On September 3, 1996, the residents of the Indian Trace Community Development District went to the polls, and of those voting, 90% voted in favor of incorporation.  The City of Weston was born, and the Indian Trace Community Development District Board of Supervisors became the Interim City Commission, with Harry Rosen as Interim Mayor and John Flint, Eric Hersh, and Mark Myers as Interim Commissioners.  Cindy Fishbein resigned prior to taking the oath of office as Interim City Commissioner to relocate outside of the City.

As a part of the Local Bill, the Bonaventure community was afforded the opportunity to vote on whether to become a part of the City of Weston or the City of Sunrise.  On  April 1, 1997, residents of Bonaventure voted to join Weston by an almost two to one margin.

Weston’s residents returned to the polls on June 3, 1997 to elect their first Mayor and City Commissioners.  Elected were Harry Rosen as Mayor, and Commissioners Eric Hersh, Edwin Jacobson, Steve Keller, and Mark Myers.  In July, the City Commission hired the City’s first City Manager, John Flint, and appointed the City’s first City Attorney, Ellen Mills Gibbs.  The City contracted with the Broward Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement services; with the Broward County Board of County Commissioners for Fire Rescue services and Building Code services; with Calvin, Giordano and Associates, Inc., for Planning, Zoning, and Engineering services; and with Gary L. Moyer and Associates, P.A., (later to become Severn Trent Environmental Services), for Administration, Finance, Community and Utility services.  

In October 1997, the City Manager and his staff moved into the first City Hall in leased space at the Weston Corporate Center.   In 1999, the law firm of Weiss, Serota, Helfman, P.A. began representing the City, with Jamie Alan Cole of the firm representing Weston as the City Attorney.

The City of Weston continued to grow in land area with the annexation of the conservation area along US 27 westward to the L-37 levee from SR 84 to Griffin Road in 1999, and again with the annexation of the I-75/SR 84 corridor to the north in 2004, bringing the City’s total land mass to 16,539 acres, or 25.8 square miles.

The Indian Trace Development District

The Indian Trace Development District is a dependent district of the City of Weston, meaning that the governing body of the district is the same as that of the City Commission.  The boundaries of the District are the same as the City of Weston with the exception of the Bonaventure community.  The purpose of the District is to finance and manage the construction, maintenance, and operation of the water and sewer mains, water management bodies, and arterial roadways.

With all of its construction obligations completed, the District concentrates its efforts on debt service of its bond obligations, and operating and maintaining its infrastructure.  Revenues are generated through annual assessments appearing on property owner’s tax bills.  Only residents of the Indian Trace Development District receive assessments from, and are responsible for, payments to the District.

Read more about the Indian Trace Development District

The Bonaventure Development District

The Bonaventure Development is a dependent district of the City of Weston, meaning that the governing body of the district is the same as that of the City Commission.  The boundaries of the District are limited to the area known as Bonaventure.  The purpose of the district is to finance and manage the construction, maintenance, and operation of the improvements within the Bonaventure Master Plan, and the responsibilities and obligations of and the purchase of the Keep Bonaventure Beautiful Corporation.

Revenues are generated through annual assessments appearing on property owner’s tax bills.  Only residents of the Bonaventure Development District receive assessments from, and are responsible for, payments to the District.