Each year since 1961 the Executive’s Association of Fort Lauderdale hosts an Economic Forecast Breakfast. This year we had over 540 people in attendance and heard from two dynamic speakers.
For the third consecutive year, Walter Duke of Walter Duke + Partners & Associates provided both an eloquent and witty account of our local economy here in Broward County. Let me share some of his insight with you :
This website offers metrics on the economic status of Broward County, Florida in real-time.
Broward County, Florida is incredibly resilient, with a AAA credit rating. Health conditions are improving and employers are paying better, which Duke believes will help the ongoing labor shortage.
A $6.78 billion budget for Broward County includes a new $1.1 Billion convention center. This year, Broward County, Florida will created over 30,000 new jobs.
There are over 1,000 people moving to Florida each day. Duke believes it’s the quality of life and the lack of state tax that makes our state so desirable.
Here in Broward, the marine industry offers a $1.79 billion dollar boost to our local economy - that’s equivalent to FOUR super bowls!
However, we are LAST in the country for cost burdened households affordable housing. We have a huge shortage of affordable housing in this county - and this disparity has a negative impact across all businesses. Duke urges all of us, "We need to look at our local economy like a garden and we need to tend that garden!" I personally know that Walter Duke is doing everything in his power to tilt that scale, getting local officials on board, and supporting more funding for workforce housing developments.
We’re excited to work with Green Mills Group on the first development that will serve the homeless population of our county. While it’s a wonderful project, we’re all hopeful that it will be the first of many!
