51Shares

Community Champion Joe Morera Gains Key Endorsement for Coral Springs Seat

Jose “Joe” Morera

By Kevin Deutsch

Jose “Joe” Morera, a longtime community leader in Coral Springs and president of the Sunshine Water Control District, has won the endorsement of Commissioner Joy Carter in his bid to replace her.

In his campaign to win Seat Five in November, Morera said he has also won endorsements from Vice Mayor Sean Cerra, former Mayor Roy Gold, and former commissioner Claudette Bruck.

Morera’s only announced competitor in the race so far is Joe McHugh, a Coral Springs Police lieutenant with over 27 years of service in the department.

Carter will not seek reelection due to term limits.

Morera has been active in volunteer and leadership roles in the city for 25 years. He’s served as president of the water control district for 11 years, president of the Coral Springs Festival of the Arts, and vice chair of the city’s planning and zoning board. Additionally, Morera was vice chair of the city’s most recent charter review committee and one of its 60th-anniversary ambassadors.

Some of Morera’s other service roles can be found here. He previously ran for city commission in 2020, coming in third in a six-way race won by Nancy Metayer Bowen.

A 27-year city resident, Morera emigrated from Cuba to the U.S. with his parents in 1973. He has been married to his wife for 39 years and has four children and three grandkids.

In 2022, he received the 2022 Lynne Johnson Award for enhancing the lives of Coral Springs residents.

“I highlight the values of freedom and opportunities this country has given me,” Morera said.

Morera retired last year from a 38-year career working with top companies in the food service industry, an experience he said would be valuable as a commissioner. He said he has no financial gain at stake in his run and no future political aspirations “other than to give everyone that I will be privileged to represent the best that I can … to improve their lives and those of their families going forward.”

“I’m a servant leader with an altruistic spirit, and I would like to take that and become a conduit to our residents and businesses,” Morera said.

Morera listed some of the issues he is focused on as education, a balanced budget, public safety, economic prosperity, parks and recreation, and sustainability.

Regarding education, Morera emphasized the need for education resources, citing the boundary change that resulted in hundreds of students being moved from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School to the lower-rated Coral Glades High School. He said he wants more resources applied to Coral Springs schools so that they can all achieve the standard of quality at MSD.

On budget matters, he emphasized the need for a balanced city budget and for ensuring “that our millage rate continues to be in line with the level of service that residents expect.”

Morera said the city’s downtown development projects need to move forward and be managed in a way that minimizes impact on residents. He also spoke in favor of the Everglades Greenway Loop.

As for public safety, Morera said he would prioritize “making sure police and fire get the resources they need to maintain their high level of service.”

On sustainability, Morera said: “I believe we can create and embrace sustainable development where economic growth and smart infrastructure can go hand in hand with environmental stewardship.”

Morera said he has spent years advocating for the community on issues “including helping taxpayers, improving our schools, and protecting property values.”

“I believe that I bring needed experience, vision, and leadership,” he said.

Send Your News to Coral Springs #1 Award-Winning News Site Here. Don’t miss reading Parkland Talk, Tamarac Talk, Coconut Creek Talk, and Margate Talk.