Holly Schuttler (l-r), Liz DeBiase, Jon Pearlman and Dawn Alford Zook, of Save Boca, hold signs in support of their agenda. The group’s petitions call for amendments to a city ordinance and to the City Charter that would not allow the City Council to lease or sell any city-owned land greater than one-half acre without an election. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Mary Hladky

What started as contained protest has morphed into all-out rebellion, as residents step forward to oppose Boca Raton’s plans to redevelop the city’s 30-acre downtown campus, which includes government and park space.

With the new residents group Save Boca in the lead, the opposition now has the trappings of a movement with Save Boca lime green and bright navy T-shirts and yard signs — and volunteers going door-to-door to collect signatures on petitions that would force the city to let residents vote on the project.

Organized by Jon Pearlman, Save Boca has a website, SaveBoca.org, where petitions are available, and a Facebook page. Residents can go to the Downtown Library every Tuesday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, and Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. to sign a petition or pick up a yard sign.

Save Boca exhorted residents to voice their opinions at the July 15 City Council meeting. They responded in force.

Project opponents filled every seat in the council chambers and spilled over into a foyer. More than 30 spoke.

“This is too big,” Brett Lassen said of the project. “We are taking paradise and putting up a parking lot.”

Said Joe Majhess: “Traffic will drastically increase. Our quality of life is being sacrificed. We are done. Put it to a vote.”

“I have not heard one single person who wants this development. Not one,” said Patricia Dervishi. “They want it completely scrapped. Not changed. Scrapped.”

“People are shocked,” Pearlman said. “This project has brought to light we the citizens do not have any power over our public land.

“That is what the petitions seek. We need to put the protection of our public land back in the hands of the people.”

As he shouted “Save Boca!” the audience cheered.

The two petitions call for amendments to a city ordinance and to the City Charter. They would not allow the City Council to lease or sell any city-owned land greater than one-half acre without an election.

Mayor faults petition words
The city, in a public-private partnership, plans to lease the 30 acres for 99 years to a joint venture of Terra and Frisbie Group for redevelopment.

An analysis by city consultant CBRE found the deal would yield the city $3.6 billion. That includes lease payments to the city and a $2.2 billion increase in tax revenue the property will generate over the 99 years once redeveloped. Pearlman contends the revenue would be far less.

What Pearlman and Save Boca supporters see as an issue of resident control over what happens to city-owned public land, Mayor Scott Singer sees as a grave impediment to governance.

“Unfortunately, these petitions are confusing to many residents because they have far-reaching consequences that extend beyond just the downtown campus,” he said in statement to The Coastal Star.

“The language could imperil all our longstanding relationships with core nonprofits, facilities and cultural centers, including the Boca Museum of Art, Boca Raton Historical Society, Fuller Center, Tri-County Animal Rescue and many more groups.”

Every time the city wanted to lease land to such groups, there would have to be a costly election, he said. Either the groups would have to pay for it, or the City Council might decide not to pay that cost and so not provide leases.

“Residents who have concerns may prefer to give feedback to the evolving (downtown campus) plans, rather than sign this petition that may prevent nonprofits in the future from providing many benefits to our city,” he said.

Jon Pearlman and Dawn Alford Zook of Save Boca review petitions outside the Downtown Library that are aimed at halting Boca Raton’s downtown campus redevelopment plans. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Ballot initiative
Save Boca must collect at least 6,112 signatures for the charter change and 3,676 for the ordinance change to get either measure on a ballot.

As of late July, Pearlman did not have an exact count of how many signed petitions have been collected, but said it was over 1,000 for each of the two measures.

“I am very confident we will get the amount of signatures we need for this petition to become successful,” he said.

There is no specific deadline for submitting the petitions. Once they are filed with City Clerk Mary Siddons, she would coordinate with Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Wendy Sartory Link to verify the signatures and voter registrations. If the petitions meet the requirements, the measures would go to a vote.

The next city election is on March 10, 2026, when voters will determine the next mayor and who will fill two City Council seats. A special election with only the two measures on the ballot would cost about $200,000.

Was city outreach enough?
Several residents complained at the council meeting that they did not know the scope of the redevelopment project that will bring residential, retail, two office buildings and a hotel to the downtown site. It also will include a new, but smaller City Hall, larger Community Center and a police substation.

They criticized city officials for poor communication and outreach.

But city officials insist they have worked diligently to keep residents informed.

All documents detailing the project are on the city’s website.

Officials also post regular updates there and on social media about the project’s status. They have held two charettes that allowed residents to see the plans and speak with Terra/Frisbie officials. For more than six months, city officials and CBRE have provided updates at every council meeting and allowed the public to comment.

And yet, many residents either were unaware or assumed the project was limited to building a new City Hall and Community Center, which they generally support.

The exception is users of the campus’ recreation facilities, including the tennis center, skate park and softball fields. They know the city plans to move most of those to other parks and have strongly objected.

Most recently, the city said it would build a $12 million softball complex at Sugar Sand Park, which is owned by the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District. Once it is built, the district will own and maintain the complex.

In responding to criticisms during the meeting, Mayor Singer said, “It disheartens me that despite so many communications so many people are unaware.”

He noted that Mizner Park was created as a public-private partnership that “transformed that area of the downtown. We have the opportunity to do the same thing here. … Everyone would say (Mizner Park) is successful.”

“This is an ongoing process,” he said after residents had weighed in. “We appreciate your comments and will see what we can make better.” 

We are delighted to share some good news about the future of The Coastal Star.

We’re welcoming Harvey Oyer III as a shareholder in the ownership of our publishing company. Our newspaper has been locally owned and operated since we published our first edition in November 2008. 

As we think about the future of our newspaper, we very much want to maintain our local roots. Harvey is, of course, as local as you can get. He is joining the ownership of our company to help us ensure the longevity and continued excellence of our publication.

Harvey is probably known to many of you, or at least his family name is. He is a fifth generation native of Palm Beach County, his ancestors having planted the coconuts from the wreck of the Spanish ship Providencia in 1878 that gave the county its name. 

His great-great-grandparents homesteaded on Hypoluxo Island in 1873 and his great-grandmother in 1876 was the first non-Native American child born in southeast Florida. Later, in the 1890s, his great-grandparents brought Maj. Nathan Boynton, William Linton and David Swinton to our area, which led to the creation of the cities of Boynton Beach and Delray Beach.

Harvey’s father was the mayor of Boynton Beach who had a waterfront park named in his honor.

Harvey loves our history and shares our same core values of community and freedom of speech.

He was a writer for his college newspaper and is an accomplished author, who has written five bestselling children’s books that are used throughout Florida to teach elementary school students Florida history. His books have received numerous awards and Harvey was named Florida’s Distinguished Author in 2013. 

Harvey is passionate about historic preservation and led the effort to save and restore the county’s historic 1916 Courthouse in downtown West Palm Beach. He also led the effort to create the Richard and Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum at the courthouse, restore historic Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, and most recently, restore the Harriet Himmel Theater in CityPlace. He served seven terms as chairman of the Historical Society of Palm Beach County.  

Harvey was elected Phi Beta Kappa when he graduated with high honors at the University of Florida, and was selected the Most Outstanding Male Leader of the Class of 1990. He has been inducted into both the UF student hall of fame and the UF alumni Academy of Golden Gators.

After further study at The Australian National University as a Rotary International Scholar, and earning a master’s degree in archaeology at the University of Cambridge, England, Harvey returned to UF and received a Juris Doctor with honors from the College of Law. He also served honorably in the Marine Corps, attaining the rank of captain.

He was admitted to the Florida Bar in 1998, and is a partner in the Shutts & Bowen law firm.

Local ownership is critical

We believe the long-term future of community journalism is based on the commitment that owners have to the ongoing success of their local publications. The Coastal Star’s current owners have each lived in our coastal communities for more than 40 years. Mary Kate Leming — my wife and the paper’s semi-retired executive editor — and I founded the paper in 2008. Chris Bellard, our advertising director, along with Price Patton and his wife, Carolyn, a Delray Beach native, became part of the company's ownership in 2011.

As Harvey joins The Coastal Star team, its mission to produce strong local journalism remains the same as always.

Harvey is a noted local attorney who represents a broad range of clients. If Harvey or his firm is included in a Coastal Star story, we will — as we always do — include full disclosure in the story so our readers are aware of the relationship.

Succession planning is an important task for business owners, and I can tell you that we have been looking for the next owners of The Coastal Star for a few years. Harvey’s involvement will give our staff and this community a sense of security that a sale to faraway owners would not provide. 

We hope it will also provide stability for our advertisers and satisfy the expectation of meaningful community journalism for our readers for years to come.

— Jerry Lower, Publisher

By John Pacenti

For months, Manalapan commissioners sought to determine whether or not Palm Beach County’s sand transfer plant at the Boynton Inlet was to blame for erosion of its shores.

An engineer and beach erosion expert hired by the town to look at its erosion issue says the transfer plant — which pumps sand south to Ocean Ridge and beyond — is not the big, bad bogeyman after all. 

The culprits are old-fashioned sea walls, lack of a comprehensive dune policy and Mother Nature, particularly tropical storms like 2012’s Hurricane Sandy from which the town’s beaches never truly recovered.

The conclusion is no surprise, but still grim: Manalapan faces critical erosion challenges, especially on the town’s north end, where one-time residents Billy Joel and Yanni could dig their toes into the sand.

Where a luscious beach once stood outside of the Vanderbilt estate, now at high tide the sea wall often juts into the ocean. 

It appears residents will have to decide — more likely sooner than later —  if they want to truck in expensive sand to replenish their beaches.

“Your primary issue that you should focus on is ‘how do we get enough sand, how do we maintain the sand location’ and not try to correlate that too closely with what residents — individual residents — have done,” said Doug Mann, lead coastal engineer with APTIM.

He gave an hour-plus presentation, including a question-and-answer session, at the July 8 Town Commission meeting.

Mann’s comprehensive knowledge of all things beach and erosion in Palm Beach County was on full display. He said there was actually a bit of a benefit from the sand transfer plant on the south end of Manalapan, but that any “accretion” is not present north of the Chillingworth Curve at 1500 S. Ocean Blvd.

“One day, the plant runs, and you move some sand off the beach, and it gets bypassed. The next day, there’s not enough energy or enough sand there to bypass. So the county turns the plant off, and the beach starts to accrete again,” Mann said. “So you have both of these processes going on at the same time.”

The study revealed significant beach narrowing over the decades. “The beach is lower and it’s not as wide as it used to be,” Mann said, showing photos of changes since 2001.

The northern portion of Manalapan’s beach appears the most vulnerable, eroding “pretty substantially” over the last 30 years, Mann said.

Existing sea walls complicate the situation. While doing a bang-up job of protecting multimillion-dollar properties, Mann said sea walls “cause a redistribution of sand” that may “push some sand directly offshore, particularly when you have a severe storm.”

Sea walls have been rebuilt along the former Vanderbilt estate after failing during storm surge from Hurricane Sandy. Yet, Mann showed a picture with a sea wall jutting into the ocean where the beach was nonexistent.

While there had been some dune renourishment in the 2000s by a homeowner, the town has never adopted a dune master plan or renourishment policy, Mann said.

The town in May disbanded its beach committee after it found beach erosion, the sand transfer plant, and beach raking to be areas of concern. Now the matter is in APTIM’s hands.

The Manalapan report shows the extent of erosion in the 1300 block of Ocean Boulevard. There is no berm, a mild sloping beach to the sea wall and no dune plants.

The initial study, presented July 8, cost $10,000, with additional APTIM work in a second phase to cost taxpayers between $17,000 and $20,000.

“We’re going to complete the analysis of some coastal data,” Mann said. “Look at what beach nourishment may look like in town. We’re going to look at whether the selective use of some coastal structures in combination with future dune nourishment may be appropriate.”

Potential solutions include “groins, breakwaters, or a combination of both” to maintain the shoreline. However, Mann warned that any intervention must consider environmental factors like near-shore hard bottom — where corals grow — and nesting sea turtles.

Public funding remains a significant hurdle. “Your beach is fairly private, with limited public access,” Mann said, meaning the project “would have to be funded by the town itself and its residents.”

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers “will only work on beaches that are public and open to the public,” he said.

Commissioner David Knobel highlighted the urgency, stating the town needs “to slow the decline of this beach and have a long-term plan, whether it’s publicly or privately funded.” 

“Get dunes back there, get groins if it’s needed,” he said. 

Paul and Andrea Fazzino head the Delray Beach nonprofit Beach Keepers Inc., which is dedicated to keeping beaches and other public spaces free from trash. The organization uses regular volunteers and runs special cleanup events. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Hannah Spence

Most people don’t like the sight of garbage where it doesn’t belong. However, few do anything about it. But Paul and Andrea Fazzino’s Delray Beach nonprofit, Beach Keepers Inc., is dedicated to keeping South Florida clean and beautiful.

“We started the organization because we saw an excessive amount of pollution and felt we could make a difference,” said 59-year-old Paul Fazzino.

Beach Keepers is a 501(c)(3) disaster relief and environmental beautification organization combatting pollution to benefit public spaces, inhabitants, ecosystems and communities.

The siblings, retired construction workers, started the philanthropic organization after moving to Florida from Georgia in 2017.

“We decided that working for free to benefit everyone equally was better than working to earn a living,” said Andrea Fazzino, 56. “It served us better to personally give back seven days per week than to work for money.”

Although they live in Boynton Beach, the Fazzino brothers work from Martin County south to Miami and as far west as Wellington.

A typical day includes getting up around 5 a.m., checking and writing emails, then heading to the Delray Beach office by 7 a.m. The office on southbound Federal between Southeast First and Second streets is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. 

“Arriving early is important to me and helps me to set the pace for the day,” said Paul Fazzino. “Not long afterwards our volunteers begin to arrive and head out in the community to clean up areas we’ve identified as unappealing or needing attention throughout Delray Beach’s downtown district and beyond. 

“Managing the influx of amazing volunteers, scheduling events, hosting events, recycling and disposing of the material we collect happens throughout the day.”

Paul and Andrea can often be seen hosting large beach cleanups and picking up litter from along Federal Highway. 

The brothers have created alliances with like-minded organizations like Surfing’s Evolution and the Florida Department of Transportation, where they manage FDOT Adopt-A-Mile program roadways — such as one in Briny Breezes and another in Delray Beach.

Beach Keepers Inc. provides volunteers at city events like the Delray Affair and Savor the Avenue to keep the event spaces clean and free of obstructions. Among the volunteers are people who are fighting addiction and trying to get clean, those who have been sentenced to do community service hours, and students who are donating their time in addition to working on their studies.

Paul shared a story about a volunteer named Kayla who had confided in him about her struggle with paying her student debt. This inspired him and Andrea to think of ways they could help her and other volunteers with the same issue.

The Beach Keepers Student Debt Initiative Program was started in 2023 and offers students and graduates the opportunity to help the community while receiving financial support toward student debt and educational needs. Participants can earn up to $800 monthly by doing up to 40 hours per month.

Even though Beach Keepers keeps them busy, Andrea and Paul still find time to engage in hobbies. Andrea loves to play drums and has found an outlet every Wednesday evening at the Downtown Delray Drum Circle held at Old School Square. 

Paul enjoys swimming and biking. Both are classic car aficionados and have enjoyed owning, restoring and showing their favorite Dodge/Plymouth classics, which enthusiasts call Mopars after the parts brand servicing the vehicles.

The brothers share a condo.

“We want to be held to the same standards others are,” said Andrea. “Just be kind to people, invite them with a generous spirit. Our approach is simple: See it, pick it up, get it out of there, put it where it belongs.” 

Workers paint over rainbow street art — celebrating gay pride — in Boynton Beach on East Ocean Avenue after federal and state officials threateaned to withold millions of dollars for transportation improvements if the artwork isn't removed. Photo provided by WPBF

By Jane Musgrave

When Delray Beach Vice Mayor Rob Long learned city officials were planning to comply with federal and state demands to paint over a 4-year-old rainbow-hued gay pride intersection, he got angry.

But, realizing that the city would risk losing millions of dollars in transportation improvements if it defied the orders, he decided to find ways to keep the spirit of the pride streetscape at Northeast Second Avenue and Northeast First Street — and the road money.

Recognizing that neither the state nor the federal government holds the purse strings for city parks, Long said he is mulling over the possibility of establishing a gay pride symbol on city land. Painting a mural on a city building is another suggestion he is exploring.

By the commission’s Aug. 12 meeting, he said he plans to have something for his fellow elected officials to consider.

“It’s just such vindictive, petty bullshit that our state is focusing on instead of addressing real problems,” Long said.

Other gay rights advocates, who have watched similar streetscapes erased in other cities, share his view.

The stage for the erasures was set on June 30 when the Florida Department of Transportation sent a letter to cities and counties, warning that state road funds could be cut off if “non-compliant traffic control devices and surface markings, including pavement art installations” aren’t removed.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sent a similar letter to all 50 governors. “Taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks,” Duffy said in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter.

By July 16, Boynton Beach had painted over its colorful streetscape on East Ocean Avenue. West Palm Beach said it, too, will remove a rainbow-patterned crosswalk in the Old Northwood neighborhood.

West Palm Beach, however, is already moving forward with plans to re-create the streetscape at a small park nearby.

Boynton Beach City Manager Daniel Dugger said the city also wants to do something to replace the streetscape. But, no specific plans have been made.

“The city remains committed to finding appropriate ways to honor and celebrate our diverse community and will consider alternative memorial options at a future date,” Dugger said in a statement.

Rand Hoch, president and founder of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, said the recent dictates on the streetscapes are just another attack by the Trump administration on marginalized groups.

Faced with the threat of losing millions in federal grants, Palm Beach County commissioners and the School Board in recent months temporarily abandoned programs designed to help women, minorities and other disadvantaged groups.

“It makes no sense to blackmail cities,” said Hoch, a longtime gay rights activist. But, he said, sadly it works.

Hoch has been fighting to protect the Delray Beach streetscape since the human rights council paid $16,000 to make it a reality in 2021.

Since then, it has been vandalized three times — most recently in June when a driver burned tire marks into the painted pavement. The driver of the pickup that was captured on video has not been caught by Delray Beach police.

But, Hoch said, the two men who were caught — one who left black marks on the painting during an ad hoc parade to celebrate Donald Trump’s birthday shortly after the streetscape was completed, and another in 2024 — were placed on probation. 

“A slap on the wrist,” said Hoch, who wanted both to be charged with hate crimes. All of the vandalism occurred during June — Gay Pride Month.

Hoch bristled at claims by both federal and state transportation officials that the road art causes accidents by distracting drivers.

He claims studies, including one done in 2022 for Bloomberg Philanthropies, found that crashes declined when intersections were painted. 

“If you put in colorful crosswalks and intersections, people will slow down,” Hoch said, summing up the findings  that prompted cities across the country to paint asphalt.

Likewise, he said, the notion that tax money is wasted is flawed. In Delray Beach, he pointed out that his group paid for the project and the two men who were arrested paid to have it restored.

“The only thing taxpayers are paying for is to cover it up,” Hoch said. 

He said he has no plans to fight the decisions. He understands cities need federal and state money to operate and can’t risk losing either.

He applauded West Palm Beach and other cities that are working to find alternative ways to support the gay community.

But, he said, his real reason for not fighting is that, after years of progress, he now has more important battles to wage. 

“I’d rather use my political capital to make sure LGBTQ+ people continue to be protected,” he said. 

Hailey Clark, a marine biology student at Florida Atlantic University and a volunteer for the Coastal Stewards, releases Sparrow, a green sea turtle, into the ocean on July 10. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Steve Plunkett

The gift shop at Boca Raton’s Gumbo Limbo Nature Center should reopen “quite soon,” but answers to what will become of the signature sea turtle rehabilitation efforts there remain elusive.

The nonprofit Coastal Stewards, which ran the rehab unit until suddenly deciding to close it and the gift shop it ran June 12, released its final patient, a green sea turtle named Sparrow, into the ocean at Red Reef Park across from the nature center on July 10. The same day, it released one named Blossom in Stuart.

In its July newsletter, the group — previously known as Friends of Gumbo Limbo — said it has shifted away from rehab work and “evolved to focus on youth leadership and coastal conservation programs that protect Florida’s ecosystems today.” 

“As we enter a period of transition,” it continued, “the Board of Directors is thoughtfully evaluating the best path forward for the organization and its mission.”

Boca Raton officials were also trying to draw a map to Gumbo Limbo’s future.

“We’re looking at a number of options to, first of all, restore the gift shop, which is very popular,” City Manager George Brown told the City Council on July 15. “We are considering whether or not we should be in the turtle rehab business. We will continue to have turtle people being able to engage with the turtles, but whether or not we run a turtle hospital is something we’re exploring.”

Rehab options

Brown said his staff has been talking with the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach for a possible solution.

“Our concern there is whether or not we want to actually hire them and pay them to operate the facility, whether we want to be in the (rehab) business and be responsible for it,” Brown said.

He said the first conversation “was more of a simple partnership, that they would use the facility and we would have an agreement. And then it seems that they are interested in being a contractor to us. And we are evaluating whether or not we will recommend doing that.

“But we’re definitely working toward the gift shop. We actually have a couple of options for that, and it should be open quite soon,” Brown said.

Mayor Scott Singer was pleased that staff was looking at maintaining the rehab facilities.

“That is an important component of what we have there at Gumbo Limbo,” he said.

The day before, Commissioner Craig Ehrnst of the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District implored council members to issue a request for proposals to see whether other groups would like to run the sea turtle hospital. The Beach and Park District reimburses the city for operating expenses and capital improvements at Gumbo Limbo and Red Reef Park.

“It is one of our world-class jewels that we have, a top thing for Trip Advisor,” Ehrnst said. “We need all the things that it has.”

Clearing out

Meanwhile, the Coastal Stewards van is parked on the grass in front of the nature center “so we can use it to help move equipment and it will be moved as soon as the board decides the plan moving forward,” said Melissa Perlman, the group’s spokeswoman.

“The Coastal Stewards are working on donating medical equipment to several nonprofit sea turtle/wildlife rescue organizations based on each of their needs and the equipment the team can provide them with,” Perlman said. “According to (its veterinarian Shelby) Loos, that way we know the equipment will continue to directly help with conservation missions.”

Perlman also said over the next couple of weeks the Stewards will continue to pack and help move everything as those organizations come to pick up their donations.

The nonprofit Coastal Stewards group had run the rehab unit and gift shop since April 2024, but declining contributions and increased competition for donations led its trustees to curtail operations at their June 12 meeting.

That decision came after the Coastal Stewards in April vacated rented office space in an unincorporated county pocket between Ocean Ridge and Briny Breezes.

The closure of the rehabilitation center did not affect the three “resident” sea turtles housed in outdoor tanks at Gumbo Limbo, which remain on display and available for public viewing. Also still open are the city-run turtle nesting and hatchling programs, youth camps and community education, the butterfly garden, boardwalk and observation tower. 

The Manalapan Town Commission has tentatively set the tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year, maintaining the same rate as the previous three years. 

However, because property values rose again this year, property owners will still be paying more in town taxes.

The commission formally voted in July to set a maximum rate of $3.00 per $1,000 of taxable value — the same as last year. It can still decrease the rate before approving the final budget in September.

According to the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s Office, taxable property values rose in Manalapan, on average, nearly 7.6%.

Under state law, homesteaded properties can have their taxable value raised a maximum of 3% each year. All other residential and commercial properties can have their taxable values increased by a maximum of 10%.

The average home value in town is $3.7 million. For owners of that average home capped at a 3% increase, taxes would go up roughly $330.

A non-homestead property would pay more. Based on the average 7.6% increase in taxable value this year, a similarly valued $3.7 million property would see a town tax increase of roughly $840. 

— John Pacenti

The Coastal Star recently covered the planned Milani oceanfront park in Highland Beach. I write to emphasize the important right of public access to the shoreline.  

Recent Florida beach events spotlight the issue.  

First, the Florida governor rescinded an older Florida statute, which had empowered private beachfront property owners to close off miles of Walton County beaches, denying all public access. Essentially, the old law blocked the public’s access to the “shoreline,” defined as the sandy area below the high tide water mark. 

Access to the shoreline has long been recognized for all persons under Florida law. The question now facing us is the public’s right of access to reach the shoreline.

As the “War at the Shore” continues to rage in Palm Beach County, the on-again/off-again Milani oceanfront park planned in Highland Beach, on Palm Beach County-owned property, is now under reconsideration.

County Commissioner Joel Flores publicly opined that it makes no sense to build a park that “no one wants.” Flores obviously refers to the Highland Beach property owners and developers, who seem to prefer that Flores’ constituents living in central Palm Beach County not be allowed access to the shore. For the inland residents, this park actually makes a lot of sense.

Commissioner Marci Woodward is pushing for final approval of Milani Park. She is considering the needs of all county residents and visitors, not just a privileged few beachfront property owners. 

The Milani Park issue should be focused on its proposed function as a guaranteed pathway to the shoreline, which can be thought of as a public right of way. Walking the Florida shoreline is a joy everyone here should be able to experience. 

The folks in Highland Beach seem to view the beach as their private playground and they have, to date, successfully blocked all public beach access in their town. Now they propose a real estate deal to profit the town and a developer. 

To sell this seaside public property is an outrageous proposal — but not a new one. Living in this county for the past 80 years, I have seen this scenario before.   

I am hoping this time it ends well for our county as a whole.

— Terry Brown, Ocean Ridge

Tri-Rail is grappling with a $27.1 million funding shortfall with few options so far in sight.

The Florida Department of Transportation has “redefined” its statutory minimum for funding from $42.1 million per year to $15 million, said David Dech, executive director of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, which operates the commuter train service.

At a July 25 workshop session, Dech said Tri-Rail spends $2.5 million a week running its trains. If no other funding is found, the money the service has on hand will allow it to operate only until July 2027.

Dech said eliminating weekend service would extend operations just 8.5 days while cutting the line’s express trains would add only four days of service.

Despite the gloomy outlook, Authority Board member Jim Scott said Tri-Rail is not going away. “We’re not going to abandon service,” he said.

But Palm Beach County Commissioner Marci Woodward, who chairs the authority, was not optimistic.

“For Palm Beach County, we do not have a transportation surtax; my two fellow counties to the south do,” Woodward said. “This is a big ask, for us this is an ask for us to take this money out of property taxes. … It’s just money we don’t have.”

— Steve Plunkett

The Florida League of Cities presented Town Commissioner Joan Orthwein with a framed resolution in recognition of her service to Gulf Stream. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Steve Plunkett

Gulf Stream Town Commissioner Joan Orthwein was hailed as “a remarkable public servant” while being recognized by the Florida League of Cities for her more than 30 years as an elected official.

“Today we celebrate not just years but decades of meaningful service, of showing up and making a difference,” Michael Morrill, a representative of the league, told Orthwein and her colleagues at the Town Commission’s July 11 meeting.

Morrill gave her a framed resolution, signed by the league’s board of directors, recognizing her “selfless commitment” and her “significant sacrifices” of time and energy.

“I hope everyone enjoys living here,” said Orthwein, whose first Town Commission meeting was in May 1995. “It’s been an honor to be on the commission and to be among all these wonderful people. It’s been good.”

The league named the honor the Mayor John Land Years of Service Award after a mayor of Apopka who served for more than 60 years. 

The recognition goes to only a few each year. Last year, the league honored four officials for reaching the 30-year mark, two for serving 35 years and two who had reached 40 years.

Back in 2020, during the pandemic, the league praised Orthwein’s reaching 25 years of service via a video recording. At the time, Mayor Scott Morgan noted that she had also served for seven years as an appointed member of the town’s Architectural Review and Planning Board. She chaired the ARPB before moving to the commission, and has also been the town’s vice mayor and mayor.

“With every issue that has confronted this town, you have always addressed it with your characteristic grace and dignity, which is really unusual I think in municipal government,” Morgan said. “It’s been a pleasure with you as my friend to sit with you on this dais.”

Orthwein isn’t the longest-serving Gulf Stream official ever. Former Mayor William F. Koch served for 56 years — 46 as mayor and 10 as commissioner — before his death in 2012 at age 91. 

By Steve Plunkett

For the fourth consecutive year, homeowners in Gulf Stream will likely pay a property tax rate of $3.67 per $1,000 of taxable value.

“Our budget is pretty much almost the same basically every year,” Town Manager Greg Dunham said while previewing his proposal for the 2026 fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.

The tax rate, tentatively approved by town commissioners July 11, will generate $6.99 million, up about $550,000 from the current year, Dunham said. Property values in town rose 8.5% to $1.9 billion.

The town will be entering the eighth year of its 10-year capital improvement plan, and the budget’s big-ticket item remains the road and drainage infrastructure work in the Core area. Dunham will pull $2.45 million from the general fund and $643,549 from the water fund to pay for the construction.

Gulf Stream will also borrow up to $7 million — perhaps in December — to have enough money to finish the planned capital improvements, pay for a water connection to Boynton Beach and keep a reserve fund of $4 million.

The town’s consulting engineers will begin drawing plans for rebuilding roads and water mains in Gulf Stream’s Place Au Soleil neighborhood on the west side of the Intracoastal Waterway.

Dunham again recommended that commissioners approve a 4% cost-of-living pay raise for town employees, many of whom he invited to attend the commission meeting for a public thank-you.

“It’s the same faces that you’ve seen for year after year after year. And my point is that we don’t have any turnover here and don’t have to deal with that. That takes a lot of time, administrative time,” he said. “And also … our employees enjoy working here very much. They love the town of Gulf Stream and … they make my job a lot easier.”

Under the tentative tax rate, the owner of a $1 million house would pay $3,672 in town property taxes in addition to county, school and other levies.

Commissioners can lower that tax rate, also called the millage, but not raise it at public hearings they scheduled in Town Hall for 5:01 p.m. on Sept. 11, after their 4 p.m. monthly meeting, and on Sept. 24. 

Michelle Heiser was promoted from interim to permanent town manager by commissioners and will make $225,000 a year. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By John Pacenti

It’s been pretty kumbaya in Ocean Ridge ever since Michelle Lee Heiser showed up to serve as interim town manager.  

Commissioners have praised her preparedness, especially on budget matters, and they even approved raises for non-union police and administrative employees — something the previous manager tried in vain to get them to do.

So it should come as no surprise that when Heiser showed interest in the job permanently, commissioners were eager to get her on board. They voted to hire Heiser at a $225,000 annual salary at the July 8 meeting, approving it on the consent agenda with no discussion or debate — something that is pretty unusual for a top hire.

Heiser was a candidate in 2023 when the town went in a different direction and hired Lynne Ladner as manager. Ladner benefited from changes on the commission to secure the job — she went from interim to permanent to interim to permanent.

Ladner, though, had a chaotic tenure with very public mistakes aired out during commission meetings. When she resigned in April after bad evaluations from all five commissioners, Heiser quickly came on as interim.

From the start, Heiser’s hands-on management style seemed to calm commissioners and staff alike. The last two commission meetings have run smoothly, quickly and with no drama.

Heiser is a former Port St. Lucie councilwoman and former town manager for Sewall’s Point. She was hired to help find Ladner’s replacement, but then threw her name into the ring. 

Her salary is essentially the same as what the town paid Ladner when she left in April.

“Thank you for your vote of confidence,” she told the commissioners at the July 8 meeting. “I am excited and honored, really honored, that we could get here this fast.”

Heiser said she looks forward to guiding capital improvement projects in the next year, such as the ongoing project of replacing the town’s corroding water pipes.

Heiser met with each of the commissioners regarding the job and cited Vice Mayor Steve Coz, particularly, for “a very challenging discussion on my contract.”

At Ocean Ridge Commission meetings, Robert’s Rules of Order are more of a suggestion than a mandate. As such, former Commissioner Terry Brown can pop up at almost any time to add his two cents. He spent his time at the podium on July 8 to praise Heiser’s hiring. He added that the town should post her résumé so residents know what they are getting.

“If you would have included a single page of Ms. Heiser’s background, when people were looking at it, they would see that it was a wonderful choice, and that the compensation is fair and she’s getting great benefits,” he said.

Heiser told The Coastal Star on July 16 that the contract had been signed, but admitted she was a bit surprised that Mayor Geoff Pugh placed her hiring on the consent agenda. She said Ocean Ridge traditionally places as many items as it can on the consent agenda to streamline meetings to avoid the inefficiency seen in other towns. 

That doesn’t mean the commissioners haven’t put in the work, Heiser said.

“These commissioners spend one to two hours apiece with the (town) attorney and I,” she said. “Reviewing each item on the agenda prior to the meetings. They ask many questions and gain an understanding of the impacts.”  

Ocean Ridge Police Sgt. Keith Ramirez investigates the scene outside a home at the corner of Thompson Street and Old Ocean Boulevard where at least a dozen shots were fired at the exterior of what police described as an unoccupied home. The orange cones mark the location of three of the bullet casings found on Thompson. At least one of the bullets went through a window pane. A suspect had been identifed, and an arrest was pending as the investigation into the shooting continued into late July. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Water pipe project could be accelerated

By John Pacenti

Newly minted Town Manager Michelle Lee Heiser said Ocean Ridge, basking in good financial news, can expect to keep the property tax rate steady in the newly proposed $13.3 million budget. 

With municipalities required to set the upper end of a new tax rate by the end of July, Heiser recommended keeping the rate the same as last year’s $5.40 per $1,000 of taxable property value. Commissioners unanimously approved the rate — which can still go down during the final public hearings on the budget in September.

But just because the rate stays the same doesn’t mean that residents won’t be paying more taxes. That’s because taxable property values increased in Ocean Ridge by 10.14% this year — leading all nearby municipalities.

For homesteaded properties, the state caps the increase in taxable value at 3% per year. For an Ocean Ridge home worth $1.5 million last year, that translates into $243 more in town taxes.

Last year, Mayor Geoff Pugh said, he got bombarded with phone calls when the commission set the tentative rate at $6.00 per $1,000 of taxable property value, before whittling it down over the summer.

“The past thinking was if we had anything happen, we would be at the max” in case the town needed the additional revenue, Pugh said at the commission’s July 8 meeting. “And then we can always bring it down later, right? With our present financial situation, it doesn’t make any sense” to set a higher rate.

Commissioners at the meeting heard praise from an auditor and financial consultant, saying that Ocean Ridge’s finances are in a good position to accelerate the town’s top capital improvement project — replacing water pipes — and launch some others.

Town auditor Ronald Bennett told commissioners they had an unassigned fund balance of $9 million to spend at their discretion due to a variety of factors, such as increased property tax revenues and investment income.

“The town embarked on a new investment program, and it paid great dividends, almost half a million dollars in investment income,” he said.

Bennett said the town’s reserves are in such good shape that it could theoretically “pay almost a whole year’s worth” of expenses without additional revenue.

“That’s one of the highest I’ve ever seen,” Bennett said. “Way back when I first started doing this, 30 years ago, we used to tell people, ‘Well, you need at least two months’ worth of money on hand.’”

The town’s financial consultant, Holly Vath, highlighted that $34.4 million in new construction had been added to the town’s tax rolls, representing approximately 2% of its total property value.

If the new construction were not taken into account, a rollback rate of just under $5.00 per $1,000 of taxable property value would generate the same tax revenue as the current fiscal year, she said.

If commissioners keep the $5.40 per $1,000 tax rate, new construction will generate about $185,000 in additional tax revenue.

Heiser, the town manager, stated that by maintaining the current tax rate and utilizing the additional tax revenue it will generate, both from higher property values and new construction, the town can expedite the timeline for the water main project. “We’re going to move this eight-year plan down to within a five-year result, a completion date,” she said.

Heiser, who just signed a contract to become town manager, said there isn’t much more to talk about when it comes to revenues.

“We can pretend like there’s a lot more, honestly, but we’ve got it nailed down,” she said. 

She said that she wants the commission to discuss capital projects at its August meeting, “so that the general public knows how much work is going to get done in this next fiscal year.”

Heiser noted that part of the discussion will be about whether to take out low-interest state loans for some of the projects. 

By Steve Plunkett

A mistaken email made for a dismal Fourth of July weekend for the 56 Briny Breezes residents who hold library cards for the Palm Beach County Library System.

The July 3 email from the library erroneously said the Town Council had approved withdrawing from the county system and that all library cards would expire Oct. 1.

The county sent out a mea culpa July 8 correcting its initial message.

“That email was based on the Library’s understanding of communication received from the Town of Briny Breezes,” it said.

Subsequently, library officials received clarification from Town Manager Bill Thrasher stating that no final decision to withdraw from the system was made by the council.

The library system “apologizes for any confusion” caused by the July 3 email and “will work with the Town to provide future updates,” it concluded.

The Town Council on June 26 had directed Thrasher and Town Attorney Keith Davis to meet with the library to address questions regarding withdrawing from the library district and was scheduled to get an update at its July 24 meeting. Davis said it may be possible to mount a legal challenge to rules the district has about leaving its system.

But the council’s discussion was postponed until at least Aug. 28 because Davis had not been able to confer with the library.

Thrasher had suggested breaking away from the county system to save Briny Breezes property owners the collective $57,000 in taxes they pay to support the library. The 56 library card holders could pay $95 a year, or $5,320 altogether.

Seceding from the county library would not benefit the town’s budget directly, but Thrasher was looking for ways to reduce residents’ overall tax burden as he increases the town’s property tax rate to gather matching funds for grants won or envisioned to improve the town’s stormwater system and sea walls.

The taxable value of the town is just under $105 million, he said. In his proposed budget, Thrasher anticipates opening state and federal construction grants and spending $268,266 for the design and permitting costs of the drainage project.

Tax rate almost doubles

The council July 24 approved setting a tentative tax rate of $6.75 per $1,000 of taxable value, which is almost 98% more than the “no new taxes” rollback rate of $3.41 per $1,000 and an 80% increase from the current $3.75 per $1,000 rate. 

Fiscal year 2024 was the first time since 2009 that Briny Breezes did not levy $10 per $1,000 of taxable property value — the maximum allowed by state law ­— and instead set  the rate at only $3.75 per $1,000. 

The maneuver was said to give the town room to raise taxes, perhaps back to the $10 per $1,000 rate, to repay loans it might take out to finance the sea walls and drainage improvements.

Meanwhile, Briny Breezes Inc. began paying 70% of the cost of police and fire rescue services to make up for the reduced tax revenue. Its cost was offset by charging residents of the mobile home park higher annual assessments.

Thrasher’s proposed budget assumes that the corporation will continue to cover the 70%.

The council set public hearings in Town Hall for the tentative tax rate at or after 5:01 p.m. Sept. 11 and for the final vote at the same time Sept. 25. The final rate the council sets can be lower but not higher than the tentative rate.

The council also agreed to a three-year extension of the agreement with Ocean Ridge for that town to provide police services, with 3% increases each year. The Briny Breezes council had balked at an earlier proposal that would have raised the price the greater of 3% or the percentage increase in the annual consumer price index. 

A heavy buildup of sargassum created less-than-picture-perfect conditions for visitors to Lantana’s beach park in July. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Mary Thurwachter

Lantana Town Council members have revised the town’s beach cleaning directive to incorporate measures for the management of sargassum seaweed accumulation at the public beach.

Marc Fichtner, the town’s marine safety supervisor, said at the council’s July 14 meeting that sargassum has already begun to show up on the beach and that two sea turtle nests had been found on the north end of the beach. He said raking of the beach would be done on an as-needed basis starting this month.

Until this year, the town’s policy has been to limit raking and not to remove sargassum. The thinking was that seaweed was essential for marine life, kept replacement sand on the beach and provided nutrients to plants on dunes.

But the council became more receptive to clean up the seaweed this year after experts warned of more sargassum than ever making its way to the shoreline — and knowing the public’s distaste for dealing with the mess. Experts also said occasional raking would not be damaging.

“I’m just excited to get it going,” said Council member Jesse Rivero, who suggested the town revisit its beach raking policy in recent months.

Council member Chris Castle said he appreciated all the work Fichtner and others had put into the effort.

Mayor Karen Lythgoe agreed with Castle and said, “There are still people who say, ‘Don’t touch it,’ and there are others that say, ‘Get rid of it.’” But the council voted unanimously July 14 to proceed with the raking plan.

Key proposed revisions to the beach cleaning directive include:

• Allowing both manual and mechanical cleaning (previously only manual was permitted);

• Restricting cleaning to seaward of the high tide line and daytime hours only — and requiring pre-cleaning surveys by a marine turtle permit holder authorized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission during nesting season;

• Establishing rules for mechanical raking, including depth limits (maximum 2 inches) and equipment setback (10 feet from vegetation);

• Mandating immediate removal of debris after cleaning;

• Allowing options for managing sargassum, including removal or in-place burial with specialized equipment; and

• Aligning policy with Florida statutes and FWC mechanical beach cleaning guidelines. 

By Mary Thurwachter

Lantana held its second budget workshop on July 14, and the process is running smoothly, according to Town Manager Brian Raducci. 

Residents may be pleased to learn that the Town Council is not planning an increase in the tax rate, which will remain at $3.75 per $1,000 of taxable value. The rate has not changed since 2022, though taxes will increase due to rising property values.

Significant factors affecting budget preparation, in addition to economic uncertainty, include world unrest, a challenging labor market and the 2.3% inflation rate, Raducci said.

Budget priorities and goals, Raducci said, are to maintain infrastructure, continue beautification projects, develop responsibly, attract and maintain valuable employees, continue to attract new business (especially along Ocean Avenue), continue to support the library, resume a dune restoration project, install an ADA accessible ramp at the beach, and enhance public safety with state-of-the-art technology.

At their visioning session in April, Town Council members agreed by consensus to support the redevelopment of Ocean Avenue — on land owned by Steve Handelsman and Marsha Stocker — with three of the five council members saying they would consider building heights of up to five stories. The other two wanted heights to be limited to four stories. Raducci said each potential project would be independently evaluated.

At the beach, the town would like to replace sections of the boardwalk and install the ADA accessible ramp. Working with CPZ Architects, the town wants to develop a comprehensive 7.10-acre conceptual site plan to be constructed in phases. The goals are to:

• Gather input from stakeholders through public charettes, staff reports, the master plan committee and the Town Council;

• Maximize site utilization in a cost-effective and consistent manner;

• Minimize disruption to parking, the playground, the beach and businesses; and

• Allow sufficient time to secure the necessary funding.

Also being considered is a rebranding project that would include creating a new town logo and tagline, official color palette, and logo usage guidelines. Raducci said that minimal cost would be involved and that the plan is scaled down from what had been discussed during the visioning session.

Another considered expense involves speed bumps and a speed table pilot program. A speed table is a flat, raised surface of road designed to slow traffic. Traffic engineer Kimley-Horn is working with the Palm Beach County Traffic Division/Fire Rescue to ensure that the specs of the proposed speed tables meet all their requirements, Raducci said.

“We want to ensure that the new speed tables still have the same impact in terms of slowing traffic down while providing a smoother transition from the existing asphalt to the speed tables,” Raducci said. The town will test that theory by conducting the pilot program on four speed bumps, Raducci said, on South Lake Drive between South Oak Street and East Ocean Avenue. He said each speed table will cost between $3,000 and $4,000.

The town is also interested in seeking public input regarding selling some town-owned property along the Intracoastal Waterway. That would require a potential amendment to the Town Charter.  If sufficient public support is identified, a special election would be planned.

Finance Director Stephen Kaplan presented budget details. He said the certified taxable value for the upcoming fiscal year is $2.061 billion, surpassing the taxable value for the current year, which was $1.938 billion, an increase of 6.37%, or $123.5 million.

Kaplan said the proposed tax rate, given a 95% collection rate, will produce about $7.343 million in tax revenues, a 5.6% increase of about $390,000.

He said total revenue projections are $18.06 million, a decrease of $1.2 million compared to the fiscal year 2025 adopted budget. Other budget highlights include:

• There is no change in electricity franchise taxes & fees;

• A $25,000 increase in metered parking revenues;

• A $63,000 increase in interest income, and

• A $1.6 million decrease related to a one-time grant budget in FY 2025.

As for special assessments for garbage collection, property owners will face a 2% increase for curbside pickup and a 1% increase for container pickup.

Employees can expect a 4% cost-of-living raise, and — based on annual evaluations —  could receive up to a 5% merit raise. 

Kaplan said health and dental insurance premiums are projected to increase 24% for a total cost of $2.3 million.

Some new staff positions are in the works.

Lantana will spend $42,000 to add a part-time administrative assistant at the Police Department, $91,000 for a youth librarian, and an additional $14,000 to reclassify one water plant operator to lead water plant operator.

The Development Services Department will add a business development specialist. That person, whose salary remains unfunded, will partner with the town’s liaison from the Chamber of Commerce.

By category, 70% of the budget will fund personnel, 25% other operating expenses, and $1.26 million for capital expenses. The town has no debt.

“The budget is nearly balanced after considering using $175,000 worth of the building permit fund balance and $324,000 worth of capital carryover,” Kaplan said.

The first budget hearing is at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 8. The second hearing, including final adoption of the budget and tax rate, is at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 17 in the council chambers. 

Parking lot proposal denied — Local developer Tony Mauro failed to convince the Lantana Town Council that building a private parking lot and small structure at 200 N. Third St. in the commercial zoning district was a good idea. 

The council unanimously voted against Mauro’s request for a variance for the lot during its July 28 meeting.

Mauro has owned the land, a vacant parking lot next to what once was a bowling alley, for 20 years. He wanted to use the lot to park vehicles driven by construction workers involved in building projects in eastern Lantana. A parking supervisor would be on hand, he said. Once parked, workers would be shuttled to construction sites, thus eliminating traffic on East Ocean Avenue and at construction sites.

The lot, which would hold about 95 vehicles, would be surrounded by trees, Mauro said, and give a park-like look to the area. But residents speaking against the proposal said having the parking lot would bring too much traffic into the area, which is very close to the well-utilized town library, and that it would cause an unsafe environment.

Nicole Dritz, director of development services, said engineers and staff urged the council to deny the variance. 

Council members didn’t think the lot would add substantial benefit to the community and should be located elsewhere.

Beach planning — The Town Council will meet at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 11, prior to its regular 6 p.m. August meeting, to discuss a conceptual plan for the beach. The meeting will be held in the council chambers.

Employees recognized — Executive assistant Karen Dipolito was honored as Employee of the Second Quarter by Police Chief Sean Scheller. Dipolito has worked for the Police Department for 27 years. Scheller said she is always willing to accept additional duties and responsibilities. For the Public Services Department, senior ocean lifeguard Sam Janssen was honored as Employee of the Second Quarter by Public Services Director Eddie Crockett.

                                                                                  — Mary Thurwachter

By John Pacenti

So much for the bully pulpit.

Delray Beach Mayor Tom Carney put commissioners on notice, blasting them in two newsletters in July for not being serious about saving taxpayers money.

“I have proposed specific budget cuts to the Commission, but unfortunately, none of my fellow commissioners have offered any cuts,” Carney said in his July 19 newsletter, titled “Stop the Tax Hike: Protect Delray Beach’s Financial Future.”

Carney’s effort at the July 22 special meeting to keep the tax rate the same as last year failed, with only Commissioner Angela Burns joining him. Instead, Vice Mayor Rob Long joined Commissioners Juli Casale and Tom Markert, who voted to adopt a total rate of $6.19 per $1,000 of taxable property value, which also contains a small rate for voter-approved debt.

In addition, property owners can expect their taxes to increase because the values of their homes went up 8.74% on average, according to the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s Office — though homesteaded properties are capped at a 3% increase in taxable value under the state’s Save Our Homes Act.

“I have to tell you, you sent out two emails that threw us all under the bus,” Casale scolded Carney about his newsletters. “It is pretty clear you are basically acting like you’re the only one up here working for the residents, and I feel like that’s super unfair to us, because we all work really hard.”

Casale said she has informed City Manager Terrence Moore where she thinks cuts could be made — she just didn’t make the ideas public.

‘Challenging’ budget

Moore said this year’s proposed budget “was especially challenging” given the decision of a very different commission two years ago to have the fire department go from a 24/48 shift structure (24 hours on, 48 hours off) to a 24/72 shift structure starting Oct. 1.

Earlier in July, Moore told commissioners that without a tax increase, the city faced a $25 million shortfall for the fiscal year 2026 budget that begins Oct. 1. He makes up for that shortfall in the current proposal by taking $7.3 million from reserves, then adds in revenue from the tax increase and increased property values, and does not fill vacant positions in departments across the board.

All of this could be temporary as the commission can whittle away at the tax rate until its final adoption in mid-September. The commission can lower that proposed rate, but not increase it, during the public budget hearings scheduled for Sept. 3 and 15.

However, commissioners were under pressure to either get on board with the mayor or break with him because notices to residents of the proposed tax rate go out in August. 

And break with Carney they did as the mayor went after some sacred cows that were pretty unsavory cuts to the majority.

Carney said he was looking for an additional 1% cut in the proposed $201.3 million budget. He said in his July 3 newsletter that residents have experienced a 45% tax increase in the last five years. He also cited bureaucratic bloat to residents, saying the Delray Beach budget has expanded from being only $103 million ten years ago.

Old allies split with mayor

Last year, a Carney-led majority — including Markert and Casale — did hold the line on taxes, approving a lower “no new taxes” rate referred to as the rolled-back rate. The total rate was $5.94 per $1,000 of taxable value, which contained a small rate that went for voter-approved debt. This year’s proposed rate amounts to about a 4.2% increase.

In discussing the impact of the proposed rate, staff used an average home valued at $447,000. With the rate increase and a 3% increase in value, such a home would see a city tax increase of about $190.

The mayor took umbrage with that, saying neighborhoods in Lake Ida, Tropic Isle and Palm Trail have taxable values exceeding $2 million. A home valued at $2 million last year would see a city tax increase of closer to $900 under the proposed rate.

How unpopular were Carney’s ideas on the dais? Well, for a brief shining moment, Long and Casale — who often loudly disagree (Long defeated incumbent Casale in a 2023 election contest) — were on the same page.

Carney suggested stripping $500,000 away from the city’s 505 Teen Center (at 505 SE Fifth Ave.), saying a nonprofit could run it better. He said about 13 to 15 kids use the center after they get out of school.

“That’s $33,000 a child,” he said.

Casale said there is one employee at the 505 and questioned Carney’s $500,000 figure. Carney also suggested nonprofits take over public events, such as the St. Patrick’s Day parade and other festivals.

“Do we think that nonprofits in this current economic climate are going to have the wherewithal to step up and do Jazz on the Avenue? No,” Casale said.

Pressure from state

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a MAGA Republican, last year declared war on nonprofits that put on arts and culture events, vetoing many grants the Legislature had included in the state budget for them. He is now going after Democratic strongholds like Broward County and the city of Gainesville, saying they are wasting taxpayers’ money.

“They have a new DOGE department,” Carney said at the July 22 special meeting, referring to the state’s Department of Government Efficiency, which is based on one instituted at the federal level by President Donald Trump that was once headed by billionaire Elon Musk. “They’re going to all the cities and they’re asking them to review their budgets, to review all kinds of stuff.”

Long wasn’t buying what Carney was selling, saying the mayor was talking about small amounts of savings for residents if the tax rate stayed the same as last year compared to the proposed rate. That difference is about $115 for a home valued at $447,000 last year and $515 for one valued at $2 million.

“I’ll pay $20 a month to make sure that my roads are paved, our Police Department staffed and our fire department staffed, and that we actually can still have our signature events, yeah, I would, I would happily pay $20 a month for that,” Long said.

Markert didn’t like that the proposed budget would take from reserves, noting how the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been “decimated” by Trump’s budget cuts.

“You need only look at the results of what happened in Texas last week,” he said of the July 4 weekend flooding along the Guadalupe River that killed at least 134 people. “We have to be prepared to handle a disaster on our own because you cannot count on FEMA being available.”

By John Pacenti

It’s been ugly. It’s been weird. And it’s not over yet.

It’s been a nine-month standoff in contract negotiations between the Police Benevolent Association and Delray Beach — particularly Mayor Tom Carney.

The mayor has said an increase in the Deferred Retirement Option Program, known as DROP, is meant to put millions of dollars into the pockets of negotiators and top brass.

The PBA has used every tactic it has to shame Carney, employing movable billboards during the St. Patrick’s Day Parade — a stunt that got it banned from next year’s event. 

Union leaders filled the commission chambers with police officers. They have deployed various citizens — at the July 15 meeting, it was moms. Vice Mayor Rob Long has read statements on behalf of the PBA during meetings.

The dispute revolves around extending the DROP from five to eight years.

The program allows police officers who are eligible for retirement to continue working for a set period, all while their retirement benefits accumulate. During this time, the officers earn their regular salaries, while their pension payments are deposited into a special account. 

This accumulated amount is then paid out when the officer officially retires at the end of the DROP period.

DROP is primarily used as an incentive to retain experienced officers. It offers a compelling alternative to officers simply retiring to start collecting their pensions and pursuing other employment opportunities.

Now, Special Magistrate Thomas W. Young III has ruled in the union’s favor after hearing both sides at a May 14 hearing. 

“The plain and obvious answer is not only can the city afford it, but it saves the city millions of dollars,” Young wrote in his July 4 ruling. 

“This would appear to be contrary to the elected officials that claimed to have run, as the City Manager (Terrence Moore) stated, on a platform of ‘fiscal conservatism, doing what they can to restore savings and municipal operations to every extent possible.’” 

This financial jujitsu occurs, according to an independent actuary cited by Young, because the DROP funds would help write down the city’s unfunded pension obligation, thus resulting in $6.1 million in savings. 

Furthermore, extending the DROP — Young said — would make Delray Beach competitive with other municipalities. The union said in June that 26 officers had left the force since negotiations started last year.

The city has offered a $15.3 million pay increase over three years, raising starting salaries to $72,000 — up from $61,000. Third-year salaries will increase to more than $80,000.

The commission met in an in-the-shade executive session on July 22 concerning the contract, but was told by City Attorney Lynn Gelin not to speak on the matter. Commissioner Juli Casale has sided with Carney on the DROP issue, while Long and Commissioner Angela Burns have supported the PBA.

The swing vote has always been Commissioner Tom Markert, who was waiting on the magistrate’s report.

It is worth noting, as a formality, that the city responded to the magistrate’s report on July 24, rejecting all of Young’s findings. It appears to be a formality as negotiations continue, but there seems to be plenty of daylight between the city’s and the magistrate’s positions. 

The city rejects not only the DROP finding, but also findings on mandatory drug testing and mental health evaluations. Attorneys representing the city in front of the magistrate say the DROP recommendation would siphon nearly $30 million over 30 years from the taxpayers.