Mayor Questionnaire: Susan Haynie
The two candidates running for Mayor were asked to submit their answers to a questionnaire for the Boca Raton Tribune and bocaratontribune.com. Both responded with the following answers and thoughts on a variety of questions asked relating to their plans, strategies and thoughts.
Name: Susan Haynie, Candidate for Boca Raton Mayor
Personal: 58, Married with 5 children. Florida native and 41 year resident of Boca Raton.
Education: Graduate of Lynn University and holds certification in Traffic Engineering Studies from Georgia Institute of Technology and Northwestern University.
Professional: Former Traffic Engineering Analyst for the City of Boca Raton, Community Association Manager. Named “Woman Transportation Leader of the Year” for South Florida by Women in Transportation and has been named as one of South Florida 100 most influential leaders.
Political Background: Served as Boca Raton City Councilmember/Deputy Mayor from 2000 – 2006 and 2008 – present.
Public Service, Community and Civic Involvement: Neighborhood Improvement Study Commission, Boca Raton Planning and Zoning Board, Federation of Boca Raton Homeowner Associations, Coastal Ocean Task Force,Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Chair of the Palm Beach Metropolitan Planning Organization, Chair of the Southeast Florida Transportation Council, past President of Palm Beach County League of Cities, Board Member, Florida League of Cities, former Governor’s Appointee to the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, Boca Helping Hands, St. Paul Lutheran Church Property Committee, Elk’s Club,
Why is City Government important?
Municipal government is the closest to the people and has the greatest impact on their day to day lives. Defending our Home Rule is vital to our community. Home rule gives local governments the power and the authority to chart our own destiny and govern at the local level. While the state can and should set statewide standards and craft state law that we must all abide by, there are certain aspects of the law that are best left to local governments. Big government does not always know what is best for local citizens and big government should be limited in how much they impact local communities.
Priorities/Position on Issues:
- Development – I support a balanced approach to growth. Boca Raton has evolved into a world-class community by thoughtful planning and engaged leadership. Our low taxes and excellent services are made possible by quality development. The challenge going forward is to maintain the quality of life and character that define Boca Raton.
- Traffic – I support innovative approaches to our traffic issues such as enhanced traffic signal technology, intersection improvements and planned mobility strategies in lieu of adding more asphalt for wider roads. I was instrumental in securing the funding for the new I-95 Interchange at Spanish River Boulevard.
- Pensions – I support Pension reform to create a sustainable plan that will not bankrupt our community. I supported hiring the independent actuary that has provided the Council with recommended pension benefit changes we will take to the bargaining table in the fall.
Vision for the city:
My vision for Boca Raton is a financially sound city, that provides outstanding municipal services, has strong partnerships with the community, has a vibrant business community which includes world class healthcare, quality educational institutions, excellent recreational amenities and housing types attractive to our diverse residents.
What are your plans for the traffic issue in Boca Raton?
We have done an excellent job of managing growth within the City limits. However, there are over 200,000 people living west of our City who drive into our community daily. I firmly believe that we cannot solve our traffic congestion problems by widening roads. In fact, I led the Council recently to remove many road widening projects from the Long Range Transportation Plan. I support innovative approaches to our traffic issues such as enhanced traffic signal technology, intersection improvements and planned mobility strategies in lieu of adding more asphalt for wider roads. I was instrumental in securing the funding for the new I-95 Interchange at Spanish River Boulevard.
