Update: Dania Beach Commissioner Resigns To Move to Fort Lauderdale
BY BUDDY NEVINS
Walter Duke, a city commissioner and former mayor of Dania Beach, announced Tuesday he was resigning February 5 to move to Fort Lauderdale.
“We always loved Fort Lauderdale,” Duke said of his family. “We like walking around downtown…The time is right. We found a place that’s right.”
Duke said he is considering a run for Fort Lauderdale City Commission in two years.
“Worst kept secret in Ftl,” one source e-mailed Browardbeat.com.
Two sources said Duke personally told them he had decided to run in Fort Lauderdale. “Its appealing to me (to run). I think I would be good at it,” Duke said.
He apparently has his eye on the southeast Fort Lauderdale district of Commissioner Romney Rogers, who is term limited in March 2018. He will spend the next two years getting more involved in the neighborhood, in city issues and meeting community activists, leaders and residents.
A commercial real estate appraiser with an office in southwest Fort Lauderdale, Duke is married with three teenagers. His wife, Lisa Duke, is also active politically.
Walter and Lisa Duke
January 13th, 2016 at 9:27 am
The definition of a carpetbagger is “a political candidate who seeks election in an area where they have no local connections.”
This strategy worked for Walter Duke when he first ran for office in Dania Beach. He rented an apartment in the city, but lived elsewhere for several months after election as a commissioner.
As the years dragged on, he represented business interests in Fort Lauderdale first and residents of Dania Beach last. Walter Duke, as Mayor of Dania Beach stubbornly blocked the appointment of replacement commissioner when needed. Meeting after meeting resulted in no appointment, in violation of the City Charter. Walter also refused to reappoint hard working citizens to city boards during that time. That action resulted sometimes in lack of a quorum which in turn resulted in inaction of city boards. Walter Duke also refused reimbursement for city officials to attend state meetings designed to provide them with information needed to conduct city business and to create a professional network of fellow elected officials.
It seems the representation of business interests has paid off to the point that it is time to repack that carpetbag and move into another opportunity for Walter. The connections with more business interests and their deep pockets for campaign donations must be in place.
January 13th, 2016 at 11:26 am
I apologize for repeating myself but its the people in a democracy who are SOLELY responible for carpetbaggers in city and county halls in South Florida! It’s lack of moderates in BOTH major parties because EXTREMISTs of the Right and Left only vote in Primary Elections and off-year elections that no progress gets done on issue after issue.
Who twisted arms in Dania Beach or all over Broward County to vote for Congressmembers State Senators State Representatives County Commissioners City Mayors and Commissions who obviously were using FAKE RESIDENCIES!— all these people who yap about these issues like lobbyists controlling government, elected officials using faked residencies etc. How about ACTUALLY EFFECTIVE or HAVING A PLAN FOR PEOPLE TO CORRECT AN ABUSE?
January 13th, 2016 at 4:19 pm
You know, I’m really trying to take my efforts nationally, but every once in a while, a comment so stupid pulls me back.
Dear Talks Like A Politician.
Are you channeling your inner Bob Adams (though, if you swallowed Bob, you’d need to really let out your belt).
I know fucked up politicians, having helped put three behind bars.
I’d love to have Duke run my city … instead Deerfield, and now Jupiter, are run by factory thirds.
But this isn’t about me, let’s talk about you.
1. First, you have Chickie, who runs up …credit card debt, does a BK, and wants to oversee the $50M pension board.
2. You have Al Jones who sees the dais as a religious institution.
3. And the Mayor? Not sure what’s gonna go first … his liver or heart.
And looking to fill in for Duke? Queue Daniel Sohn! Holy shit, that would be fucking glorious. Like putting City Activist Walsh in charge of the petty cash box.
Duke didn’t appoint you to the Board … so that’s your angst, eh?
No local connections for Duke? If I lived in that shit hole, I’d move.
Why don’t you talk about the good things Duke has done. The guy is the only fucking voice of reason on that board.
Well, was the only voice of reason … now thankfully, you shitbirds can start the gouging.
In summation …
Daniel Sohn for President, or at the very least, Ambassador to Mars.
January 13th, 2016 at 10:51 pm
A lot of people in Dania are breathing a sigh of relief that these two…are gone. Wait until the people in Ft.Lauderdale get wise to Walter and Lisa’s real game. These two are not nice people…who pretent to care. Wait until Walter uses his time on another dais calling out the names of his political apponents and hollering smack about them during a commission meeting as he did countless times in Dania. If you doubt what I say here, ask some of the staff members in Dania City Hall what they went through with Lisa Duke and Walter.The whole Dania City Staff are dancing a jig today now that those two are gone.I am soo glad they decided to move on !
January 14th, 2016 at 9:49 am
@2 (The Count)
Members of the PP Club, Political Predators, have their devious ways in controlling the electorate made easy these days. Chief among the problems is voter apathy and lack of attention to the real candidate. Social media and images created by marketing firms disguise the lack of qualifications of some candidates and the actual agenda (usually a self centered one) of the candidates.
Also, ethics and the enforcement of laws already on the books are rare commodities in South Florida. In other words, so much crap goes on that people become numb to it. This is the land of opportunists. Case in point: Duke’s own words:
“Its appealing to me (to run). I think I would be good at it,” Duke said.
Not one thought about the electorate, the city’s status and needs. Just that he would be good at running for office. And of course, the office would be good for him, a commercial real estate appraiser.
Most members of the Political Predator club are excellent back scratchers.
January 14th, 2016 at 11:37 am
Fort Lauderdale resident know their own and Dania is well, Dania.
While there have been disagreements between Fort Lauderdale Commissioners over the last 8 years, everyone on the dais has always treated each other with professionalism and respect.
Once the residents of Fort Lauderdale see the video from Channel 10 of Mayor Duke trying to remove a rival Commissioner from office who was ill and in ICU, Fort Lauderdale will not want the Duke circus on their dais.
January 14th, 2016 at 1:21 pm
Is that Pugsley Adams weighing in?
January 14th, 2016 at 4:01 pm
IF what is written here is true I think the voters of respected Commissioner Romney Rogers’ City Commission District might be loathe to elect this gentleman
January 14th, 2016 at 4:20 pm
I am sure Fort Lauderdale voters would love to have someone on their Commission who in their attempt to take control of the Dania Commission backed a convicted felon, drug trafficker, who was ineligible to run for office in the State of Florida.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-dania-candidate-felon-update-20140926-story.html
January 14th, 2016 at 8:21 pm
What your reading is just the tip of the iceberg.The people in Fort Lauderdale who don’t vote for or support Walter Duke will never get an email or phone message answered.Walter said himself”I am only the mayor of those who voted for me.”If you disagreed with him he would cut you off and sever ties with you permanently….Ask around Dania.
January 14th, 2016 at 10:38 pm
>> Count LF Chodkiewicz Chudzikiewicz
Isn’t there a castle you can go play in?
January 15th, 2016 at 8:03 am
I am tired of seeing the same old same old up there. Its the same people over and over again. Walter did a lot of good for Dania. I cant say the same for Marco who along with Bartley went to Grace’s house and asked to fill the empty seat when Flurry walked off after she was outed for living in Fort Lauderdale. Jones is all about me me me and tooting his own horn. Chickie is lost at the meetings and has to ask whats going on. Bobbie cant do it on her own. I wont even go into the Ivory McCutcheon link and drug dealings there. Dania is just dirty politics and will never change.
FROM BUDDY:
Dania Beach, formally just Dania, has been a city with turbulent politics for as long as I can remember.
Like many small communities, a lot of the tumult involves personality clashes and political cliques.
I would expect the controversy in City Hall can only increase with as more developers earmark the community for projects.
January 15th, 2016 at 8:29 am
@9
The complaint was filed by:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/coconut-creek/fl-attorney-grand-theft-20151021-story.html
@8
Cont Chococlate,
Please refrain from using the word “respected” when associated with “attorney” or “politician”
January 15th, 2016 at 8:57 am
The Dukes have a dubious history and leopards do not change their spots.
Notice that the letter written by Walter has his business address on the letterhead right under his title as then city commissioner.
http://www.browardbeat.com/commissioner-issues-news-release-to-defend-wife/
January 15th, 2016 at 12:25 pm
As someone who was ELECTED to both PUBLIC and DEMOCRATIC PARTY n appointed to office by ELECTED officials ALL of us with REAL names and officiating in PUBLIC I have learned Night Crawlers in South Florida blogging are as low as Panda Bear Who Got the $$$$$$ etc are AND AS PITIFUL
January 17th, 2016 at 1:46 pm
# 3 Mr.Stevens “The Heathen”..First of all as far as your petty cash comment. I have always been in charge of alot more than just the petty cash drawer.As far as the Dukes moving to Ft>alau that makes sense. This time next year both Comm.Roberts, Rogers and Mayor Seiler will be term limited out. So Mr.Duke here could very well run for Mayor, or Roberts seat or Rogers. Also word ha sit that Comm.Trantalis is going to run for mayor, giving up his comm. seat to seek the mayor’ position.. As far as Mr.Duke is concerned if he is interested he has many options….
January 18th, 2016 at 7:58 am
The next City of Fort Lauderdale Commission elections are scheduled to be held in February and March of 2018, not next year.
January 18th, 2016 at 12:19 pm
Of course everyone with any sense knows Commissioner Trantalis feels Commissioner Roberts is unbeatable as mayor UNLESS he upsets the residents around the proposed Galleria Re-Development.
Since opposition to large developments is a growing issue in Commissioner Rogers District the planned run Walter Duke envisioned tthere looks more and more like a fools’ gold as Walter Dukes works for n advocates for developers in his business as witnessed by his website.
The Dukes move to Ft Lauderdale will blow up in their faces
January 18th, 2016 at 2:14 pm
Adding up posts #3, #11, and #16, it looks like a Super PAC formed by Stevens and Walsh is forming to support Walter Duke. That should tell the voters volumes.
January 18th, 2016 at 9:48 pm
no different than john seiler.
he lived in wilton manors for 20+ years as a homesteaded property owner and voter.
gigs as wilton manors council man, then wilton manors mayor, then Tallahassee rep.
then term limited.
then what?
he bought a house moved to fort lauderdale, got a bunch of buddies to flood the ballot for mayor so only he had any real name recognition, won with about 20% of the votes due to crowded field.
now he poses as a long time fort lauderdaler.
so don’t knock another carpet bagger who is immigrating to fort lauderdale. the voter apathy makes it the easiest town to get elected in since lazy lake, florida.
January 19th, 2016 at 8:43 am
#17 thank you for the correction I got way ahead of myself. #18 good observation concerning Comm.Bruce Roberts( He as I am are horrified w/ the county 911 system(we want are money back and lets go it alone like Plantation etc did-imagine ordering a pizza and ignoring the 911 calls-this dispatcher should be brought up on charges(get him Bruce)….
January 19th, 2016 at 10:05 am
Mr 20, the difference between John Seiler n Walter Duke is that Mayor Seiler REPRESENTED FT LAUDERDALE IN THE FLORIDA HOUSE and Dania Commissioner Duke NEVER SERVED AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL FOR FT LAUDERDALE! But perhaps you are new to South Florida and don’t know our history.