By Dan Moffett
About once in every generation, voters in Gulf Stream actually get the chance to go to the polls and select the people who run their government.
The town’s last contested election for a commission seat was in 1993.
Gasoline cost $1.10 then, people rented VCR tapes at Blockbuster, Bill Clinton hadn’t met Monica Lewinsky, photographers put film in cameras and cellphones were called “mobile phones” and were the size of patio bricks.
Nobody had heard of Google, but that didn’t matter because few people had heard of the Internet.
In Gulf Stream that year, two political novices turned up to challenge the five incumbents on the commission, which included the venerable Bill Koch, a man who would serve 46 years as mayor.
The race sparked some excitement — it was the town’s first contested election since 1978, after all — but things stayed very civil and, frankly, downright cordial.
“Everyone got along back then, even when they disagreed,” remembers Rita Taylor, who has served as town clerk since 1990. “They had their differences. It wasn’t like today. Things didn’t get personal.”
Today, things have gotten very personal in Gulf Stream, which is embroiled in one of the most contentious campaigns in South Florida.
Commercial real estate magnate Martin O’Boyle, who got so annoyed with the town’s government he filed close to 20 lawsuits and a federal case against it, is one of six candidates running for the five seats on the Town Commission.
O’Boyle says he has no choice but to set his business commitments aside and plunge into the political arena. “This town is such a train wreck that if I don’t do it, no one’s going to do it,” he said. “Although it will probably cost me millions of dollars, I think it’s worth it because it’s a beautiful, wonderful town.” So far, he has put up $10,000 in his bid for office, spending $2,100 on campaign materials and newspaper ads. The other five candidates have neither raised nor spent any money on their races as of the latest reporting deadline.
O’Boyle’s feud with the town began when officials rejected his home remodeling plans, and has escalated into political and litigious warfare. So much so that he painted signs on his house assailing town officials and cartoons that portrayed them as asses.
“They were a little snooty with me back then, and I think they just said ‘We’re not going to listen to him,’ ” says O’Boyle of the beginnings of his contempt for town leaders.
He settled his legal cases out of court in July: O’Boyle agreed to remove the signs and cartoons on his house; in return, he got $180,000 compensation for legal fees, removal of his code violations and a formal apology from the commission.
Lining up alongside O’Boyle in this campaign is Chris O’Hare, who has also feuded with the town. O’Hare also has resorted to anti-commission cartoons, posting them on his front yard and on the website he runs that lampoons Gulf Stream officials.
O’Hare’s falling out with the town began with a dispute over trees at his home and has escalated into allegations of police harassment, privacy violations and corruption. He also has filed suit against the town.
“These two men are tearing at the fiber of the town of Gulf Stream,” says Commissioner Robert Ganger. “Somehow, we have to find common ground with them and make them feel included in the process. Any commissioner elected in this election will have to deal with this situation.”
O’Hare contemplated running for the open commission seat himself, but decided not to run. Instead, he has filed a complaint with the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections against the other political newcomer in the race, lawyer and businessman Scott Morgan, charging that he should be disqualified because of filing incomplete and inaccurate candidate documents.
Morgan, 57, lists dealing with O’Boyle and O’Hare as his top priority if elected. “The most important problem facing Gulf Stream is the onslaught of litigation brought by two of its residents, which is depleting the town’s finances and is undermining the effectiveness and morale of the town staff,” Morgan said. “I believe a proactive approach to these lawsuits is necessary to prevent further harm to our town.”
O’Boyle, 61, says if elected, he will work to put an end to “Big Brother government” that interferes with the rights of individual residents. He said he can get beyond personal hard feelings and work collegially with the commission and town staff.
Meeting disrupted
O’Boyle and O’Hare both attended the Feb. 14 Town Commission meeting.
O’Hare brought his mother, Gloria O’Hare, into the chamber in her wheelchair and from the podium asked if someone could assist her to the restroom. Minutes later, he went to the podium again, interrupting commissioners’ discussion, and declared that his mother was unable to use the Town Hall’s restroom because it was not wheelchair accessible.
“May I please request that the police take her to the hospital so she can relieve herself, because she can’t get in the bathroom,” O’Hare said. “It’s very embarrassing.”
Mayor Joan Orthwein asked the woman whether she wanted to go to the hospital, and she said, “No.”
“Please don’t address my mother,” O’Hare snapped.
“Would you please sit down,” Orthwein told him. “Now!”
Town Attorney John Randolph told O’Hare he was “out of order” and that he’d be removed if he didn’t take a seat.
As a sobbing caregiver wheeled Gloria O’Hare to an SUV in the parking lot, O’Boyle rose to rebuke the commission.
“I would just like to remind the commission, and the chairwoman, Mrs. Orthwein, that we must maintain decorum here,” O’Boyle said. “I think the display we just saw … did not fit in the scope of decorum.”
After the stormy meeting, Commissioner Tom Stanley said to improve the town’s political climate, the commission should work to promote awareness and inclusion.
“Part of representing a town, no matter how large or how small, is that you have to be aware,” Stanley said. “You have to be able to explain why certain things are happening to the residents. And you’ve got to respect people’s right to the political process. I think that’s a major focus. If certain residents have a voice, you’ve got to respect that.”
History suggests that O’Boyle will have his hands full trying to persuade Gulf Stream voters to break with incumbents.
Back in 1993, the two challengers got clobbered, claiming less than 8 percent of the total vote. Since then, incumbents have gone unopposed and commissioners have appointed replacements for open seats, with no challenger emerging until now.
O’Boyle has hired an airplane to fly banners over the town, urging voters to pick him in March. Meanwhile, O’Hare has put signs disparaging Orthwein on a boat and anchored it behind her waterfront home. It has gotten very personal in Gulf Stream.
“I’m not a good candidate really,” O’Boyle said, smiling. “But I’m probably the best candidate.”
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