The air was thick with anticipation in the Commission Chambers at Wilton Manors City Hall. Mayor Scott Newton, along with Commissioners Mike Bracchi and Chris Caputo, were sworn in to their new terms on Nov. 19.

But the real drama was who would be appointed vice mayor. The four commissioners and the mayor vote to fill the position. Caputo was nominated and elected on a 5-0 vote.

Shortly after the meeting, Caputo gave his first interview as Vice Mayor to The Gazette.

“I think we, as a commission, have set out a really clear plan for dealing with things like infrastructure, quality of life. We have a solid plan.”

The biggest issues will be the budgets, which are expected to bring spending cuts and tax hikes. Caputo believes the city will ride out the financial storm.

“We’ve made tax cuts where it makes sense. We’re using technology to save money. Thankfully, property values continue to rise because life is just better here. I’m confident that while it will be challenging, we’ll all be satisfied at the end.”

The appointment is for two years, and he succeeds Bracchi. Commissioner Paul Rolli, who held the job from 2020-2022, read an applicable quote, “If you accept the call to leadership, you must be willing to be misunderstood, criticized, opposed, accused, and even rejected.”

Rolli went on to say, “I think we have all been in this position. We must continue to be servant leaders.”