Fort Lauderdale Mayor
A 14-Year Civic Project
The Five Issues + More
I'm
Jim Blackburn.
And I'm going to become
Mayor of Fort Lauderdale.
Not tomorrow. Not in five years. I’m giving myself a decade to do it right — by learning this city inside out, earning the trust of its residents, and building the kind of credibility that can’t be faked.
Jim Blackburn
Fort Lauderdale Resident Entrepreneur · Civic Leader in Progress
Why I'm doing this publicly — and why it starts now
I’m 47 years old. I’ve spent my career building businesses — mortgage, real estate, capital, coaching, and education. I know what it takes to build things from scratch and earn trust in competitive markets.
But somewhere along the way I started paying closer attention to the city I live in. The streets that flood every king tide. The teachers and nurses who can’t afford to rent an apartment here anymore. The neighborhoods fighting to hold onto their character while developers reshape the skyline. The small businesses disappearing from streets that used to define this city.
“Most people see these problems and complain. I decided to study them — and eventually do something about them.”
I have zero political experience. I’ve never run for anything. What I have is time, discipline, and a genuine belief that Fort Lauderdale deserves better civic leadership than it’s getting.
So I’m starting from the bottom. Attending city commission meetings. Joining neighborhood associations. Applying for advisory boards. Learning how zoning decisions get made, how infrastructure gets funded, how the informal power structures in this city actually work. And documenting every step publicly.
What I'm committing to over the next 14 years
01
Show up every week
Attend city meetings, neighborhood events, and community forums — consistently, not just when it’s convenient.
02
Study the five issues deeply
Flooding, housing, neighborhoods, environment, and economic development. Research, report, and discuss every week.
03
Build trust, not a brand
Real relationships with real residents. Not a campaign — a decade of service that earns the right to lead.
04
Document everything publicly
Every meeting attended, every lesson learned, every mistake made. This project runs in public or it doesn’t run at all.
Professional Background
Stairway Mortgage
Founder
Mortgage lending · serving Fort Lauderdale
Blackburn Business Capital
Manager
Business capital · lending solutions
Blackburn Realty
Partner
Real estate · serving Fort Lauderdale
Stairway Advisors
Professional Advisor Coach
Coaching loan officers & realtors
Stairway Academy
Consumer Financial Coach
Homebuyer education & financial literacy
The Sonflower & the Bear
Author in Progress
Book in development