News

By Steve Plunkett

    The races are on.
    All three races are contested in Boca Raton’s municipal election and candidates are building sizable war chests to fund their campaigns.
    Voters will choose their mayor and two City Council members when they go to the polls March 14. Susan Haynie, running for her final term as mayor, will face Al Zucaro, an attorney, former publisher of the Boca Watch blog and once a city commissioner and unsuccessful mayoral candidate in West Palm Beach.
    Council member Scott Singer will square off against real estate agent Patty Dervishi, who is also a former treasurer of the Golden Triangle Homeowners Association.
    The contest to succeed council member Michael Mullaugh, who is term-limited out, features Emily Gentile, an officer of the Beach Condominium Association and, until becoming a candidate, the vice chairwoman of the city’s Downtown Advisory Committee; Andrea O’Rourke, a graphic designer and president of the Golden Triangle HOA; and attorney Andy Thomson, who is also on the board of the Golden Bell Education Foundation.
    As of Dec. 31 Haynie had collected $41,456 in campaign contributions. Her supporters include her predecessor, former Mayor Susan Whelchel ($1,000); Marta Batmasian of the Batmasian real estate family ($1,000); land-use attorney Charles Siemon ($200); the city firefighters political action committee ($1,000); and developer Robert Comparato, who wants to buy the city’s golf course ($1,000).
    Singer had been given $65,279 by the end of the year. His contributors include philanthropist Harold Beznos ($1,000); Boca Car Wash owner Andre Weliky ($1,000); and the city firefighters PAC ($1,000).
    Gentile’s contributions totaled $50,480 and included a $25,000 loan to her campaign. Checks came from land-use law firm Dunay Miskel Backman ($1,000); Highland Beach mayoral candidate Carl Feldman ($200); Highland Beach Vice Mayor William Weitz ($100); marketing consultant Larry Light ($1,000); and Jack Fox, president of the Beach Condominium Association ($1,000).
    O’Rourke had gathered $69,504 by year’s end, including $25,000 in self loans. Donations came from former City Council member Peter Baronoff ($250); former City Council member Anthony Majhess ($500); interior designer Nancy Simons ($500); National Humane Society fundraiser Randy Kassal ($400); and real estate agent Katherine Williams ($1,000).
    Thomson had raised $42,956 by Dec. 31, including money from mediator Jeffrey Grubman ($500); Fort Lauderdale-based developer Green Mills Group ($500); attorney David Silver ($500); and Kevin Wrenne ($500) and the Banyan Place assisted living facility he operates ($500).
    Zucaro and Dervishi started their campaigns in January and did not receive contributions in 2016.
    Residents who are at least 18 years old have until Feb. 13 to register to vote for the March election.
    Qualifying to run for city office ended Jan. 11. Boca Raton moved its qualifying period up a month in 2011 to give candidates more time to campaign and to give the city more time to coordinate with the county elections office. Before, office-seekers had to file their paperwork and pay fees in the first seven business days of February; now they do it in the first seven business days in January.
    Other municipalities along the barrier island scheduled their qualifying periods using the county supervisor of elections timetable, starting Jan. 31 and ending Feb. 14.