Related election information

Election overview: Downtown campus, council lineup, police HQ up to voters

Mayor's Race: Boca Raton elections: Mayoral candidate profiles (Nachlas, Thomson, Liebelson)

 Council Seat A: Council race features accountant, attorney and real estate broker | Seat A candidate profiles (Grau, Korn, Ritchey)

 Council Seat B: Incumbent faces off against founder and supporter of Save Boca | Seat B candidate profiles (Madsen, Pearlmen, Wigder)

 Council Seat D: Ex-county mayor battles city board stalwart, Save Boca member  | Seat D candidate profiles (Cellon, Sipple, Weinroth)

By Mary Hladky

Fran Nachlas is a retired surgical nurse and University of Florida graduate who won election to the Boca Raton City Council in November 2022 when no one else filed to run for the seat.

She would have assumed office the following March, but her fellow council members, seeing no reason to wait, appointed her to the position early.

Her council colleagues selected her to be deputy mayor in March 2025.

Nachlas supports redeveloping the downtown campus with Terra/Frisbie. Despite strong push-back from Save Boca, she believes the project has public support.

“I have had many, many conversations with people who think it is an added value to our city to move forward with this project,” she said.

She does acknowledge that “there are people who have concerns.”

In response to Save Boca’s key demand that voters should have the final say on the redevelopment project, she noted that “I have always supported the right of voters to vote on this on March 10.”

In a campaign video, she subtly suggested that the downtown campus project should not define the election or obscure other important matters before the council.

“Our government campus initiative is 8 acres. Our downtown is 344 acres. Our city is 29 square miles,” she said. “We need to keep things in perspective and focus on the big picture.”

In an earlier video, she said the city needs to deal with traffic, infrastructure, keeping neighborhoods safe and homelessness. “I am taking it head on,” she said.

As of The Coastal Star’s deadline, she had not outlined details of her priorities should she be elected mayor, but said that they would be coming soon.

“As deputy mayor, I’m already working to support our first responders, strengthening our local economy, and insisting on balanced, responsible redevelopment that protects Boca Raton’s character,” she said in a statement.

“As mayor, my priorities are clear: public safety first, fiscal responsibility, an efficient City Hall, infrastructure investment, and preserving the exceptional character of our community and quality of life our residents value.”

Asked why she has raised so much money for her campaign, $473,000 as of the end of December, Nachlas said: “It helps get the message out and it shows the support of the community.”

Nachlas also serves on the Palm Beach County Transportation Planning Agency governing board and the Florida League of Cities Development, Code Compliance and Redevelopment Committee.

***

Andy Thomson, an attorney with Baritz & Colman and a Georgia Tech graduate who played on the Ramblin’ Wreck football team, is the sole council member to oppose the downtown campus redevelopment.

He has outlined his objections repeatedly, saying that even though the project has been downsized since first proposed, it remains too dense, and has been pushed forward by other council members too quickly to allow for adequate consideration and revision.

At first, Save Boca supporters were highly skeptical that he meant what he said since he had ranked developer Related Ross as his first choice to partner with the city even though its proposal had the highest density of the four submitted. The fact that he said he was endorsing the company as a city partner, but not its proposal, didn’t reassure them.

But his consistent opposition has assuaged at least some of those doubts, and Save Boca supporters now cheer him when he speaks about his concerns and objections.

After Save Boca began circulating petitions to give voters their say on the project, Thomson asked Terra/Frisbie officials if they would agree to conditioning city approval on a positive vote by residents. They agreed and the rest of the council endorsed that.

If voters approve the redevelopment in the March 10 election, Thomson said “that is the will of the people and my job … is to undertake and execute that.”

But if the ballot measure fails, Thomson wants the city to take over the redevelopment, saying the city can reduce the amount spent by building a more modest City Hall and Community Center.

“I would like the city to take the driver’s seat,” he said.

Thomson is not yet predicting whether the ballot measure will pass or fail, but said, “I can’t recall a single person telling me they were in favor.”

If elected mayor, he said his priorities will include keeping taxes low, focusing on public safety, managing the city’s growth carefully and responsibly, using technologies such as artificial intelligence to reduce traffic congestion, and keeping parks and recreation at an “elite level.”

Asked how he differentiates himself from Nachlas, Thomson said she has never won a contested city election. Voters elected him in 2018, he was unopposed in 2020 and beat an opponent in 2024.

He agrees that the two of them have raised “a staggering amount of money” for their campaigns, with Thomson getting $407,000 as of the end of December.

He needs to raise enough to be a viable candidate and to be able to convey his message to voters, Thomson said. But he said that he does not know many of his donors and “the vast majority didn’t even require me to ask” for contributions.

***

Mike Liebelson cites his business expertise, including leadership roles with energy companies and an MBA in finance from the Wharton School of Business, as making him the best candidate for mayor.

“The city needs somebody with the financial, business and managerial skills which I bring to the table to turn the city around,” he said.

“We are not little Boca anymore,” he said. “We have a council so far that is full of amateurs and attorneys. We need professionals.”

While not a member of Save Boca, he strongly supports that group’s efforts. “The reason for that is I personally strongly believe that if the city is going to give away public land (to Terra/Frisbie) … it should go back to the voters for a vote. That is all Save Boca has ever asked for.”

But a candidate for mayor must focus not just on the issues advanced by Save Boca, but also broader issues such as the need to lower property taxes, public safety, quality of life and dealing with the “horrendous” increase in traffic, he said.

Central to his campaign is his contention that the current council is at the beck and call of developers. He said he will not take contributions from developers.

He singles out Thomson for criticism, saying he has received large developer contributions. While Thomson says he wants residents to have a vote on the downtown development project, Liebelson said, he also is accepting developer money.

“Andy is not being truthful with respect to his positioning with being against big development in Boca,” he said.

He spares Nachlas from criticism, claiming she is up-front about supporting development.

Liebelson said he is not anti-developer. “We need to have things built and done in the city, but we need to make sure our council members are not compromised with developer money.”

He also contends there is “too much overdevelopment” in the city. “It has been done in such a way that it has created huge traffic problems.”

The city, he said, needs a comprehensive plan to control the volume of traffic that will worsen when development projects now under construction are completed.

If voters turn down the downtown redevelopment plan, Liebelson said the city should be in charge of building a new City Hall and Community Center.

He supports the bond issue to build a new police headquarters. If voters approve it, “we will make sure … it will be done correctly and it will be constructed on time and on budget,” he said.

Boca Raton city election
Election day: March 10
Last day to register to vote: Feb. 9
Last day to request mail-in ballot: Feb. 26
The mayor and council races are citywide for three-year terms, except the Council D race, which is for an unexpired one-year term.

Also on the ballot
Voters will decide two other issues:
Whether to approve moving forward with the proposed redevelopment of the city’s downtown campus.
Whether to approve the city’s issuing bonds of up to $175 million to build a new police headquarters, relocated from downtown to a site adjacent to the Spanish River Library.

By John Pacenti

First, it was about the drinking water supplied to town residents. Now it’s also about the fire rescue services residents receive.

Ocean Ridge leaders have learned that Palm Beach County could assume responsibility for Boynton Beach’s water utilities and its fire rescue services — both of which the town uses.

Any changes would affect Briny Breezes, which also relies on Boynton Beach for water and fire rescue services.

Ocean Ridge Town Manager Michelle Heiser informed the Town Commission at its Jan. 12 meeting of the fire rescue possibility, though she noted Boynton Beach’s discussions with the county are in the preliminary stages regarding the fire department.

“This is really exploring options,” Heiser said. 

Heiser told commissioners she was monitoring the situation and did not expect an immediate drop in service, but she cautioned that “sometimes change means a change in costs as well.”

For the current fiscal year, Ocean Ridge pays Boynton Beach nearly $1.6 million for fire and EMS services.

Town Attorney Christy Goddeau noted existing agreements can limit how and when services are changed, saying the current agreement for fire rescue services is good through Sept. 30, 2028.

Boynton Beach and county officials have not released a timetable for a decision. Any formal proposal likely would prompt public hearings and disclosures detailing the operational and financial impacts before elected bodies decide whether to proceed.

The fire rescue considerations came in the wake of earlier announcements that Boynton Beach would also consider handing over its water treatment operations to Palm Beach County.

Boynton Beach City Manager Dan Duggar has said the city would drop its efforts to annex several communities west of its boundaries if the county would purchase the city’s water operations.

The County Commission has approved county staff’s investigating a potential takeover of Boynton Beach’s water utilities.

Besides getting water and fire rescue services from Boynton Beach, Ocean Ridge relies on city staff for its vast expertise, Heiser said.

“Our relationship with the city ... has been really strong from the city manager’s office to the fire department and also, specifically, the utilities department,” Heiser said. 

At last, wastewater plant upgrade at Oceanfront Park — The aging wastewater treatment plant at Boynton Beach’s Oceanfront Park is expected to have its long-delayed upgrade finished within the next few months. 

The project, initially approved a decade ago, is expected to make wastewater treatment at the site more reliable and resilient. 

The City Commission approved extending the project deadline, with the grant closeout scheduled for September 2027. The new deadline will give the city more time to secure a grant reimbursement to cover some of the cost.  

The plant, built in 1982, needed improvements to be able to treat wastewater more effectively. In 2016, the City Commission entered into a $300,000 grant agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to rehabilitate and modernize it. 

City documents do not disclose the total cost of the project, but most of the grant funds will cover construction services.

— Patrick Sherry

By John Pacenti

The Manalapan Town Commission has approved a broad update to its building-related fee schedule, the first major overhaul since 2010, following staff recommendations that existing fees no longer cover the true cost of operations and legal review.

Building official Jacek “Jack” Tomasik told commissioners at their Jan. 20 meeting that the changes focus on “supporting fees,” not the core building permit fee itself, which remains unchanged. 

Key elements include:

^• Higher planning and zoning application fees for variances, special exceptions, site plan reviews, zoning text amendments, and ARCOM (Architectural Commission) reviews, which Tomasik said are currently “completely outdated” and fail to reflect the intensive back-and-forth with applicants and attorneys.

^• A new surety requirement tied to the cost of police traffic maintenance during construction, to address State Road A1A situations where FDOT requires officers or traffic control around work zones. The bond would be collected before road-affected work begins.

^• Zoning review fees were added to all building permits after staff noted Florida law prohibits using building permit revenue to fund zoning work. The new fee will help pay for additional hours by Zoning Administrator Alice Everard, who has agreed to increase her schedule by six hours a week to keep pace with demand.

^• A revamped permit renewal and extension structure, reducing the renewal fee from a flat $1,000 — which Tomasik said made little sense for small jobs like water heaters and AC change-outs — to $250 for minor permits, with larger projects paying 2% of the calculated permit fee.

^• A refund policy to return a substantial portion of fees when projects are canceled after a permit application is submitted or the permit is issued.

^• New expedited plan review fees — $1,000 for residential and $1,750 for commercial — allowing applicants to pay extra to have plans reviewed on an overtime basis without delaying other projects.

Tomasik said the package is intended both to “recover the cost of operation” and keep Manalapan “statutorily compatible” with Florida law, while aligning generally with neighboring municipalities of similar size. 

Manalapan town commissioners have signed off on a 10-year contract that will overhaul the town’s police technology — from body-worn cameras and tasers to in-car video and license plate recognition (LPR) cameras.

Police Chief Jeff Rasor said the department is moving from a patchwork of three- and four-year contracts to a single 10-year agreement with Axon, an industry leader.

The new body camera includes built-in language translation for up to 100 languages. Officers will be able to press a button, have speech translated into English, and then respond into the camera with their message rendered back into the other language.

Rasor emphasized that Manalapan’s current LPR system, run by a company called Insight, is a decade old and functions as a “license plate recorder,” not a reader. The new system will read plates in real time as they enter Manalapan and flag stolen vehicles, stolen tags, and cars tied to felony offenses outside the town.

Cameras at town entry points will be supplemented by LPR in patrol vehicles, allowing officers to scan plates as they drive and catch suspect vehicles that bypass fixed readers, he said.

Rasor called police technology a “force multiplier.” 

“It gives us the opportunity to  interact with the criminal before they actually commit the crime, and essentially making the town safer,” he said.

— John Pacenti

ABOVE: Manalapan residents (l-r) Al Young, Bunny Young, Jill Stromberg, Jack Elkins, Shirley Saleeby, Patricia Knobel and Bear enjoy the festivities as Manalapan welcomes the new season. BELOW: Rick and Suzi Goldsmith. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Related election information

Election overview: Downtown campus, council lineup, police HQ up to voters

Mayor's Race: Trio running for mayor includes two council incumbents | Mayoral candidate profiles (Nachlas, Thomson, Liebelson)

  Council Seat A: Seat A candidate profiles (Grau, Korn, Ritchey)

 Council Seat B:  Incumbent faces off against founder and supporter of Save Boca | Seat B candidate profiles (Madsen, Pearlmen, Wigder)

 Council Seat D: Ex-county mayor battles city board stalwart, Save Boca member | Seat D candidate profiles (Cellon, Sipple, Weinroth)

By Mary Hladky

Michelle Grau, a Save Boca candidate, is a certified public accountant, who founded Grau & Associates in Boca Raton along with her husband and specializes in governmental auditing and finance.

She has scrutinized the terms of the city’s partnership with Terra/Frisbie and frequently offers her detailed analysis to City Council members.

Her bottom line: “It is not a good financial deal for our city. That is why I am fighting it.

“My biggest argument is we aren’t getting enough out of the deal to justify” leasing 7.8 acres of the east-side city land to Terra/Frisbie for 99 years.

Despite the pubic-private partnership with the developers, Grau notes that the city is paying the $201 million cost to build a new City Hall, Community Center, police substation and other improvements. The city would not recoup that money for many years from the land lease payments it will get from Terra/Frisbie.

Further, the city will bear financial risk and lose control over its own land that will be leased, she said.

Grau favors scrapping the deal with Terra/Frisbie. Instead, she said, the city should do the project on its own.

“I believe we have the financial strength to do the work ourselves,” she said of the city. “We have a $40 billion tax base. You tell me we have to lease the land to foot the bill — I am not buying that. Let’s do it on our own.”

Other matters she would like the city to address are improving communication with city residents, addressing the high cost of living in the city and the homeless situation.

She also wants the city to create a recreation master plan and to keep the tax rate as low as possible.

***

Christen Ritchey, a family law attorney, briefly was a council candidate in 2023 but withdrew to focus on her law firm and her children.

She resigned from the city’s Planning and Zoning Board late last year to make another run for City Council.

Ritchey supports the city’s partnership with Terra/Frisbie and likes its plan for the downtown campus redevelopment now that the developers no longer will lease the western portion of the city’s land and will confine development to the 7.8 acres.

“I think we need a new City Hall and Community Center, but I am passionate about keeping the west side recreational,” she said.

Ritchey is pleased with how Terra/Frisbie has responded to residents’ criticisms of the project. “I think they have done an excellent job of listening and taking the feedback and adapting the project based on what they heard,” she said.

She gives Save Boca credit for applying pressure that she believes improved the project, but faults it for its approach.

“What I hear is a lot of opposition without alternative solutions,” she said.

Ritchey also says that the election should not center on the downtown development project.

“We need not be hyper-focused on one single issue,” she said. “There are a lot of issues that impact the city.”

Those include improving infrastructure, addressing recent flooding, improving traffic flow on city streets and giving first responders “everything they need,” she said.

***

Bernard Korn, a real estate broker, is a perennial candidate who has never won a city election.

He claims the city is rife with corruption that he is exposing.

“Boca Raton City under Siege by Power Hungry Corrupt Council Members controlled by Lobbyists and Special Interest Groups,” his campaign website proclaims.

He identifies himself as a “trained whistleblower” who has submitted complaints about wrongdoing to federal agencies. So far, none has taken action.

“The corruption is a joke and they are blatant about it,” he said of council members. “I am going to get rid of the political machine, that I call it. It is corrupt and I am going to rip it up whether I win or lose.”

His priority, he said, is “to clean up City Hall. They are all on the take.”

A loss at the polls will not dissuade him from another run for office, he said. “If I lose for whatever reason, I will run again. Win or lose, I will make changes in Boca.” 

Boca Raton city election
Election day: March 10
Last day to register to vote: Feb. 9
Last day to request mail-in ballot: Feb. 26
The mayor and council races are citywide for three-year terms, except the Council D race, which is for an unexpired one-year term.

Also on the ballot
Voters will decide two other issues:
Whether to approve moving forward with the proposed redevelopment of the city’s downtown campus.
Whether to approve the city’s issuing bonds of up to $175 million to build a new police headquarters, relocated from downtown to a site adjacent to the Spanish River Library.

Manalapan’s long-running battle over the Boynton Inlet transfer plant that sends sand from the town’s side to Ocean Ridge is heading toward a four-day administrative hearing scheduled for June 2, the Town Commission was told at its January meeting.

Town Manager Eric Marmer said the town has retained a coastal expert as a witness and is in the process of providing him with documents from both Palm Beach County and Manalapan as part of its challenge. The case centers on how the sand transfer plant affects erosion along the barrier island, including Manalapan’s shoreline.

Marmer noted the hearing, expected to take place in West Palm Beach, does not immediately affect the plant’s operations, and the facility will “continue to operate as it is.” 

The hearing is expected to feature dueling experts and detailed technical evidence about sand movement and shoreline impacts. Commissioners and residents will be allowed to attend, Marmer said.

Local frustration over beach erosion has been a recurring topic in and around Manalapan, with some residents arguing that current sand management practices benefit other stretches of coastline while leaving the town’s dunes and oceanfront properties increasingly exposed.

— John Pacenti

Republican Jon Maples and Democrat Emily Gregory will face off in a special election March 24 to replace former Rep. Mike Caruso in the Florida House.

That election comes after the current annual legislative session is expected to end. 

Maples, a financial planner and former Lake Clarke Shores Council member, and Gregory, a small-business owner from Jupiter, won their respective primaries Jan. 13. Both want to represent House District 87, which includes most of Manalapan, the eastern part of Lantana, plus South Palm Beach and points north to Juno Beach.

The seat became open when Gov. Ron DeSantis picked Caruso, a Republican, to be Palm Beach County clerk and comptroller in August, after then-Clerk Joseph Abruzzo was hired as county administrator.

This special election is for the roughly eight remaining months of Caruso’s term. The seat will be back on the November ballot for a full two-year term.

— Steve Plunkett

Related: Election could decide fate of Town Hall construction plans

Related: Town Council election candidate profiles

Candidate profiles were compiled via telephone interviews. Candidates were asked to supply personal information regarding their age, education, marital status and number of years residing in their municipalities. They were also asked to provide a brief history of their professional life and experience, if any, in holding public office. Finally, they were asked about their positions on issues facing their communities and to provide an overarching quote detailing the reasons they believe they should be elected (or reelected), along with a current photograph.

Candidate profiles compiled by Steven J. Smith

South Palm Beach town election

Election day: March 10

Last day to register to vote: Feb. 9

Last day to request mail-in ballot: Feb. 26

Related election information

Election overview: Downtown campus, council lineup, police HQ up to voters

Mayor's Race: Trio running for mayor includes two council incumbents | Mayoral candidate profiles (Nachlas, Thomson, Liebelson)

 Council Seat A: Council race features accountant, attorney and real estate broker

 Council Seat B:  Incumbent faces off against founder and supporter of Save Boca | Seat B candidate profiles (Madsen, Pearlmen, Wigder)

 Council Seat D: Ex-county mayor battles city board stalwart, Save Boca member | Seat D candidate profiles (Cellon, Sipple, Weinroth)

Candidate profiles were compiled via telephone interviews. Candidates were asked to supply personal information regarding their age, education, marital status and number of years residing in their municipalities. They were also asked to provide a brief history of their professional life and experience, if any, in holding public office. Finally, they were asked about their positions on issues facing their communities and to provide an overarching quote detailing the reasons they believe they should be elected (or reelected), along with a current photograph.

Candidate profiles compiled by Steven J. Smith

Boca Raton city election
Election day: March 10
Last day to register to vote: Feb. 9
Last day to request mail-in ballot: Feb. 26
The mayor and council races are citywide for three-year terms, except the Council D race, which is for an unexpired one-year term.

Also on the ballot
Voters will decide two other issues:
Whether to approve moving forward with the proposed redevelopment of the city’s downtown campus.
Whether to approve the city’s issuing bonds of up to $175 million to build a new police headquarters, relocated from downtown to a site adjacent to the Spanish River Library.

Related: Town Council election candidate profiles

Related: Mayor's race election candidate profiles

By Brian Biggane

The seemingly endless on-again, off-again struggle to build a new Town Hall for South Palm Beach will be by far the most important issue when four of the five seats on the Town Council are contested in the March 10 general election.

Bonnie Fischer, who has served on the council since 2011 and as mayor since 2015, is being opposed by Rafael Pineiro, who has recruited fellow residents Francesca Attardi and Adrian Burcet to run against incumbents Monte Berendes, Elvadianne Culbertson and Sandra Beckett.

Berendes was elected to the council in 2022, while Culbertson (April 2024) and Beckett (December 2024) were appointed to fill vacancies in unexpired terms. The three top vote-getters will join the winner of the mayor’s race and Council member Ray McMillan — whose seat isn’t up for election this year — on the council. 

The challengers all oppose the current plan to build a new Town Hall and prefer the current building be renovated to meet the town’s needs.

Pineiro has been outspoken in his criticism of the council and its many decisions regarding the Town Hall, with the town now just months away from a groundbreaking on the estimated $6.5 million construction project. He would like to void a $161,000 contract with Fort Lauderdale firm CPZ Architects and hire an engineering firm to study whether a new building is needed — or if the current one can be renovated for far less money.

“We want to be open and transparent,” Pineiro said. “What people want is an expert opinion, that ‘this is what needs to be done, this is how much it’s going to cost.’”

The SIPs detour

If the contract with CPZ were to be canceled, it wouldn’t be the first time a deal has fallen through. In October 2021, the council contracted the firm of Synalovski Romanik Saye for $63,000 to explore the options of renovating the current building or building a new one. The following October the contract was terminated after Fischer, upon returning from a meeting of building contractors, told the council a new building could be constructed using the technologically advanced Structural Integrated Panels (SIPs) process for only about $2 million.

More than two years later, in late 2024, the town put out bids specifically asking for firms with SIPs experience. Moonlight Architecture, which specializes in SIPs construction, was the choice in January 2025, but when its financial terms could not be met, the council pivoted to CPZ, which had brought a SIPs expert when it made its proposal.

This past October, CPZ representative Joe Barry told the council SIPs would not be a cheaper option than using more traditional construction and the council voted 3-2 for the latter, with Fischer and Culbertson dissenting.

“I still wanted to go with SIPs but got outvoted,” Fischer said.

‘Nobody paying attention’

As all this was transpiring, Pineiro circulated a petition among residents asking the council to put the brakes on its timeline.

“We walked around asking people, ‘Do you know about the Town Hall?’ Nobody was paying attention, and this was creeping up on us,” said Attardi, who met Pineiro while working on another petition for the council to set aside space for a dog park. “It was in the offseason, when people were gone, and we still got more than 100 signatures.”

Current council members — including those seeking election — are unanimous in their opinion that it’s too late to turn back now. They cite a report submitted by Town Manager Jamie Titcomb that the cost of a retrofit would be more than 50% of the value of the building, which under state regulations would trigger costly renovations to the existing building to meet all current codes and elevations.

“We’ve had meetings about refurbishing the building since back in 2021 and were told, ‘Don’t,’” said Berendes, now the vice mayor. “To do major renovation, that’s not fiscally responsible. You’re going to spend $200,000 on an engineering study and find out the same things we found out five or six years ago. It doesn’t make any sense to me.”

“This is for the future of the town, something we can be proud of,” Beckett added.

At a special council meeting in early January that attracted an unusually large crowd for a council meeting — some 40 to 50 people — seven residents addressed the council regarding the Town Hall. Five spoke in favor while two, including Pineiro, were opposed.

Building heights

Another issue that has been discussed in town and has gotten attention this election is increasing height limits on buildings on the west side of State Road A1A. The current limit is six stories and, with developers looking to move in and replace structures that are now 40 years old or older, Berendes has said the time is coming when the limits need to be raised.

“I don’t know how much longer they can exist as they are,” he said. “To guarantee we won’t raise the height? No, I won’t do that.”

That doesn’t sit well with Attardi, who moved to South Palm Beach from New Jersey in 2023 and resides in one of those six-story buildings.

“Where am I supposed to go if the developers move in?” Attardi said. “I want to keep our little town the way that it is.”

‘They’re not involved’

While Pineiro has served many years on condo HOA boards in Broward County, his two running mates have little if any experience in governing. Attardi said she has attended “a few” council meetings in recent months while Burcet said he has “popped in” to them on occasion, though all four incumbents insist they have never seen him at one.

Pineiro “has been to maybe four meetings,” Beckett said. “The other two think this is their town, but they’re not involved. They don’t come to meetings, they don’t get on boards and committees and things to get involved in their community.”

Burcet said a work schedule that demands he sleep during the day has made attending meetings difficult.

“But I’m getting information through sources and it’s clear to me nothing is getting done,” he said. “So, if we get the community on the same page we can get things done instead of just continuing to bicker at these Town Hall meetings.”

While the four incumbents up for election expressed gratitude over the large turnout at the special council meeting, there was also frustration that residents didn’t express their interest in the Town Hall project sooner. Council meetings in recent years typically attract fewer than a dozen people.

With groundbreaking approaching, the incumbent council members have a sense the time has passed to start over yet again.

“Why would we even want to consider that?” Beckett asked. 

South Palm Beach town election

Election day: March 10

Last day to register to vote: Feb. 9

Last day to request mail-in ballot: Feb. 26

Related: Election could decide fate of Town Hall construction plans

Related: Mayor's race election candidate profiles

Candidate profiles were compiled via telephone interviews. Candidates were asked to supply personal information regarding their age, education, marital status and number of years residing in their municipalities. They were also asked to provide a brief history of their professional life and experience, if any, in holding public office. Finally, they were asked about their positions on issues facing their communities and to provide an overarching quote detailing the reasons they believe they should be elected (or reelected), along with a current photograph.

Candidate profiles compiled by Steven J. Smith

Related election information

Election overview: Downtown campus, council lineup, police HQ up to voters

Mayor's Race: Trio running for mayor includes two council incumbents | Mayoral candidate profiles (Nachlas, Thomson, Liebelson)

 Council Seat A: Council race features accountant, attorney and real estate broker | Seat A candidate profiles (Grau, Korn, Ritchey)

Council Seat B: Seat B candidate profiles (Madsen, Pearlmen, Wigder)

Council Seat D: Ex-county mayor battles city board stalwart, Save Boca member | Council Seat D candidate profiles (Cellon, Sipple, Weinroth)

By Mary Hladky

Marc Wigder, who was elected to the City Council without opposition in 2023 after Christen Ritchey dropped out of the race, is seeking a second term.

He is a real estate lawyer who now focuses on his companies. Greenhouse Property Co. emphasizes sustainability in commercial real estate projects and GreenSmith Builders builds energy-efficient homes.

He is chair of the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, which was formed in 1980 to improve the downtown’s core area. In that position, he frequently makes presentations to fellow council members on his ideas for bolstering the downtown.

Wigder supports the downtown campus redevelopment now that its density has been reduced and more land is preserved as green and recreational space.

With those changes that were spurred by Save Boca, many residents he has spoken to say “they see this as something positive” and question what Save Boca “is fighting for at this point.”

But the election, he said, should be about more than this one project. “There is so much more going on in this city and so many great things going on.”

He is pushing for improvements to the city’s infrastructure, including sea wall and flood control projects, and improving traffic flow in part by using artificial intelligence to control traffic lights on roadways the city controls. He also supports bike and pedestrian safety improvements throughout the city.

He wants to acquire more land to enhance the city’s park system, and emphasizes keeping the tax rate low.

He is proud of his role in extending the life of the CRA, which would have expired in 2025 but now will continue to exist until 2043. As a result, the city will retain millions of dollars that otherwise would have gone to the county but now can be used for city projects.

Even though one of his election opponents is Save Boca founder Jon Pearlman, Wigder is “very confident” he can win reelection, because “in the last three years I have shown principled leadership” and gained valuable knowledge that will boost his ability to lead the city well.

If some Save Boca candidates win, “I am happy to work with anybody to try to get things done.”

But Wigder offers this caveat: “They have to be willing to work for something. They can’t be against everything.”

***

As the City Council moved forward last year with its plan to redevelop the downtown campus, the only opposition came from users of the campus’ recreation facilities who wanted to preserve them.

But that changed last summer with the emergence of Save Boca led by Jon Pearlman, a New York City native and Harvard grad who lives in a multimillion-dollar home in east Boca with his wife and two children.

He has an investment management firm and is the co-founder of the Mission Lean fitness app.

Seemingly overnight came a Save Boca website, vivid presence on social media, lime green and bright navy Save Boca T-shirts, yard signs and residents collecting signatures on petitions that would force the city to let residents vote on the project.

Save Boca supporters already have gotten much of what they wanted. The project has been downsized, green space and many of recreation facilities salvaged and banyan trees preserved. Residents will get a vote on March 10.

But Pearlman is far from declaring victory. As a candidate for City Council, he hopes to defeat Wigder and has recruited two of his comrades to join him in what could be a council takeover.

“As a City Council member, Jon will fight every day for the best interests of the citizens,” he said in announcing his candidacy.

“He will work to protect our parks, public land, and secure the brightest future for our city, for us, our children and all future generations of Boca Raton.”

Asked for more specifics, Pearlman was blunt. “Our goal is to win the three council seats so we have a majority to represent the citizens of Boca and not the developers,” he said.

Beyond that, he is keeping vigilant to make sure the city doesn’t pull a fast one and eliminate from the March 10 ballot the measure allowing residents to vote for or against the downtown campus redevelopment.

Although city officials strongly dispute that intention, Pearlman insists “it is a scenario they are considering. However, Save Boca will not allow that to happen.”

In late January, he did not have a campaign platform on the nuts and bolts of running a city — covering matters such as development, public safety and infrastructure — because he has been absorbed by protecting residents.

His campaign, he said, would “kick off in full force” shortly after The Coastal Star’s deadline.

***

Meredith Madsen, a Save Boca supporter but not a member, decided to run against Widger because she sees him as consistently pro-developer.

“I felt inspired to do something and I felt I could do a good job at it,” she said.

Madsen assumed she had Pearlman’s support for her candidacy. After all, she supports the group, and had a Save Boca sign in her yard and a Save Boca T-shirt.

Then Pearlman entered the Seat B race. She is not happy about it.

“I wouldn’t kiss his ring,” she said of Pearlman.

Pearlman should have run for mayor or against former City Council member Robert Weinroth, who is running for Seat D. “Jon didn’t feel brave enough,” she said.

But she is moving on. “He did what he wants to do. I am doing what I want to do.”

Madsen is the founder and CEO of Sunshine & Glitter, which makes biodegradable sunscreen and beauty products.

She opposes the downtown campus project, saying it remains too dense. Instead, she advocates for the city to rebuild the City Hall and Community Center on its own.

But if voters approve the project, she wants the city to complete a comprehensive traffic analysis to determine if it will produce too much additional traffic. If so, she would want Terra/Frisbie to reduce the number of residential units.

“I want all of our decisions to be based on traffic abatement and analysis,” she said.

Madsen will let voters decide if the city should build a $175 million police headquarters. She strongly supports first responders and agrees with building a new headquarters, but believes that the price tag is “exorbitant.”

She also wants the city to protect its green spaces and parks, manage growth responsibly and to ensure residents can vote on any project that is built on public land.

Boca Raton city election
Election day: March 10
Last day to register to vote: Feb. 9
Last day to request mail-in ballot: Feb. 26
The mayor and council races are citywide for three-year terms, except the Council D race, which is for an unexpired one-year term.

Also on the ballot
Voters will decide two other issues:
Whether to approve moving forward with the proposed redevelopment of the city’s downtown campus.
Whether to approve the city’s issuing bonds of up to $175 million to build a new police headquarters, relocated from downtown to a site adjacent to the Spanish River Library.

Related: Town Commission election candidate profiles

Voters in Gulf Stream can take part in the town’s first contested election since 2017 next month.

The Town Commission’s five incumbents are on the March 10 ballot as well as a political newcomer. The top five vote-getters will win seats.

The incumbents — Scott Morgan, Thomas Stanley, Robert Canfield, Michael Greene and Joan Orthwein — appear together in a paid ad in The Coastal Star touting “results that matter.”

Also on the ballot is newcomer Michael Glennon, who has taken an active role as a resident in commission discussions the past three years and now sits on the appointed Architectural Review and Planning Board. The incumbents all sat on the ARPB as well.

This will be the first appearance on a ballot for Canfield and Greene. Canfield, who has lived in Place Au Soleil for 10 years, was appointed to the Town Commission in January 2024.

Greene, who lives on the west side of North Ocean Boulevard, similarly was appointed to the commission in February 2024.

Commissioners will choose a mayor and vice mayor from among themselves after the election.

— Steve Plunkett

Related: Town holding first municipal election since 2017

Candidate profiles were compiled via telephone interviews. Candidates were asked to supply personal information regarding their age, education, marital status and number of years residing in their municipalities. They were also asked to provide a brief history of their professional life and experience, if any, in holding public office. Finally, they were asked about their positions on issues facing their communities and to provide an overarching quote detailing the reasons they believe they should be elected (or reelected), along with a current photograph.

Candidate profiles compiled by Steven J. Smith

Related election information

Election overview: Downtown campus, council lineup, police HQ up to voters

Mayor's Race: Trio running for mayor includes two council incumbents | Mayoral candidate profiles (Nachlas, Thomson, Liebelson)

 Council Seat A: Council race features accountant, attorney and real estate broker | Seat A candidate profiles (Grau, Korn, Ritchey)

Council Seat B:  Incumbent faces off against founder and supporter of Save Boca 

 Council Seat D: Ex-county mayor battles city board stalwart, Save Boca member | Seat D candidate profiles (Cellon, Sipple, Weinroth)

Candidate profiles were compiled via telephone interviews. Candidates were asked to supply personal information regarding their age, education, marital status and number of years residing in their municipalities. They were also asked to provide a brief history of their professional life and experience, if any, in holding public office. Finally, they were asked about their positions on issues facing their communities and to provide an overarching quote detailing the reasons they believe they should be elected (or reelected), along with a current photograph.

Candidate profiles compiled by Steven J. Smith

Boca Raton city election
Election day: March 10
Last day to register to vote: Feb. 9
Last day to request mail-in ballot: Feb. 26
The mayor and council races are citywide for three-year terms, except the Council D race, which is for an unexpired one-year term.

Also on the ballot
Voters will decide two other issues:
Whether to approve moving forward with the proposed redevelopment of the city’s downtown campus.
Whether to approve the city’s issuing bonds of up to $175 million to build a new police headquarters, relocated from downtown to a site adjacent to the Spanish River Library.

Related: City Commission election candidate profiles | Commission candidate Q & A

By John Pacenti

The three candidates vying for an open seat on the Delray Beach City Commission must have a masochistic streak. Whoever wins had better bring her boxing gloves, because the group currently elected fights more than a dysfunctional family at Thanksgiving.

Voters will choose from Judy Mollica, Andrea Keiser and Delores Rangel in a March 10 election to fill the seat vacated by now State Rep. Rob Long. Commissioner Angela Burns was unopposed and has earned another three-year term.

“I think it’s anybody’s race,” former Mayor Shelly Petrolia said. “These are not known women — none of them. There is nobody out there that, you know, has run before, that everybody knows.”

Mollica represents the crowd still stung when the nonprofit running Old School Square was booted off the campus by the commission — with Petrolia as mayor — in 2021 over a lack of financial transparency. 

Rangel is positioning herself as the everyman candidate who doesn’t adhere to any one camp and knows how to get things done from her decades of seeing the commission in action as an administrative assistant. 

Keiser considered running for County Commission but decided to put her hat in the city race instead. A land use attorney who has represented developers, Keiser is polished, quick on her feet, but is still getting up to speed on the issues. 

Keiser wants to bring civility back to the commission.  “I believe that you can disagree with someone, you can even be 100% right on an issue, but to publicly humiliate people is not a desirable leadership quality and trait,” she said.

She has contributed $102,000 to her own campaign.

Andre Fladell, a longtime political player in Delray Beach, says the election is shaping up to be a contest of old-school politics versus new.

“Keiser comes extremely well-financed. I think she’ll be able to deliver a message,” Fladell said. “Judy is going to have to rely on a door-to-door game. It’s going to be a very good test of which of those two components is more effective in the cycle.”

Fladell characterized Rangel as a spoiler. “Delores knows a lot of the local inside people. That group might tend to be more with Judy Mollica,” he said. “So you would think she would pull votes.”

Petrolia is supporting Rangel, who might not be an ace at public speaking, but she knows the issues inside and out. 

“She was practically the person who got everything done when I was in office, and for every commissioner, every single thing we ran up against, she was handling. She knows how to do it,” Petrolia said.

Rangel’s problem is financing. She has reported about $2,000 in contributions.

The Coastal Star asked the candidates about issues facing the city. Here is a look at how they responded. A fuller look at their comments is available online at  TheCoastalStar.com.

Civic service

Both Keiser and Mollica can boast that they are prepared through years of serving on various boards in the public and private sectors. 

Keiser is a board member of the Delray Beach Housing Authority and was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to the Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County, among other commitments. 

Mollica — a real estate broker — currently serves on the Planning & Zoning Board and holds positions with the local Rotary Club and Mae Volen Senior Center. She is also president of Friends of Delray.

Rangel says she is all about practical experience, working with the commission. “I bring a wealth of institutional knowledge that my opponents don’t possess — plus I’ve lived in Delray for 59 years,” she said.

Coastal issues

On issues of interest to coastal residents, Keiser said, "I believe it's important to protect our beach and the quality of life for those that live there." She said the noise ordinance also needs to be enforced, saying, “People chose to live on the coast to hear the ocean, not the downtown.”

Mollica says preserving the beach is paramount, but says the endless numbers of renourishment projects are not sustainable.

Rangel says safeguarding the beach is a must, calling it “our jewel.” She also sees other issues for the barrier island. 

“There are street flooding issues and residents want better enforcement of the ‘No Wake’ zone on the Intracoastal. I will work with the Beach Property Owners Association and coastal residents to address these issues,” she said.

The DDA 

The Downtown Development Authority has been Mayor Tom Carney’s favorite punching bag. He forced the city to do an audit of the DDA and his concerns were used to justify an ongoing state audit.

Keiser said she hadn’t seen the city audit and couldn’t comment, but said there is merit to looking at the finances of entities that receive taxpayer money. “You have to be accountable and responsible for the use of that money and ensure it’s being used in the proper way,” she said.

The other candidates threw support toward the DDA, which received $2.7 million — mostly through a special property tax on downtown properties — to support and promote businesses to create a thriving downtown.

“It feels to me from the outside looking in that this poor agency is being bullied,” Mollica said. “And, you know, there could be a chance that it gets dissolved because there’s an appetite for that anyway, in Tallahassee.”

Rangel said she supports the DDA; she saw firsthand how it transformed downtown to the vibrant scene it is today. “The only ‘waste’ here is the waste of time and taxpayer money by subjecting the DDA to an additional state audit,” she said.

Development

“I’m not sure why I have to be pro-development or anti-development,” Keiser said. “I think it really is about time and place, right? So, you know, every piece of real estate is different.”

She said she yearns for the time when mom-and-pop stores dominated the downtown area. “I would like to restore that, you know, charming town, and help those small-business owners by maybe filtering them out into the arteries of the downtown.”

Rangel didn’t mince words: It was time to put a halt to current development, saying, “We all need a break.”

“The building of Atlantic Crossing has certainly taken its toll and residents are really tired of all the construction, noise and traffic from these massive projects that go on for years,” she said.

Mollica was more measured as a member of the city’s planning board, saying only that she is disheartened to see businesses disappear and be replaced by townhomes. She then turned to her services at the Volen Center and her commitment to seniors.

She reported that she raised more than $13,000 for her campaign since October — including a maximum $1,000 contribution from Neil Schiller, a prominent land-use attorney who has represented developers and property owners in front of the commission.

Home rule

Rangel appears to be ready to make the issue of protecting home rule a central theme of her campaign. 

“The League of Cities works to address the [state] preemptions, but I would like to go a step further and create a multi-city coalition,” she said. “After all, there is strength in numbers and I think a multi-city coalition to challenge the increasing number of state preemption laws that strip away local ‘home rule’ authority could be more effective.”

Mollica is “outraged” by the erosion of home rule.

“I think that the property tax [elimination] proposals sound attractive to people, but what it’s actually going to do for a municipality is going to defund our police, and it’s going to defund our fire (department). It’s going to defund any road work. It’s going to defund any beach restoration. It will defund us entirely.”

Keiser both-sided the issue.

“I think lowering costs for our families and our residents is always a priority. However, there’s also the other side, where people are scared that it’s going to detrimentally impact our essential services if we cut that much revenue,” she said. 

Delray Beach city election

Election day: March 10

Last day to register to vote: Feb. 9

Last day to request mail-in ballot: Feb. 26

Related election information

Election overview: Downtown campus, council lineup, police HQ up to voters

Mayor's Race: Trio running for mayor includes two council incumbents | Mayoral candidate profiles (Nachlas, Thomson, Liebelson)

Council Seat A: Council race features accountant, attorney and real estate broker | Seat A candidate profiles (Grau, Korn, Ritchey)

 Council Seat B:  Incumbent faces off against founder and supporter of Save Boca | Seat B candidate profiles (Madsen, Pearlmen, Wigder)

 Council Seat D: Seat D candidate profiles (Cellon, Sipple, Weinroth)

By Mary Hladky

Former Boca Raton City Council member Robert Weinroth is seeking a return to his former job, saying what he brings to the table is the experience he gained as both a council member and county commissioner.

He won a special election to the council in 2014 and then a three-year term without opposition in 2015. In 2018, he was elected to the Palm Beach County Commission and became county mayor.

After Weinroth lost re-election in 2022, he filed to run for the Palm Beach County School Board, but withdrew from that race and ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2024 in the Republican primary.

“I feel coming back to the City Council, especially now, with talk of redeveloping the downtown campus and Mizner Park, there is a lot of opportunity to help guide our city for the next 100 years,” he said of his candidacy.

Weinroth, a downtown resident, agrees with current council members that a new City Hall and Community Center are needed and that “it is important to focus on those needs.”

Now that the redevelopment plan has been downsized, Weinroth said it is “much closer” to what he thinks is needed, but “it is not completely at a point where I would say it is ready for prime time.”

He is supportive of enhancing Memorial Park on the west side of the downtown campus and transforming it into a true commemoration of those who served in the armed forces.

The project became controversial, he said, because the “City Council didn’t bring the residents into the conversation early enough.” Save Boca came into being because “residents felt they were not part of the original plans.”

While he is not endorsing Save Boca’s contention that the city should back away from a public-private partnership with Terra/Frisbie, he does agree that the city has the financial strength to finance a new City Hall and Community Center on its own.

One of his main priorities is building more workforce housing so that people have access to affordable places to live. “Workforce housing is important to me,” he said.
He also supports “balanced” growth that maintains Boca’s character, strengthening police, fire and emergency services and improving transportation infrastructure.

***

Larry Cellon has a formidable record of service to the city as a member of the Community Appearance Board for 27 years and the Planning and Zoning Board for 10 years.

He gained expertise in development and construction as a former partner with JMW Construction.

He is a founding member of Workshop 344+, formed by a group of influential residents who want to improve a five-block section of East Palmetto Park Road.

Frustrated because that effort hasn’t gained traction with city officials, he resigned from the planning board so he could run for a City Council seat.

While the city does many things very well, “the rub comes from development,” he said. “That is creating all the strife. I am uniquely positioned with my knowledge and experience in development to help guide the city forward in a reasonable and sustainable manner.”

Although he is not a member of Save Boca, he agrees with that group that the city does not need a developer partner to rebuild the City Hall and Community Center and make other improvements to the west side of the government campus.

The city already is willing to pay $175 million for a new police station, and will ask voters to approve financing it with a 30-year, tax-exempt general obligation bond in the March 10 election, he noted. Residents will pay for it through a tax increase.

And the city has purchased for $17.4 million a building that will house many City Hall functions, with a much smaller City Hall to be built on the government campus.

And yet the city is asking voters to approve spending $201 million up front for improvements to the west side of the government campus. It will take many years for the city to recoup that money from payments it will get from Terra/Frisbie for land it is leasing from the city on the campus’ east side, he said.

Taken together, Cellon argues that this makes no sense.

Cellon’s priorities are for the city to offer free wi-fi in the downtown, which he said other cities have done at minimal cost. He wants to install artificial reefs in Red Reef Park to protect the shoreline and to create a snorkel trail there.

He also wants the turtle rehabilitation program at Gumbo Limbo to be reinstated and the gift shop reopened. And like some of the other candidates, he wants to use artificial intelligence to control traffic lights and improve traffic flow.

***

Save Boca member Stacy Sipple is a clinical oncology pharmacist who believes the current City Council is not listening to residents’ concerns about overdevelopment, increased traffic and reduction in open spaces.

“I have had enough,” she states in campaign literature, “and… I know I am in no way the minority.”

While not anti-development, she said, “I am pro-common sense.”

She agrees a new City Hall and Community Center are needed, but opposes the public-private partnership with Terra/Frisbie and the 99-year land lease.

“Who knows what is going to happen in 99 years,” she said. “That is a long time to sign a lease over to somebody.”

Rather, she would have the city improve the city’s downtown campus land on its own. “The area needs to be fixed up,” she said. “I think we can do it better on the city’s money. … Then we control the land.”

She wants more transparency and better communication with residents when development projects come before the city for approval. “A lot of residents are finding out after the fact that (a project) is already approved,” she said.

Traffic congestion is another problem that needs to be addressed, she said. “People are avoiding going downtown because of the traffic and the parking situation with having to pay at meters,” she said.

Sipple also thinks one city priority should be getting sustainable workforce housing. “A few CEOs can afford to live in this area, but the worker bees can’t afford to live here,” she said.

Sipple says in her campaign literature that she is not a politician, but is a “resident’s voice.”

“I am running to restore trust, preserve what makes Boca special, and ensure our community has a seat at THEIR table.” 

Boca Raton city election
Election day: March 10
Last day to register to vote: Feb. 9
Last day to request mail-in ballot: Feb. 26
The mayor and council races are citywide for three-year terms, except the Council D race, which is for an unexpired one-year term.

Also on the ballot
Voters will decide two other issues:
Whether to approve moving forward with the proposed redevelopment of the city’s downtown campus.
Whether to approve the city’s issuing bonds of up to $175 million to build a new police headquarters, relocated from downtown to a site adjacent to the Spanish River Library.

Related: Three first-time candidates square off in commission race |Commission candidate Q & A

Candidate profiles were compiled via telephone interviews. Candidates were asked to supply personal information regarding their age, education, marital status and number of years residing in their municipalities. They were also asked to provide a brief history of their professional life and experience, if any, in holding public office. Finally, they were asked about their positions on issues facing their communities and to provide an overarching quote detailing the reasons they believe they should be elected (or reelected), along with a current photograph.

Delray Beach city election

Election day: March 10

Last day to register to vote: Feb. 9

Last day to request mail-in ballot: Feb. 26