The Broward County Commission has approved a new map with new boundaries for the nine Commission districts. There will be one more public hearing before they are made official.

The Commission is required by the County Charter, to redraw the election district map every 10 years to keep the population distribution in each district approximately equal. The difference between the largest and smallest must be no more than 10 percent.

So which district are you in? If you were in District 3, the area I am proud to represent, there were a few boundary changes.

District 3 is now:

• All of Parkland
• Coral Springs west of Riverside Drive/N.W. 81 Ave. (unchanged)
• Tamarac, including all areas north of Commercial Blvd and west of N.W. 81 Ave.
• North Lauderdale west of Rock Island Road

Although the City of North Lauderdale is new to District 3, it is not new to me as I represented it during my years as a State Representative. I’m looking forward to representing them again.

No parts of the City of Sunrise are located in the new District 3.

The new district map will be in effect for the upcoming November 2012 general election.

More details about the new map are available.

Please be sure to forward a copy of this newsletter to your neighbors so they can keep up-to-date with District 3 news. They can sign up for their own copy at the District 3 website or by calling our office at 954-357-7003.

Broward County and 18 cities including Coral Springs and Sunrise, have partnered to help you save money and conserve water. You can get a rebate of up to $100 per toilet if you replace your old, water guzzling models with new, high-efficiency toilets. The Broward Water Partnership is offering rebates to qualified homeowners now through October 2012. To determine your eligibility, visit ConservationPays.com, or call 1-800-270-9794. If you live in Tamarac, the City is offering similar rebates.

South Florida homeowners now may have a stronger case against manufacturers of Chinese Drywall after a nearly $1 billion settlement was reached in December with one of the largest makers of the building material. Thousands of homeowners have complained that drywall from China made their homes unlivable with foul odors and pipes and wiring corroding.

The settlement affects homes along the Gulf Coast that were rebuilt with Chinese drywall after Hurricane Katrina. 

I will keep you posted with details if something is announced affecting your homes here in Broward.

There are 2 Broward County Libraries located within District 3. Here are the locations and the updated library hours:

Northwest Regional Library
3151 University Drive
Bus Routes: 2, 34, University Breeze
954-341-3900
Mon - Wed: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Thurs - Sun: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Tamarac Branch
8701 W. Commercial Blvd.
Bus Routes: 55, 88
954-720-2282
Mon - Wed: 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Thurs - Sat: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sun: Closed

There are also two more libraries just outside District 3. They are:

Sunrise Dan Pearl Library
10500 W. Oakland Park Blvd.
Bus Routes: 55, 56 Shuttle, 72
954-749-2521

North Lauderdale Saraniero Branch
6901 Kimberly Blvd.
Bus Route: 62
954-968-3840