By Mary Thurwachter
Not long after the polls closed in Lantana’s Town Council races March 14, the winners — incumbent Mark Zeitler and newcomer Christopher 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 and a jet ski rental company, by a vote of 488 to 393.
For the Group 4 position, Castle, 37, a maintenance facilities director for PetMeds, won 470 to 406, outpolling Army veteran (and manager of Ace Rental Place in Lantana) John Raymer, 53. 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 on the phone. Early results showing mail-in ballots had him worried, he said, but in the end, he won with more than 53% of the vote. He’s looking forward to being sworn in on March 27 and getting to work for the town.
Council terms are for three years.
Lantana residents also voted 507 to 341 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. Proponents argued that runoff elections were an unnecessary expense.
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