Council member Mark Zeitler speaks from the dais after being sworn into office March 27 with Chris Castle (far left), who listens with Mayor Karen Lythgoe and council member Kem Mason. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
By Mary Thurwachter
Not long after the polls closed in Lantana’s Town Council races March 14, the winners — incumbent Mark Zeitler and newcomer Chris Castle — celebrated with friends and supporters at Lantana Pizza.
“I’ve been up since 2 a.m., I’m so wired,” Zeitler, 67, the owner of an air-conditioning firm, said by phone after seeing the final results of his Group 3 race. “I look forward to doing good things for the town.”
He defeated newcomer Ray Lastella, 32, an entrepreneur with a boat detailing company, by a vote of 493 to 394, or 56% to 44%.
For the Group 4 position, Castle, 37, a maintenance facilities director for PetMeds, won 473 to 408 — 54% to 46% — outpolling John Raymer, 53, an Army veteran who manages Ace Rental Place in Lantana. This was Raymer’s second run for office. He ran unsuccessfully last year against veteran council member Lynn “Doc” Moorhouse.
“I’ve been through all the emotions from giggles to glee,” Castle said. Early results showing mail-in ballots had him worried, he said, but in the end he won comfortably.
Castle and Zeitler were sworn in March 27, as was Karen Lythgoe, who became mayor after running unopposed to finish the term of Robert Hagerty, who resigned in October.
Almost 900 residents voted in each race, about a 12.5% voter turnout. Council terms are for three years.
With 60% of the vote, Lantana residents also decided 509 to 345 to change the Town Charter to put an end to runoff elections. Currently, a candidate must receive at least one more than 50% of the votes in a race to be elected. If no candidate gets a majority, a runoff election is held between the two candidates receiving the most votes in the race.
Forced runoffs in two council races last year made some elected officials consider a change to a plurality system, where the candidate receiving the highest number of votes in a race — whether or not it is a majority — is the victor. Voters agreed. Pro-ponents of the change argued that runoff elections were an unnecessary expense.
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