[null, {"document_url": "http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Broward-County-Considers-Name-Change-to-Fort-Lauderdale-186291251.html", "unformatted_src": "//media.nbcmiami.com/designimages/OLY-MIAMI.png", "src": "http://media.nbcmiami.com/designimages/OLY-MIAMI.png", "formatted_filename": "OLY MIAMI", "alt_text": "OLY-MIAMI"}, {"document_url": "http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Broward-County-Considers-Name-Change-to-Fort-Lauderdale-186291251.html", "unformatted_src": "//media.nbcmiami.com/designimages/ots-double-arrow.png", "src": "http://media.nbcmiami.com/designimages/ots-double-arrow.png", "formatted_filename": "ots double arrow"}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Broward-County-Considers-Name-Change-to-Fort-Lauderdale-186291251.html", "unformatted_src": "//media.nbcmiami.com/images/620*465/angelgonzalez.jpg", "src": "http://media.nbcmiami.com/images/620*465/angelgonzalez.jpg", "formatted_filename": "angelgonzalez", "alt_text": "South Florida's Bad Boys - And Girls - of 2009", "rendered_width": "100%"}, null, {"document_url": "http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Broward-County-Considers-Name-Change-to-Fort-Lauderdale-186291251.html", "unformatted_src": "//media.nbcmiami.com/images/620*349/mileycytat.jpg", "src": "http://media.nbcmiami.com/images/620*349/mileycytat.jpg", "formatted_filename": "mileycytat", "alt_text": "[NATL] Celebrity Ink", "rendered_width": "100%"}, null]
Broward County Considers Name Change to Fort Lauderdale - NBC 6 South Florida Access Hollywood Live

Broward County Considers Name Change to Fort Lauderdale

Panel discussed Broward name change Thursday

By Julia Bagg 

A panel of city and county leaders met in Fort Lauderdale Thursday morning to discuss Broward County possibly changing its name to Fort Lauderdale County.

Broward gets its name from from an early 1900s governor named Napoleon Bonaparte Broward, who tried to drain the Everglades and died suddenly as he ran for the U.S. Senate.

State leaders were originally going to name Broward Everglades County but a last-minute legislative change gave us Broward.

At the meeting, advertising executive Jordan Zimmerman suggested inviting an independent researcher to find out what kind of impact branding Broward County with a new name might have.

South Florida's Bad Boys - And Girls - of 2009 He argued the county's name shouldn't be about what local people think, but what people far from South Florida think – those who eye the county as a home, vacation spot, or new business location.

"Let's stop guessing and start getting smart," Zimmerman said.

Some locals say capitalizing on the Fort Lauderdale brand could bring more tourism to the area

Celebrity Ink "I actually think it’s a good idea overall, it might bring more tourism into the city," Raul Lliteras said. "Broward County doesn’t sound like too much sparks or like Miami it’s not a very big name."

Fort Lauderdale resident Bill Erdman also thinks the change is a good idea.

"I think there would be more people recognizing our beach, because many people have heard about Fort Lauderdale Beach," he said.

Others disagreed, saying no change is needed.

"No, I kind of like Broward County, I was born and raised here so I don’t see why we need to change it,” Cecilia Gonzalez said.


Copyright Associated Press / NBC 6 South Florida
