HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A mayoral race in Hallandale Beach is stirring up big political debates in the almost 100-year-old small city.
Carmen “Jackie” Gimenez, a Venezuelan-American community activist, is challenging longtime incumbent Mayor Joy Cooper, who has held office for 24 years.
Gimenez, who has been active in community service, working with the elderly and children, says the 97-year-old city has been neglected under Cooper’s leadership and is now financially irresponsible.
“After I’m sworn in as mayor, you will see a very good, prosperous city, Hallandale Beach,” Gimenez said. “The money, the taxpayer money, are so misused.”
Flooding has become a central issue in the race, as Hallandale Beach was inundated by historic rainfall last year and again this summer, leaving roads impassable and homes flooded.
“Our streets are ugly. Everything is broken,” Gimenez said, criticizing the city’s infrastructure. “Of course, it’s about modernization, but also taking care.”
Cooper, who has served as commissioner, vice mayor, and now mayor, disagrees with her opponent’s assessment. She insists the city’s finances are in good shape and that efforts are underway to improve aging infrastructure, including pipes that are more than 50 years old.
“Obviously, Ms. Gimenez is totally misinformed about our city,” Cooper said. “We rolled back taxes, we are investing in our infrastructure, we are doing everything a city has to do.”
Cooper said that more than $300 million has been allocated for infrastructure improvements, with $10 million set aside for additional pumping systems to address flooding in the city’s lowest areas after last summer’s storms.
The race has also resurfaced Cooper’s past legal troubles. She was arrested in 2018 on felony corruption charges for allegedly accepting $5,000 in illegal contributions. However, she was acquitted by a jury in November 2019 and reinstated as mayor.
“When you have a leader, a model, who has a criminal background, and that is your model to follow, something is not good,” Gimenez said.
Cooper, however, defended her record and her integrity.
“I was vindicated, and that is old news,” she said. “If you are running for office, have integrity, don’t disenfranchise people.”
As the race heats up, both candidates are making their cases to residents.
“The residents know me here, they know how committed I am,” Cooper said. “I have integrity.”
But Gimenez believes it’s time for change.
“We deserve better in this city, and this is the perfect moment for the city to move forward,” she said.