By John Hayden
Mayor Scott Newton has big dreams for the small city of Wilton Manors. Taller buildings, better water, and a secure future are part of his plan. Now in his second stint as mayor, he’s running for re-election this November in what he says will be his last term. “I want to continue to make sure it’s easy for residents to understand what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. That will make the city of Wilton Manors a better place.”
Newton grew up in and around Wilton Manors. He graduated from Fort Lauderdale High School, and owns a local business, Quality Interiors. He lives here along with his wife, Cindy. Together, they’ve seen the city change. “I enjoy all the people. I enjoy my city. From where it was when I was a little kid and drove my bike down Wilton Drive, from the west side of town where I grew up to where it is today.”
He believes the city has become more vibrant, especially over the last ten years. “It’s amazing the community that has come around in the last few years. It is totally different.” He’s especially glad to see the revitalization of a community spirit. “When I grew up people knew each other and their neighbors. When new neighbors moved in you would say, ‘Hello,’ or bring them pies and cookies or something.” That’s a spirit he saw fade and now wants to bring back. “When I moved into my new house in [the mid-80s] on the east side here, no one said hello. They might wave but I didn’t know my neighbors at first. That’s changed now.”
Newton says he sees people stop by to welcome new people to the neighborhood and go out and socialize. “It’s nice to see that closeness. It doesn’t matter if you’re gay or straight or whatever.” He also says Wilton Manors is a more secure community. “It’s about being in Wilton Manors for a reason. It’s because you feel safe, you’re comfortable, and you want diversity. Nobody wants to be all of one thing and that’s what’s so cool about Wilton Manors. I want to make sure that progress continues.”
However, change doesn’t always equal growth. While the entertainment district along Wilton Drive and Dixie Highway has boomed over the last two decades, residential growth has not seen the same increase proportionally. Over the past few years, he’s worked with city commissioners to update zoning rules and regulations that could make modest, but impactful, changes to the Wilton Manors skyline. “It’s a balancing act. We’re not trying to be Fort Lauderdale and build 30 story buildings. The highest we’ll go is eight.”
Newton wants to bolster Wilton Manors’ reputation as a progressive city by making it greener. Buildings need to be ‘certified green’ in order to maximize the new height limits. That can be expensive to the point of being cost prohibitive. Newton wants to ease red tape associated with being green and lowering the cost of doing the right thing.
One thing that hasn’t really changed much since Newton was a kid in Wilton Manors is the infrastructure. Many complain about the yellow water that comes out of the taps. He knows it’s safe to drink, but knows it looks completely unappetizing. “It’s drinkable, I get it. There’s a difference between drinkable and ‘lookable’ and ‘smellable.’ It’s tough to tell residents that yellow water is easy to drink. It’s fine when you put it in a cup, you don’t see it much. But you put it in a bathtub, and it changes color.”
He wants to work with Fort Lauderdale to fix the problem and says Wilton Manors tests the water every week. There is also a 20-30 year master plan to update the sewer system, and $4 million has already been spent on the project.
Newton also wants to see Wilton Manors expand its downtown by developing the stretch of Dixie Highway south from Five Points. The area is already a burgeoning theater district with several small venues lining the street. “I’m hoping whoever comes in and buys some of that property that they incorporate those, because they are part of the culture of our city, the heartbeat of our city. Without that we lose some of our identity of who we really are.”
He’s running for a final two-year term this November and says after that he’ll hand off the job to a new generation of leaders. “I’m running for re-election and then I’m going to pass that on to someone else.”
