"Curran works"

James Curran

My campaign slogan happens to be the motto that I live by: Curran works. But what does “Curran works” mean to me? And more importantly, when elected Mayor of Cooper City, what will “Curran works” mean for you? To understand what “Curran works” means to me, you should probably get to know me, where I come from, and what I have done to live by that motto.

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Elect James Curran

What I Believe

When elected, my commitment level will be 100% and I will give 100% of my time, energy and effort to making Cooper City the best place to live in South Florida.

Curran works for charity

I am also passionate about philanthropy in our community. Many of you may not have known my name before today, but you may know me as the man with the purple hair. I dye my hair purple because purple is the color associated with Relay for Life. According to the American Cancer Society, Relay for Life is the world’s largest peer-to-peer fundraising event dedicated to saving lives from cancer. Cancer touches everyone in every community in one way or another, and I have made it my mission to do whatever I am able to do to raise money and awareness about this terrible disease. From 2005 to 2019, I was a Hunting for a Cure team member and in 2019, 2020, 2022, and 2023, I was a Relay for Life event leader. I have also been a part of the Broward County Schools Harvest Drive at CCHS, collecting food for families in need in Broward County. I am proud to have helped collect dozens upon dozens of pallets of food for this important cause.
MY COMMITMENT LEVEL
100%

Curran works for community

I also volunteer in other capacities in Cooper City and in Embassy Lakes. I have been a member of BSO’s Community Observer Patrol (COP) program since 2018, and I have been the Vice President of the Embassy Lakes Homeowners’ Association since 2017. I am also a graduate of the FBI Citizens Academy. Many of you may also know me as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, having filled both rolls at City and other community events from 1995 through 2022. Those are particular roles that, if elected Mayor, I hope to revive in 2024.
MY COMMITMENT LEVEL
100%

Curran works for kids

While working at CCHS and getting to know the students and staff who call Cooper City home, I grew inspired to do more for my community. In 1996, I became an Optimist member and within a year, my passion for athletic coaching exploded, putting me on a path I continue to walk today. In 1997, I began coaching youth soccer and basketball. I continue coaching both sports and added flag football to my coaching responsibilities in 2019. By my estimation, I have personally coached well over 1,000 children in youth sports in Cooper City. I am also proud to have mentored countless CCHS students.
MY COMMITMENT LEVEL
100%

Curran works for Cooper City

In 2008, I was inspired to take on a different role in the City, and I ran for (and won) a seat on the Cooper City Commission, representing District 4. I won re-election twice and remained on the Commission until 2020, when I termed out. I am immensely proud of many initiatives I led and/or supported during my 12 years on the Cooper City Commission. Some of the most notable accomplishments that I led or supported include starting Cooper City’s Autism Awareness Day in 2008, an event that continues to this day. This phenomenal event helped lead Cooper City to its recent designation as an Autism Friendly City, a designation in which the entire community should take pride. I also helped spearhead the Cops & Kids program, the birth of community policing in Cooper City as we know it today. I was also instrumental in starting Cooper City’s Business Advisory Board and supported the formation of Cooper City’s Green Advisory Board. A particularly proud accomplishment I spearheaded in the Business Advisory Board was an initiative giving Cooper City businesses preference when bidding on City jobs by providing a 10% head start in bidding for goods and/or services. I also sat on the Broward League of Cities Scholarship Committee from 2009-2012 and I was a member of the Broward League of Cities Public Safety Committee from 2009-2013. From 2012-2016, I sat on the Broward County School Board Oversight Committee, tracking construction expenditures in Broward County Schools. Another proud accomplishment was being part of the group on the Commission that supported the development of Flamingo West Park, a state-of-the-art park, with some of the best facilities in South Florida. Even after leaving my seat on the Commission in 2020, I continued to serve and support the Cooper City Commission, joining the City’s Planning & Zoning Board. Today, I proudly continue to serve as a member of the P&Z Board.
MY COMMITMENT LEVEL
100%
Now that you know a little bit more about me and how I have worked to make our community a better place, I look forward to meeting you on the campaign trail and answering your questions about what it will mean when Curran works for you!

Countdown to Primary Election Day
on November 05, 2024

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Curran Biography

I was born in New Smyrna Beach, Florida and am 1 of 5 brothers. My wonderful wife, Debbie, and I have been married for 25 years and have a beautiful blended family that includes 4 daughters, 1 son, and 9 grandchildren. Together, Debbie and I have also been raising our incredible grandson, Austin, since he was a newborn, and Austin is currently a thriving student athlete, honors student, and member of Junior Navy ROTC at Cooper City High School. I moved to the Embassy Lakes community in Cooper City in 1997, moving to my current home in Embassy Lakes in 2011 so that Debbie’s dad, Stanley (91 and still going strong), could live with us. I am proud to have raised my children (and now, my grandson) here in Cooper City, the wonderful community where I live, work, pray, and play. In 2024, I will be celebrating 40 years working at Cooper City High School. I take immense pride in the work I have done at CCHS and was named CCHS Non-Instructional Employee of the Year 2 times, also winning recognitions as Non-Instructional Employee of the Year at the District and Regional levels. I will be retiring at the end of the 2023/2024 school year. Though I am sad to be leaving CCHS after so many years, I look forward to many more years serving my community. So, what have I done in our community to live by the motto “Curran works?” It’s a great question and one that I welcome, and I can answer with pride.

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Mission Statement

WHY DO I WANT TO BE THE MAYOR OF OUR CITY?

Those of you who know me already know the answer to this question, but for those of you who don’t know me yet, I want to be the Mayor of Cooper City because I truly believe that Cooper City is “Someplace Special” and I want to help to be a part of the great things that are yet to come in our City. I believe that our greatest resource in Cooper City is our residents, and I want to work for you.

WHAT KIND OF MAYOR WILL I BE?

Cooper City’s Charter (our City’s constitution) does not provide for a strong mayor. Rather, our Charter is clear that the City Manager (not the Mayor) is at the helm when it comes to running the City. Though to many, the City seems to have strayed from this way of governing in the last few years, I intend to right the ship and govern as our Charter requires.

When elected, on day 1, I will meet with the City Manager, and I will ask him what the Commission and I can do to help support him and our City employees. I firmly believe that providing our City employees with the tools they need to do their jobs, feel supported, and progress in their careers, will lead to happier, more productive employees. This, in turn, will lead to more reliable, quality services for our residents.

I will also govern with integrity and without bias or hidden agendas. No longer will Commission meetings devolve into one sided slug fests. Instead, with gavel in hand, I will ensure that meetings are civilized exchanges and that all opinions and positions are considered.

WHAT ARE SOME THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE AND WHAT ARE SOME THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO STAY THE SAME?

One of the first changes I would like to make has to do with code enforcement. I believe that our City Code is in need of a major overhaul. We need City Code simplified and we need to improve communication with residents so that residents are better educated on code requirements and code restrictions.

I believe we need to trim the fat in this City in a way that reduces waste, but does not take away from the quality of life in Cooper City. With less waste, more resources can be allocated for City improvements. To that end, I would like to add more oversight where there is currently little or none. This includes internal audits having to do with allocation of resources, financial and otherwise, and it also includes ensuring that Cooper City receives what is promised pursuant to its contracts for goods and/or services. Our vendor contracts have gone far too long without someone whose job description includes ensuring vendor contract compliance.

I believe that the burden of swale tree trimming should stay with the City. Many residents do not realize that our tax dollars are supposed to go toward trimming trees on public streets. Though the topic has come up time and time again at Commission meetings, I will fight to keep the City as the party responsible for tree trimming because I believe it saves residents’ money, it keeps residents safer, and it maintains a more uniform look throughout the City. I also vow to do whatever is in my power to help provide the necessary resources to ramp up tree trimming throughout the City.

I also believe that the City must strengthen its relationships with homeowners’ associations. Though this may be a surprise to many, Cooper City has 47 separate homeowners’ associations, with thousands of residents residing within them. Many of these residents are paying taxes for services they will never receive from the City, and I believe that the City could be a better partner to these associations in many ways.

Everyone who knows me knows that I am passionate about volunteerism and have volunteered in our community for decades. I truly believe that our community volunteers are what set us apart from other communities. When elected Mayor, I would like to institute a “Community Volunteer of the Month” program, where the Commission recognizes individuals and/or groups for the work they do to make our community a better place.

I am excited about our future here in Cooper City. There are so many more things to discuss and so many more possibilities – too many to list them all here. But what I promise you is that, when you meet me on the campaign trail and later, at City Hall, I will listen with an open mind and my to-do list will keep growing. I am here to serve you, the residents of Cooper City, and I will do so with gratitude, with humility, and with integrity. I will always remember that CURRAN WORKS for you!

Campaign Contribution

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Together We Can!

I Do Everything For The People

Together with the Commission I participated in:

  • The Reinvest in Cooper City program where a percentage of the tax was added for the maintenance of trees, sidewalks and infrastructure improvements such as the Pipe Burst program in the eastern part of the city.
  • A food drive during the height of Covid with city employees.
  • Served as the Committee Chair from 2009 – 2020 for the committee that developed the City’s Autism Awareness initiative.
  • A community wide effort to support fire fighter and emergency worker needs at the Champlain Tower recovery.
  • The Class of 2020 celebratory high school graduation parade with the Education Awareness Board (EAB) of Cooper City.
  • Creation of the Business Advisory Board to promote local businesses in Cooper City.

When elected I will continue to create programs that meet the needs of our city and reflects the character of who we are; to be the Mayor that serves!

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