Manish Kalra thinks Wilton Manors is a great city and he loves living here. But, there are a few things he believes can be improved, and that’s why he’s running for city commission.
“It was always the feeling inside me that I need to fix something if something is broken,” Kalra told OutSFL.
The political newcomer has a long resume working in the non-profit and professional spheres. Twenty years ago, he moved to the U.S. from India for his job with Cummins. With stops in Minnesota and Indiana, he landed in Wilton five years ago after several visits as a snowbird.
“This is home. It’s warm of course, but the people. I felt at home. You feel warm and safe.”
But Kalra says his home city could use some home improvements. Primarily he believes the city code and, by extension, code enforcement, work against residents. He speaks from experience. When Kalra put a new AC unit in, the city required two seemingly pointless steps: putting a beauty screen around the unit (which could obstruct airflow) and a structural study.
He was also fined for unpermitted window shutters, but a deep dive into the records showed the previous owner did have permits when they were installed.
While the AC issues were waived and the shutters resolved, the ordeals left their mark.
The first step he wants to take is community education before issuing fines that often run $250 per day or more, money that works its way into the city budget.
“It’s penalizing your own people for lack of education. When you make code violations a source of revenue. it becomes almost inappropriate.”
He also is in search of the elusive balance of new development to bolster the tax base and keeping Wilton’s vibe. Kalra’s talked with residents and neighborhood associations and says he gets it.
“We don’t want to lose the community and have high-rises everywhere. Too many tall buildings will hurt [existing residents].”
He also points to projects being proposed with aggressive timelines only to be abandoned and forgotten almost as quickly. “There’s a sense of frustration that things are not moving fast enough.”
If he gets the green light from voters, Kalra says he’s ready to jump in from day one.
