The summer of ’25 will be remembered as a time when the heat — political heat, that is — reached a boiling point along the coast here.

In Delray Beach, impatient Florida officials demanded the city remove its colorful Pride intersection in downtown’s Pineapple Grove, originally installed as a memorial to the victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando.

Florida Department of Transportation workers (who had already painted over a similar memorial outside of Pulse in August) rushed in again to do the job in Delray Beach in September when the city didn’t move fast enough.

In Boca Raton, meanwhile, residents mounted a successful petition drive — that may force a referendum — after they felt the City Council turned a deaf ear to their concerns about a massive public-private project moving forward downtown using city-owned property.

Delray Beach officials bristled at the bullying tactics the state used over the city’s intersection. They demanded, unsuccessfully, a fair hearing and reluctantly cried “Uncle” when it became clear the state was the state and was going to do whatever it damn-well pleased — and woe to anyone standing in its way.

Boca Raton residents bristled as well at their government leaders, but they weren’t in Delray Beach’s helpless state. They demanded a vote on the future of city-owned properties — and collected signatures to get it on the ballot, probably in March.

What happens next as autumn settles in? This is South Florida, after all, where the heat tends to linger. 

Delray Beach officials are looking now for another way to honor the Pulse victims, acknowledge the city’s LGBTQ residents and show everyone that Delray Beach remains a welcoming city.

There are ideas about what could be done, including renaming part of Northeast First Street as Pride Street or hanging rainbow banners from downtown lamp posts.

Whatever is decided, I hope part of it focuses on the Pride intersection itself. Not on the pavement where the state made its stand, but alongside it or above it — some fitting rebuke to the state’s overreach.

As for Boca Raton, officials there have some big decisions coming up. They have said the proposed referendum would be draconian and have far-reaching negative consequences if approved. It would require a taxpayer-financed city election anytime there’s a planned sale or lease of virtually any city-owned property — anything more than a half-acre in size.

Terra and Frisbie Group, the developer for the city’s downtown campus project that also includes a new City Hall and Community Center, has made changes that would reduce the project’s density and increase its park space, but they are still nowhere close to overcoming residents’ objections. 

Boca Raton should determine the best plan it sees for its 30-acre campus, which now includes the 17-acre Memorial Park, and put it on the same ballot as the petition referendum. That would give voters the say they want on the downtown project — and maybe make them more receptive to the city’s concerns about the petition referendum. 

But city officials may discover they haven’t done enough to turn down the heat, with residents’ frustrations still at the boiling point. 

A tie-the-city’s-hands-forever referendum may be exactly what residents desire. They saw how the state was ruthless in using its power in Delray Beach. They may want that same kind of power for themselves when it comes to decisions about their city’s future. 

— Larry Barszewski,
Editor

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

Gumbo Limbo’s sea turtle rehab may never return

By Steve Plunkett

Citing “ongoing financial challenges,” the Coastal Stewards, a nonprofit that started out more than 40 years ago as the volunteer Friends of Gumbo Limbo in Boca Raton, has dissolved itself.

The move came three months after the group on June 12 barred the public from its sea turtle rehabilitation area at the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center and shuttered its gift shop there.

It transferred or released 12 recuperating sea turtles and let its final turtle patient return to the ocean off Red Reef Park on July 10.

City staff is now recommending other uses for Gumbo Limbo’s rehab space.

“My heart is so sad that this group fell apart,” said Michele Peel, a former president of the former Friends.

“Gordon Gilbert would be devastated, I suspect,” she added, referring to the Boca Raton High School teacher who took science students to the beach, founded the nature center in the early 1980s and served on the Friends board of trustees.

In a Sept. 12 news release, the nonprofit said it would give 75% of its assets to the George Snow Scholarship Fund to endow a Coastal Stewards scholarship.

The remaining dollars were split among the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, the Dolphin Research Center in Marathon and the Marine Animal Rescue Society in Miami, it said.

When the Coastal Stewards decided to close the turtle rehab unit, it had $1,000,012 left in its bank accounts, down from $3.7 million the group reported having in assets to the IRS in 2020 under its former name.

“While this decision is bittersweet, the trustees felt strongly that the best way to honor our history and preserve our mission was through a lasting legacy,” said Shivani Gupta, a corporate wellness speaker and one of the group’s trustees since late 2023. “These gifts to the George Snow Scholarship Fund and several of our valued nonprofit partners will ensure that commitment lives on.”

Merchandise left over from gift store operations was donated to the Sandoway Discovery Center in Delray Beach and Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park Inc., in North Palm Beach, the group said.

Earlier, it had donated turtle hospital equipment to Loggerhead and commissary items and furniture back to the city.

New approaches
On Sept. 3, meanwhile, two former Gumbo Limbo workers opened a “behind-the-scenes” hospital for sick or injured sea turtles at the Palm Beach Zoo in West Palm Beach.

And in an August memo to the City Council, then-City Manager George Brown urged that the city discontinue sea turtle rehab and veterinary hospital operations at Gumbo Limbo “and instead repurpose the former hospital/rehab space to expand marine education exhibits and enhance public programming.”

That expansion might eventually include installing a shark and stingray tank, he said.

Driving Brown’s recommendation: a proposal from the Loggerhead Marinelife Center that it open a satellite rehab center at Gumbo Limbo in return for a $750,000 annual subsidy from Boca Raton.

Council members have not publicly discussed Brown’s ideas.

His memo also discussed the search for someone to reopen the popular gift shop at Gumbo Limbo. Deerfield Beach-based surf shop Island Water Sports “expressed interest in the retail opportunity,” Brown wrote, and the city then issued a Request for Letter of Interest to qualified vendors.

The city is just now evaluating responses to the request.

Programs still in place
The closure of the Coastal Stewards rehab center did not affect Gumbo Limbo’s three “resident” sea turtles housed in outdoor tanks, which remain on display and available for public viewing because they could not survive being released. 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 ex-city employees at the new West Palm Beach turtle hospital, Whitney Crowder and Emily Mercier, lost their jobs at Gumbo Limbo in March 2023 as Boca Raton transitioned turtle care at the city-operated nature center to the Coastal Stewards.

Along with fellow Boca Raton resident Samantha Clark, they started their own nonprofit, Sea Turtle Care and Conservation Specialists LLC, two years ago.

“Our hospital isn’t open to the public, but that won’t stop us from bringing you along on this journey. We’ll be sharing patient updates, recovery stories, and moments of hope, while also connecting with so many of you at our outreach events,” the group said on Facebook.

It also has a website, careandconservation.org.

Leaving a void
The nonprofit Coastal Stewards shifted from being strictly volunteer-run in 2020, hiring John Holloway as its president and chief executive officer to guide the transition.

Holloway’s salary was $122,323 in 2023, according to Internal Revenue Service records.

Peel, the past Friends president, said the city from the start “didn’t really want rehab,” which was added to the mix in 2010.

“I got questions like, ‘if a sea turtle in rehab came from a beach in Delray, shouldn’t we charge Delray for its care?’” she recalled. “They also questioned why Friends should fund education and scholarships of children who were not city residents.”

Peel praised the Snow fund for administering Gumbo Limbo scholarships for years. “But donating all their assets to Snow seems to be a violation of donors’ wishes,” she said.

And, she added, “Who is funding the (field trip) busing for the less fortunate school kids? Friends used to do that.”

She foresees someone starting a more volunteer-friendly group to fill the void left by the Coastal Stewards.

“There will likely be a new nonprofit, styled like the Friends of the Library, with little real activities of their own. And that’s a good thing,” Peel said. “It will never be as strong as the Friends of GLNC was because times have changed. Boca isn’t the little city it was in the 1980s when a handshake was how you did business.” 

By Mary Hladky

Save Boca’s battle against the city’s plans to redevelop 30 city-owned acres in the downtown campus now has impacted city politics.

Save Boca supporter Meredith Madsen is challenging incumbent Boca Raton City Council member Marc Wigder in the March 10 city election.

Madsen, founder and CEO of Sunshine & Glitter, which sells sunscreen products, has spoken out against the city’s plans to redevelop the downtown campus in partnership with Terra and Frisbie Group.

Residents “are telling you, please, let’s fix the things we have. Let’s make better parks. But we do not want you giving away our land to developers…,“ she said at the council’s Aug. 26 meeting.

In an interview, Madsen said she was propelled to seek a council seat because most council members are proving to be poor stewards of the city’s land.

“We need to protect the town from seemingly endless development,” she said.

She is opposing Wigder — who she said seems like a “nice guy” and wants to do “civic good” — because he “is always on the side of development.”

Rather than team up with developers who will profit from redeveloping the property, the city should pay the cost of rebuilding the government buildings where they now sit and scrap plans for residential and office buildings, she said.

Like many residents, Madsen said she was unaware of the scope of what the city was planning, and only learned the details because she plays tennis at the city’s tennis center next to City Hall and the Community Center. Tennis advocates have pressed the city to maintain 10 clay courts on the downtown campus.

The election is shaping up to be contentious.

Deputy Mayor Fran Nachlas and Council member Andy Thomson are facing off to become the next mayor, replacing Scott Singer, who is term-limited from running again. Joining them in that race is perennial candidate Bernard Korn.

Korn and former candidate Christen Ritchey are vying for Nachlas’ seat.

Former City Council member Robert Weinroth is seeking Thomson’s seat.

In addition, there will be a referendum on the ballot on funding a new police headquarters and one or more questions allowing residents to have a say related to the proposed redevelopment of the city’s downtown campus. 

Robert Certilman of Highland Beach teamed up with Big Brothers Big Sisters in August to take children shopping for school supplies and clothing, spending about $12,000. He contacted the local chapter because he wanted to continue a practice he started in New York. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Rich Pollack

Robert Certilman saw the need in his community firsthand while living on Long Island.

During a Christmas party he sponsored for children served by the local Big Brothers Big Sisters organization, he noticed a little girl in tattered jeans that were on the brink of being unwearable. 

“I said, ‘How would it be if I sponsored 50 kids and we took them shopping?’” Certilman recalled.

That was the beginning of a tradition that Certilman, the retired owner of a couple of car dealerships up North, is carrying forward in Florida. 

A recent transplant to Highland Beach, he teamed up with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Palm Beach and Martin Counties in August to take 80 kids shopping for school supplies and clothing. 

Certilman initiated the shopping spree with an unexpected call to the local organization. 

“I called them up and told them I wanted to take kids in need to buy school supplies and clothing and help them succeed in school by feeling good about themselves,” he said. 

Each child, who was accompanied by a parent or Big Brother or Sister, was given a gift card worth $150 and then sent shopping for clothes and supplies. 

Certilman would often be close by, checking in with the shoppers and learning more about what they had gathered. 

“The kids would show me what they got,” he said. 

Being there was an important part of the day, Certilman said. 

“Anyone can write a check, but it’s more effective to have a conversation with the kids,” he said. “I get satisfaction out of seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces.”

The financial support for the shopping spree from the former owner of Honda and Acura dealerships was much appreciated by leaders of the local Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter.  

“The back-to-school season often brings added pressure for many families but thanks to Robert’s support, our ‘Littles’ this year started with not only the supplies they need but also a sense of excitement,” said Yvette Flores Acevedo, the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Palm Beach and Martin Counties. 

Big Brothers Big Sisters provides children facing adversity, ages 6 to 18, with volunteer mentors who serve as positive role models. In the past year, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Palm Beach and Martin Counties has served 446 children, and the organization is seeking adult volunteers to be mentors. 

For Certilman, who supported several causes in New York and now supports a few other organizations in Florida in addition to Big Brothers Big Sisters, said helping those in need is something he enjoys. 

“It feels good,” he said. 

His advice to others is to find something you love and then support it. 

“It doesn’t matter how you support it, as long as you support it,” he said.

Certilman says that he’s glad he is in a position to help others. 

“I feel fortunate and blessed with what I’ve accomplished and this helps complete the circle,” he said. 

NOMINATE SOMEONE TO BE A COASTAL STAR 

Send a note to news@thecoastalstar.com 

or call 561-337-1553.

By John Pacenti

Animal Farm and 1984 author George Orwell once wrote, “There are occasions when it pays better to fight and be beaten than not to fight at all.”

When it came to the Delray Beach LGBTQ Pride rainbow intersection, the city showed plenty of fight — putting it in the spotlight as it pushed back against Gov. Ron DeSantis’ edict to erase its symbol of inclusion and tolerance.

DeSantis may have won the battle by using the cover of night for his Department of Transportation to paint over the intersection, but the right-wing governor — who has also targeted the LGBTQ community on other issues — may have lost the war.

Civic engagement was off the charts when it came to the intersection of Northeast Second Avenue and Northeast First Street in downtown’s Pineapple Grove. The haters stayed home. And members of the LGBTQ community showed they are organized and more than ready to stand up for themselves in these times.

“If Gov. DeSantis believed that by literally destroying and covering over public art celebrating the queer community would diminish us, he has clearly failed,” said Rand Hoch, president and founder of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council.

A feud over art
Municipalities in urban areas started to dedicate intersections or crosswalks to the LGBTQ community after 49 people were gunned down at Pulse nightclub in Orlando in 2016.

The Delray Beach intersection, with $16,000 from the Human Rights Council, was painted in Pride flag colors in 2021.

In July, DeSantis’ Florida Department of Transportation ordered cities to paint over them, claiming they were unsafe, even though studies showed intersections with public art are generally safer than typical intersections.

The governor’s move backfired spectacularly as FDOT, to treat other such intersections equally, had to paint over all artistic roadway art — like the iconic checkered flag crosswalks near Daytona International Speedway.

In Delray Beach, it was a roller-coaster ride as the LGBTQ community and its allies came out in force during commission meetings and the elected leaders decided to fight the FDOT order in August and exhaust administrative remedies.

There were two special commission meetings in September on the issue, which also spilled over into the commission’s two regular monthly meetings, as television news crews covered Mayor Tom Carney and company like a sporting event.

Commissioners voted on Sept. 9 to file a petition, as Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale had done, to challenge the new state policy — only to pivot and consider other ways to honor the LGBTQ community once the FDOT crews sandblasted and painted over the intersection after their botched first try.

Community reaction
Now the commission is considering other symbolic gestures, such as wrapping light poles in Pride colors, putting a plaque up at the intersection and bathing the water tower in rainbow lights.

“The municipalities where queer public art was destroyed by DeSantis will replace them with bigger, bolder and brighter tributes to the queer community,” Hoch said.

Vice Mayor Rob Long, who made the intersection a public cause, said there was not one speaker who opposed the intersection who came out to commission meetings.

“I thought for sure there’d be a counter protest or something that would happen, there’d be some sort of reaction. And the fact that there was not, it was actually amazing,” Long said.

The critics lurked on community forums dedicated to Delray Beach, posting on the intersection, saying the intersection issue overshadowed their efforts to mourn the death of conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed at a college campus event he was headlining.

“We saw more public engagement on this issue than we’ve ever seen, and every single person who got up and spoke about it was in support of freedom of expression and the LGBTQ community,” Long said. “All the haters, all the people who were against it, it just proved their cowardice.”

Commissioner Juli Casale said the issue allowed residents to engage with their government. “Getting involved with how your government operates, especially on a local level, is encouraged,” she said.

In the cover of night
DeSantis struck after Delray Beach filed an administrative motion following a Sept. 2 FDOT hearing in Orlando, with the city seeking the disqualification of FDOT’s presiding officer who had heard the appeal. The city noted communications that showed bias on the part of the hearing officer.

During an overnight downpour in the early morning hours on Sept. 9, FDOT tried to paint over the intersection, but the rain washed it out. Instead, it looked like the state defaced it, as if the biggest monster truck in the world did burnouts on it with the rainbow still visible.

The commission was furious that the botched paint job belied DeSantis’s cover that declaring war on all LGBTQ intersections statewide was in the name of traffic safety.

Commissioner Tom Markert said the intersection was “dirty, messy and dangerous.”

The commission voted 3-1 to join Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach in filing a petition challenging FDOT’s rulemaking authority and seeking to obtain a stay.

Carney voted no, saying he was concerned that DeSantis would punish Delray Beach by withholding $60 million or more in state funding. Casale was not at the meeting.

“As the arts people learned last year, with a stroke of a pen, $100,000 that was coming to the city of Delray evaporated,” said Carney, noting DeSantis vetoed money for arts throughout the state in 2024.

FDOT returned that same night following the commission meeting and repainted the intersection — this time eliminating any hint of a rainbow. So, the commission held another special meeting on Sept. 11, and after much debate, decided to withdraw its decision to seek litigation.

‘Choose your battles’
Commissioners suddenly were channeling Kenny Rogers’ The Gambler, where you need to know “when to fold ’em.”

“Sometimes you got to play the cards you were dealt,” Carney said.

“Sometimes you have to choose your battles. And, you know, maybe this is just not the one at this time,” Commissioner Angela Burns said.

This time, it was Long who was the lone no vote, urging the commission to stick to its earlier decision.

“When I ran for this seat, I did it because I hate bullies. I hate bullying, and I can’t think of a more obvious example of us being bullied and disrespected,” he said.

Long said he is worried that the commission won’t follow through on replacing the Pride intersection with a new LGBTQ symbol — especially since Carney talked about getting private groups to fund the effort.

“They’re waiting for me to be gone so they can virtually do nothing,” he told The Coastal Star. Long is running for a vacant statehouse seat and must resign his commission seat in December after the special election is held.

Carney told this publication that private groups paid for the rainbow intersection and that he is in contact with a number of people on the issue in the LGBTQ community.

“We’re starting the process. We’re going to be coming back with some ideas,” he said. “There’s going to be some interesting stuff coming forward.” 

Manalapan commissioners moved ahead with a plan to explore building a new Town Hall at the corner of Ocean Boulevard and Ocean Avenue.

At the Sept. 8 commission meeting, they heard from eminent domain attorney Doug MacGibbon, who has been hired to explore acquiring the property — an outparcel at Plaza del Mar — that was once home to a gas station, then a bank that was eventually converted into office space.

MacGibbon also serves as Manalapan’s special magistrate, conducting hearings and issuing rulings related to code violations.

“This is the best time to do this,” MacGibbon told commissioners, explaining that the vacant lot presents a unique opportunity for town expansion. He recommended hiring an appraiser to conduct a comprehensive valuation, with initial property assessments suggesting a value around $1.3 million.

However, he cautioned commissioners, “This is an expensive adventure.”

“It’s going to be more expensive than usual, because this is a barrier island and all your values are going to be higher than most other places,” MacGibbon said. He said professional fees from the seller’s attorneys could add $1 million. He also encouraged the town to start negotiating with Plaza del Mar’s owner to purchase property around the site for parking.

One wrinkle is that MacGibbon’s research showed that gas tanks from the former service station are still on site.

“So that becomes an appraisal issue with regards to the cost to either remove the tanks or to have them pumped full of sand and sealed,” he said.

— John Pacenti

Manalapan commissioners unanimously approved an $18.7 million total budget Sept. 22 for the 2025-2026 fiscal year that started Oct. 1.

The budget includes $10.2 million for the general fund, $97,000 to run the library, and $8.3 million for the town’s water and sewer services.

Commissioners voted to maintain the town tax rate at last year’s rate of $3 per $1,000 of taxable property value. However, taxes overall are increasing because taxable property values for Manalapan increased by 7.6%.

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

Key budget allocations will support various town departments, including ongoing projects such as guard house upgrades. 

Regarding the guard house — a signature building for the town on Point Manalapan — Town Manager Eric Marmer said that architects have been hired to design upgrades with the focus on visibility and technological capabilities.

Marmer indicated that once conceptual designs are completed, they will be presented to the commission for review and approval.

— John Pacenti

Delray Public Beach at Atlantic Avenue has the bluest and clearest water of any beach in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, or North Carolina, according to a recent beach.com analysis of 1,346 beaches.

“Florida’s Atlantic coast, particularly Palm Beach County, is home to the bluest, clearest water and highest-rated experiences in the Southeast,” the site said of its analysis that included using NASA satellite data.

The analysis said Delray Beach’s public beach “has the most optically pristine beach waters in the analysis.” 

However, the city’s beach didn’t make the Top 12 overall for beaches in the Southeast. The top three were in the county — Ocean Reef Park in Riviera Beach came in first; Riviera Beach was second, and John D. MacArthur Beach State Park in North Palm Beach and Carlin Park in Jupiter tied for third.

Delray Public Beach tied for 38th place. Gulfstream Park in the County Pocket was the top-rated South County beach. It tied for 23rd. 

— Larry Barszewski

By Jane Musgrave

Beaches from Linton Boulevard in Delray Beach to just south of the Boynton Inlet in Ocean Ridge will be transformed into construction zones this winter as crews work to replace millions of tons of sand that were washed away in 2022 by Hurricane Nicole.

Beach renourishment crews are to arrive in Delray Beach in December to begin pumping 1.3 million cubic yards of sand on a 2.5-mile stretch between George Bush and Linton boulevards, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Roughly a month later, work will begin in Ocean Ridge. Plans call for 500,000 cubic yards of sand to be placed on a mile of beach from roughly south of Ocean Avenue to Ocean Inlet Park, said a corps spokesperson.

When completed in late April, the beach in Delray Beach will be about 250 feet wider; it will be expanded by about 150 feet in Ocean Ridge.

The estimated $19.1 million project in Delray Beach marks the first time in 12 years that the city’s entire beachfront has been renourished, said Cynthia Buisson, the city’s assistant public works director.

That is something of a record, she said. Historically, the city has been forced to replenish the sand every eight years to protect beachfront property and marine habitat and give beach lovers a place to soak up the sun.

While Buisson credited the city’s efforts to maintain its dunes for the beach’s unexpected longevity, she acknowledged that luck was involved. “The storms haven’t been as bad,” she said.

Hurricane Nicole, which made landfall as a Category 1 storm south of Vero Beach on Nov. 10, 2022, wasn’t particularly memorable for South Florida residents. But its strong on-shore winds produced a storm surge that battered beaches from Miami to Jacksonville, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Originally, the beaches in Delray Beach and Ocean Ridge were to be renourished at the same time. The project in Ocean Ridge was delayed because most of its beachfront is privately owned and releases had to be obtained from property owners.

Bids for the Delray Beach stretch were received in early September and a contract will be awarded by Oct. 6, the corps spokesperson said. The contract for the Ocean Ridge project won’t be awarded until December.

While the corps declined to give a cost estimate, when the same Ocean Ridge stretch was replenished in 2020, it cost about $5 million.

Both projects are being funded with a mix of federal, state, Palm Beach County and municipal sources. Sand will be pumped onto the beaches from an off-shore sandbar. 

With the 2026 sea turtle nesting season looming, crews will have to work quickly. While the original plan called for a 210-day project, the work will have to be finished by April 30 before the height of the roughly eight-month nesting season, the corps spokesperson said. 

The season runs generally from March through October, but turtles are known to appear as early as February. Buisson said the city’s sea turtle monitor will check the beaches daily and relocate any nests that are in harm’s way. 

By John Pacenti

Last year, Delray Beach Mayor Tom Carney spearheaded a rollback of the city’s tax rate. This year, it rolled right back on residents and businesses.

And, as usual — as if this commission knows no other way — there was plenty of drama and gnashing of teeth. 

The budget deliberations had City Manager Terrence Moore playing P.T. Barnum to this circus, taking to the high-wire himself to find a way to erase a $25 million deficit that some commissioners blamed on last year’s rollback. Meanwhile, the mayor played the carny, calling out for cuts and hoping someone would take up his challenge.

Ah, September was a taxing month — literally and figuratively — for Delray Beach. First, Gov. Ron DeSantis made good on his declaration to erase the city’s beloved LGBTQ rainbow intersection, and then there was the circus-like Sept. 15 workshop meeting on the budget.

“Please forgive me for being loquacious. I’m just a little excited,” Moore said at the height of debate at that meeting after taking commissioners down a rabbit-hole soliloquy on the consumer price index.

Tax rate rises

In the end, the commission voted 3-2 to approve a $201.5 million general operating budget at its regular meeting later that day. That is up $15 million from the previous year. The city will use $3.4 million from reserves to shore up revenues for the new 2025-26 budget year that began Oct. 1.

Carney and Commissioner Angela Burns were the no votes.

Commissioners set the city’s combined tax rate at $6.19 for every $1,000 of taxable property value by the same 3-2 vote. That represents a 4.18% increase of the previous rate of $5.94 per $1,000 and breaks the city’s streak of 12 consecutive years with a reduction.

“This is just a correction to ensure we can continue providing essential services,” said Vice Mayor Rob Long, who warned last year that rolling back the tax rate would create a deficit.

The commission’s action last year was in effect a “no new taxes budget” that is seldom adopted because it forces a local government — with the exception of taxes generated from new construction — to live on the same amount of tax dollars despite the inflation and population growth that have occurred.

Burns said that even by raising the tax rate, services were still being cut and the city had to borrow from the reserves. 

“I wasn’t in support of the rollback in the first place. Definitely not. And fear exactly what we’re going through,” she said during the Sept. 15 regular meeting, arguing both against proposed cuts and raising the tax rate. “This is just not a good time, in my opinion, to raise any costs.”

Carney later would tell The Coastal Star that the city should have been more proactive in finding ways to reduce expenses and generate additional revenue. He felt the budget process could have been more thorough in addressing financial challenges.

“We didn’t look for enough cuts, and we certainly didn’t look for enough revenue sources,” he said.

Doing the math

Finance Director Henry Dachowitz said that for an average homeowner with a taxable value of $448,000, the city portion of the tax bill would increase $113 from $2,660 to $2,773.

Homesteaded properties are capped under state law at a maximum 3% increase in any one year, but that is not true for businesses or non-homesteaded residential properties, which are capped at a 10% increase.

To Moore’s exasperation, Carney insisted that he did the math and that the increase to the average property owner would be 11%. “It’s not 11, it’s not 10, it’s not 9,” Moore said during the Sept. 15 workshop.

Moore tried to appease Carney somewhat, offering $501,000 in additional cuts hitting about every department. “Half a million dollars is nothing to sneeze at,” the manager said.

Commissioner Juli Casale was confused, saying that at a previous budget workshop, no additional cuts were discussed. 

The cuts were whittled down to $425,000 after commissioners voiced concerns about cutting such services as power-washing downtown’s sidewalks or providing staff with critical training, such as for the troubled Code Enforcement Division.

“I get really worried when I look at the cuts that we’re dialing back here,” said Commissioner Tom Markert, who, along with Casale, had supported Carney’s push for the rolled-back rate last year. “When I sat in CEO roles, I hated when people came in with budgets like this.”

Casale said there just aren’t a lot of areas to cut. “We have commitments that are not flexible in the city, contractual commitments,” she said. “Ninety percent of our allocated expenses are locked in.”

Commissioners feud

Carney had been on the warpath regarding budget cuts, looking to cut youth services or get private philanthropic groups to start picking up the tab. He criticized the Downtown Development Authority’s tax rate and “lack of transparency” and sent out emails criticizing commissioners.

“Do you think I’m not accountable? Do you think I’m not transparent?” Casale said. “Are you saying that Henry isn’t, or my colleagues aren’t? You’re getting people angry with us in an environment where it’s not good to be getting people angry at your commissioners.” 

At one point, Markert took on Carney, saying he just wasn’t living in reality when he suggested budget cuts.

“Let’s just slash the budgets. We’ll slash the people. We’ll slash all of our programs,” he said at the budget workshop on Sept. 15.

“Our property rates are going to drop like a stone in the city because we don’t attract and do the right things that we’ve been doing for years and years and years.”

At the same meeting, Markert and Carney locked horns again over the mayor’s 11% number. “Can you be the mayor for once?” Markert snapped.

“You’re out of order, I’m the mayor,” Carney said. 

A construction worker walks through routine flooding at 701 S. Ocean Blvd. in Delray Beach. The section of State Road A1A from Linton Boulevard to Casuarina Road is undergoing improvement that will include adding and regrading swales to enhance drainage and lessen flooding. RainDrop, an app that provides precipitation data, reports that coastal Delray Beach received an estimated 16.53 inches of rain during September through the 29th. That was almost double the 8.8 inches recorded in August and more than double the 6.42 inches that fell in July. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

WHAT: Autumn is the main season for king tides, when higher-than-normal tides cause spot flooding along the coast, from the Intracoastal Waterway, and from other inlets and canals.

WHEN: The Palm Beach County Office of Resilience says king tides are expected during high-tide periods on the following days, when there is a potential for flooding:

• Oct. 7-10

• Nov. 4-8

• Dec. 3-6

The county office says the worst period is expected to be Nov. 5-7, when it predicts flooding will occur. 

PREDICTION: “King tides for 2025 are not predicted to reach the moderate flood stage or the major flood stage, but various factors, including storms, may cause higher-than-expected sea levels and flooding,” the county office warns.

— Larry Barszewski

By John Pacenti

A popular Delray Beach Facebook group has been paused after supporters of Charlie Kirk began targeting longtime members, according to the moderator.

Delray Matters was suspended Sept. 11 for at least 30 days by moderator Ingrid Lee. It has more than 2,600 members. 

The Coastal Star wrote in the August edition how social media groups like Delray Matters have become essential for residents to interact with their local governments.

Kirk was shot to death Sept. 10 while speaking on a Utah campus, and two of his followers that day signed up to Delray Matters and started to post about it. 

They were particularly irate that Delray Beach was so focused on trying to save its LGBTQ Pride intersection and not sufficiently mourning Kirk, Lee said.

Longtime members of the group flagged the post because it violated the rule that all posts must center on Delray Beach issues.

Mayor Tom Carney said to connect what happened to Kirk to the issue of Gov. Ron DeSantis ordering the city’s LGBTQ Pride intersection to be painted over is “a very long shot. ...People are trying to connect dots that just are not there.” 

Lee said she created Delray Matters to encourage residents to engage with their local government, but the site was being “hijacked by people who just want to be inflammatory or attack those who don’t fit their agendas.”

While the Christian evangelical community passionately supported Kirk, many Americans opposed his views on women, the LGBTQ community and gun control.

Lee said she tries not to block or censor people, but when they start affecting the community’s ability to communicate, she steps in as the moderator.

“They wanted to post, and they loosely tied it to the intersection, like, ‘Why don’t we talk about this instead?’” Lee said.

When Lee told them all posts needed to be about Delray Beach, it “was like kicking a hornet’s nest.”

She tried to explain to the Kirk supporters that they could talk about him in the comments. “They were like, ‘He’s Christian, I’m Christian, I should be able to talk about him,’” she said.

Then the new members started targeting individual people who had made comments about Kirk that they didn’t like. Lee tried to explain that the comments were opinion, “and it’s a free country.”

The Kirk supporters told Lee that she was “complicit” and “vile.”

The comment from one longtime member about Kirk, that “karma paid him a visit,” particularly got the ire of the activist’s supporters, Lee said. 

“They screenshot both of them, went on to their private page and, like, put out a call for their minions to attack,” Lee said. “They were gonna put it on X and report it to (far-right political activist) Laura Loomer, and that they were gonna ruin this woman’s life.”

Kirk had said some gun deaths were “worth it” if it meant preserving the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms.

This all happened in 24 hours for Lee, who is a private citizen who works a day job. 

Moderating the mayhem became too much when her members were being targeted. 

She suspended the page, saying a “short break” was needed because moderating took way too much energy.

“It was just becoming invasive,” Lee said. “I was facing 60 comments to review, and on top of everything else going on in life, I just didn’t have the bandwidth to handle it.”

She reminded members in a post announcing the suspension, “We can have honest, even passionate conversations, but empathy matters too.” 

Unofficial election results had Maria Zack winning the Republican primary race to challenge Delray Beach Vice Mayor Rob Long, a Democrat, in the Dec. 9 special election to succeed state Rep. Joe Casello, who died in July.

Also slated to be on the ballot is Karen Yeh, who has no party affiliation.

Zack, with 53% of the vote, defeated Bill Reicherter in the Sept. 30 primary, based on the yet-to-be-certified returns. Zack owns and operates Quantum Solutions Software Inc., while Reicherter is a licensed Realtor who lost to Casello in 2022.

— Larry Barszewski

The Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Read for the Record initiative, which directs adults and children through a shared reading experience. Mayors from Palm Beach County municipalities helped kick off the event with a luncheon featuring Marcus Bridgewater — aka Garden Marcus — who is this year’s Read for the Record featured author. The preparations all lead up to Read for the Record Day, Feb. 26.

ABOVE: Bridgewater and Lantana Mayor Karen Lythgoe hold up copies of Bridgewater’s See Marcus Grow, which is the featured book for the celebration. Bridgewater’s works connect gardening with personal growth. Photo provided by Tracey Benson Photography

Mark David Anderson’s second-degree murder trial, scheduled to start Sept. 22, was postponed on Sept. 9 by Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Cymonie Rowe at the request of Anderson’s defense team.

A new trial date wasn’t set, but the trial is likely to be delayed until next year.

Anderson is charged in the September 2023 shooting death of Albert Camentz at Berkshire by the Sea, 126 N. Ocean Blvd., in Delray Beach.

— Larry Barszewski

By Hannah Spence

Last fall, South Palm Beach was set to receive a long-anticipated dune restoration, but the plan was delayed in part because of the difficulty the project had securing a beach access point south of the Lake Worth Beach pier.

The six-week project, which is being managed by the town of Palm Beach, is expected to start Nov. 1.

The Atriums of Palm Beach, a condominium complex at 3400 S. Ocean Blvd., will provide access for the sand that is being trucked in for the dunes that will be constructed on the upper part of the beach.

About 30,000 cubic yards of sand will be brought from a stockpile of sand at Phipps Ocean Park in Palm Beach to the Atriums, where it will be dumped on conveyor belts that will carry it to the beach. Trucks on the beach will then grade the sand.

At a Sept. 8 South Palm Beach Town Council meeting, Kevin Hall, a resident and property manager of Palmsea Condominiums, asked if people should stay off the beach and avoid the trucks. Sara Gutekunst, coastal coordinator for the town of Palm Beach, said that’s not necessary.

“People will continue to have access to the beach while the project is ongoing and can enjoy the beach in areas that are not active construction zones,” said Gutekunst. “The portion of the beach under active construction may be temporarily closed to ensure public safety.”

The cost of the dune construction from Sloans Curve to South Palm Beach was just over $1 million, and an additional cost is expected because of the delays and changes in construction methods.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection awarded a grant of $319,150 for the project. That money is for the construction of dunes as a result of erosion from Hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022.

“The beach dune restoration efforts are ongoingly important to maintaining the natural coastal environment in optimal shape and configuration,” said South Palm Beach Town Manager Jamie Titcomb. “Beach quality is important to our local residents as well as seasonal visitors alike, and the overall economic development for our entire region.

“Palm Beach will be managing the operational aspects, and I’m sure to communicate safety protocols and timelines pertinent to beachgoers and residents, which we’ll communicate further through our apps and systems to our residents at appropriate times.” 
 

Familiar faces appointed to planning commission — Incumbent Rosemary Mouring, whose term on Lantana’s planning commission expired, was reappointed for another three-year term at the Sept. 8 Town Council meeting. Mouring has served on the commission since 2012.

Another incumbent, Joseph Farrell, did not seek reappointment. His three-year position will be filled by Annemarie Joyce, a community volunteer who regularly attends council meetings and previously served as an alternate on the commission.

Named as an alternate was Christina Saint Pierre Desautell, who has experience in banking and finance. She also has local roots, having attended Lantana Middle School. Council members said they liked her youth and enthusiasm.

Vape shops in town — Does Lantana have too many vape shops? Some residents think so.

At the Sept. 8 council meeting, Council member Jesse Rivero said a constituent had approached him about the subject and wondered if the number of vape shops could be limited in town, which occupies roughly 2 square miles and has at least a half dozen vape shops, many on Lantana Road.

Town attorney Max Lohman said that could be done, but vape shops already established in town would have to be grandfathered in. 

Mayor Karen Lythgoe said she doesn’t vape anymore but, when she did, she looked at vape shop owners as businessmen filling empty storefronts.

No word on whether the vape shop issue will be discussed at a future meeting.

Feedback sought on skate park — Lantana is conducting a survey to gather community feedback on potential improvements for the Skate Park at Maddock Park. Public input will help the town understand the needs and preferences of the community. To take the survey, go to s.surveyplanet.com/y9a7el71

— Mary Thurwachter

South Palm Beach council members found themselves in an unusual situation this budget year: For the town to go to the state’s “no new taxes” rolled-back rate, they would actually have to raise the town’s property tax rate, not lower it.

They voted to stick with the same rate that the town has had for the past two years, actually going under the rolled-back rate. The difference was almost infinitesimal — $3.40 for every $1,000 of taxable property value vs. the $3.4073 per $1,000 rolled-back rate.

Council members faced this situation because total property values in the town dropped 0.21% this year — a drop attributed to declining values of many of its older condominium units. The town was the only municipality in Palm Beach County to see its taxable value decline this year.

The last time a county municipality faced a drop in its taxable value was 12 years ago. In 2013, values dropped in four municipalities that were still experiencing the lingering effects of the Great Recession of 2008.

Some residents may still see a town tax increase — if the taxable value of their condominium units increased despite the town’s overall drop in values.

Council members approved keeping the property tax rate the same at their Sept. 15 budget meeting.

At the meeting, they also approved a $3.078 million operating budget, which is about $13,000 less than the last budget — a drop of 0.4%. The new tax rate and budget are for the 2026 fiscal year that began Oct. 1.

The town’s separate capital project fund has quintupled, going to $5.4 million as the town prepares to begin construction on a new Town Hall.

In the building fund, Town Manager Jamie Titcomb plans to replace in-house staffing with contract service providers. The fund reduces in-house staffing costs from $71,350 to $15,000, while increasing its budget for contracted services from $87,500 to $137,500. The town’s contracted service providers will pick up the difference in assignment and customer service support under existing agreements.

— Larry Barszewski and Hannah Spence

By Mary Thurwachter

The tax rate in Lantana will remain the same as it has since 2022 — at $3.75 per $1,000 of taxable value.

However, homeowners may pay more in town taxes due to an increase in their taxable property value. The approved tax rate is 6.17% higher than the rolled-back rate of $3.53 per $1,000, which is the rate that would raise the same amount of money as last year except for taxes from new construction.

Anticipated property tax revenues are $7.4 million, an increase of $420,000.

Stephen Kaplan, the town’s finance director, 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. The taxes will be used to support an $18.8 million town operating budget.

Other budget highlights from the Sept. 8 and 17 budget hearings include:

• 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 budgeted in fiscal year 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.

Town 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.

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. 

Some new employee 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.