The Breakfast Club is honored to have as our guest this week Senator Gwen Margolis, President of the Florida State Senate and candidate for Miami-Dade County’s newly created office of elected Property Tax Appraiser.

Senator Margolis has had a long and distinguished career in Florida politics, starting with her election to the Florida House of Representatives in 1974, where she was subsequently re-elected to three additional terms. Her career in the Florida Senate started in 1980, where she was appointed as Chair of the Finance, Tax, and Claims Committee, and later the Appropriations Committee. In 1990 she became the first women in the United States to serve as President of any Senate, when she was sworn in as President of the Florida State Senate.

In 1994 she was elected to the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, where she served six of her eight years as Chairman. She returned to the Senate in 2002 and is returning to Miami politics to run for the newly created position of an elected County Property Tax Appraiser. Her opponent, Jim Shedd, was the guest speaker at last week’s Breakfast Club meeting.

Key issues for both candidates will be the need to de-value property for tax purposes, and the change from the current practice of valuing property based on the highest and best use to basing it on actual use.

Everyone is welcome to attend.

============

"Since 1996, the Tuesday Morning Breakfast Club has been gathering every Tuesday at 8:30AM to 10:00AM at a local Miami Beach restaurant for informal, non-partisan discussions of issues - political, governmental, etc. It is not affiliated with any other organization. We are currently meeting at David's Cafe II, 1654 Meridian Ave., Miami Beach, between Lincoln Road Mall and Macy's (formerly Burdine's). There is plenty of parking at that hour in the adjacent municipal parking lot. One orders from the menu or simply has coffee. Guest speakers range across the political, governmental, business, and social issues spectrum. Sessions are open to everyone. Simply show up."

For more information contact David Kelsey, Moderator. To be placed on the Breakfast Club’s mailing list, contact Harry Cherry. Both can be reached at .