News

By Sallie James

    Should the city hold a special election to fill a vacant City Council seat or should council members continue appointing someone to the opening? It’s a question at least one elected official continues to ponder.
    City Council member Scott Singer in April proposed a change to the city charter that would have required council vacancies be filled by special election no later than 60 days after the day the vacancy occurred.
    The way Singer figured, someone appointed to that vacancy could serve up to two years without voter approval. Singer said he wanted to give control back to voters.
    But when he presented the plan to council members in early May, the proposal failed amid a barrage of criticism citing unknown costs, among other things.
    Singer introduced a revised proposal at the May 24 City Council meeting extending the time frame for an election to 90 days and including language that outlines the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of holding special elections concurrently with previously scheduled elections.
    Council member Robert Weinroth called it a “solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.” He also expressed concern about the cost if the special election didn’t coincide with a previously scheduled election. Other council members also expressed concerns about cost.
    “I think the system that is currently in place has worked well,” Weinroth said. “I am at a loss to think why [Singer] wanted to bring it back so quickly. I am kind of surprised. I thought he might have realized there really wasn’t much support for what he is trying to do.”
    According to a memo from Boca Raton City Clerk Susan Saxton, a special election held in conjunction with a primary or general election could cost the city anywhere from $7,500 to $10,000. A standalone special election — which would include all actual costs incurred by the county supervisor of elections — would cost between $120,000 to $135,000, the memo stated.
    If City Council members approve the proposed charter amendment, the measure could come before voters in the Aug. 30 primary election.
    The revised charter change provides that a special election for a council vacancy would take place the Tuesday following the 90th day after the vacancy occurs or as soon as practical. The amendment goes on to say if the vacancy occurs within 150 days of a previously scheduled federal, state, countywide or city election, the special election can be held concurrently.
    Both Mayor Susan Haynie and council member Jeremy Rodgers agreed in early May that the measure needed more study. Singer’s proposed changes were in response.
    Also at the May 24 meeting, Weinroth introduced a revised ordinance that proposes salary hikes for the mayor and City Council members, changing some of the original proposals he made in late April.
    The April proposal suggested elected officials get pay raises that more than quadruple their salaries, and stated that if Palm Beach County commissioners’ salaries are raised, Boca Raton council members’ salaries would be raised the same amount.
    The revised ordinance, which would also go before voters on Aug. 30 if the council approves, removes the automatic salary increases and slightly reduces the previously proposed annual salaries.
    The earlier proposed salary of $38,550 for the mayor was reduced to $38,000 in the revised proposal, and the initial proposed salary of $28,766 for City Council members was reduced to $28,000 in the revision.
    Weinroth said he proposed the revisions because feedback from the community and the Chamber of Commerce showed support for the increase, but reservations about making them automatic.
    “The real issue was people had some concerns that they wanted to have a voice in future increases and certainly I could understand that,” Weinroth said. “If [automatic increases were] the only reason they would not support it, I wanted to take that off.”
    Boca’s mayor currently is paid $9,000 a year. Council members are paid $7,200 a year.
    Previous attempts in 2004 and 2006 to increase the salaries both failed.
    If voters approve, the pay hikes would become effective in October 2017.