything and just spending money they don’t have.

Is there anything about yourself that we didn’t ask about that would embarrass you if an opponent found out?

Not really. I do have a number of failed businesses, but I was never handed anything and kept trying and now I am successful. If you read about people such as JK Rowling, Oprah Winfrey or Colonel Sanders, they all failed tremendously but became enormous success stories after they kept trying.

Why should voters vote for you?

My career in business and even some of my former professions provide the background I need to ensure that programs are run efficiently and effectively. I am committed to increasing efficiency and gaining public input to get as much feedback as possible on issues affecting Pompano Beach. Our children and grandchildren have no say in the deals, bills and debt being left to them by the current Commission, however, they will suffer the debt and consequences of this Commission’s actions. They spend like they have an endless budget, and no one can do anything about it until now. Vote on November 3rd for change.

How much money have you raised so far? Please include today’s date. $4,900 8/14/20

Have you received any other endorsements? If so, which ones? No. Covid has made it hard to campaign and get out to more people to do this.

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