Commissioners Diane Glasser and Pamela Bushnell, Mayor Harry Dressler, Commissioner Debra Placko, and Vice Mayor Michelle Gomez
By: Sharon Aron Baron
On Thursday, a new commissioner was selected for District 4 in Tamarac after three finalists finished the second round of interviews.
It was a close race, but only Debra Placko received two votes from Mayor Harry Dressler and Vice Mayor Michelle Gomez. Finalists Lee Viverette and James Griffin received one vote each from Diane Glasser and Pam Bushnell.
The seat was left empty in January after Mayor Beth Talabisco was suspended once again by Governor Rick Scott. She was then replaced by Commissioner Harry Dressler, which left an empty commission seat in District four. A notice advertising the open position was published, and eleven candidates applied for the job.
Placko, who lives in Woodmont’s Palm Ridge community, retired from working at JByrons for 15 years. She’s currently Co-President of the Woodmont Property Owners Association (WPOA), which consists of 33 neighborhoods. She has lived in Woodmont for 10 years and served for eight on her board.
Placko says she receives many calls from neighbors in the WPOA and believes she is calm and open-minded. When asked about serving as a commissioner, she said, “I believe that I can do the job well. I have the time and energy, and I have a lot of people backing me.”
Placko’s appointment will only be until November of 2014. She has the option of running for the district seat just like anyone else that lives in the district. She will also receive the same compensation package as other commission members.
Related:
Finalists Narrowed Down for Commission Seat
Candidates Interview for Open City Commission Seat
