John P. Seiler (born May 27, 1963) is an American politician and 41st Mayor of
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County, Florida, Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the ...
. Prior to this he was a
Democratic member of the
Florida House of Representatives
The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the C ...
, from 2000 to 2008 representing District 92 which is located in
Broward County, Florida.
Political career
Wilton Manors
Seiler moved to
Wilton Manors, Florida, around 1988.
[ Seiler served as city council member and then vice mayor of Wilton Manors from 1993 to 1998.][ In 1998, Seiler was elected mayor of Wilton Manors, defeating incumbent King Wilkinson who had been accused of making homophobic comments.][
]
Fort Lauderdale
Seiler was a candidate to succeed term-limited[ ] Jim Naugle in the 2009 mayoral election for Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County, Florida, Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the ...
. He was elected February 10, 2009, winning against three opponents with more than 57 percent of the vote, avoiding a run-off election.[ that exceeded $250,000. Seiler was sworn in March 17, 2009.
On January 31, 2012, Seiler was reelected with 75% of the vote in a three-way race.
In 2015 he was again reelected.
]
Homeless initiatives
In November 2014, Seiler received nationwide attention; reports that Arnold Abbott, a 90-year-old World War II veteran had been arrested for feeding the homeless in public, in Fort Lauderdale went viral. ''The New York Times'' reported that "Fort Lauderdale, despite a reputation for being more progressive than most Florida cities on homelessness, passed a series of measures that surprised and drew the ire of homeless activists." The measure further restricting food distribution in public places but loosened restrictions on feeding in private or religious buildings. Other new measures tightened restrictions on panhandling, having property and sleeping in public, but the Mayor says his city is not harsh on homeless people, reported the Times. While video available on YouTube shows Arnold Abbott and ministers being taken away in police custody, the Mayor states that Mr Arnold had not been arrested
An arrest is the act of apprehending and taking a person into custody (legal protection or control), usually because the person has been suspected of or observed committing a crime. After being taken into custody, the person can be Interroga ...
, but rather was detained, cited, and ordered to appear in court. Those cited face possible jail time and have taken the city to court to fight the ordinance.
References
External links
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*''Follow the Money'' - John P. Seiler
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2006200420022000
State Representative campaign contributions
{{DEFAULTSORT:Seiler, Jack
1963 births
Florida lawyers
Living people
Mayors of Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Democratic Party members of the Florida House of Representatives
University of Miami School of Law alumni
University of Notre Dame alumni
People from Wilton Manors, Florida
21st-century members of the Florida Legislature