News

By Dan Moffett

    South Palm Beach voters will have plenty to think about when they go to the polls March 10 to elect a mayor and decide the fate of four charter amendments.

    Councilwoman Bernice “Bonnie” Fischer gave the town its first contested race for mayor in years with her 11th hour filing to challenge incumbent Donald Clayman.

    “I think it’s time for a change,” said Fischer, who has been the town’s point person on environmental issues since her election to the Town Council four years ago. “The No. 1 priority has to be getting our beaches straightened out. And I also think the mayor should have a greater presence beyond South Palm Beach and get involved in working with our neighboring towns.”

    Clayman, a retired podiatrist, has never faced a contested election in the town. He was appointed to a vacant council seat in 2010, then in December of that year, was the council’s choice to replace Mayor Marty Millar, who was forced out of office over ethics violations.

    Clayman’s supporters credit him with restoring a tone of civility to the town after a contentious period of debate over height limitations. He also has won praise for helping to guide South Palm Beach through some tight budget years when property values and tax revenues plummeted during the nation’s Great Recession.

    Fischer’s run for mayor opens a council seat that will be filled by newcomer Woodrow Gorbach, the only candidate who applied for the office.

    The four charter amendments on the ballot are the result of several meetings of public debate last year, during which council members decided to take some pragmatic steps to ensure that people who are willing to serve the town are able to do so. The amendments eliminate term limits, change the rules for certain special elections and loosen the requirements for hiring town managers.

    Here’s a look at the proposed changes:

    • Eliminate term limits for Town Council members, beginning with those in office after the March 10 vote.

    Like many small communities, South Palm Beach has had trouble finding residents to run for office. The current charter language restricts council members to a maximum of three consecutive two-year terms. If voters approve the change, council members would have no limits on the number of terms they could serve.

    “If you think someone’s doing a bad job,” said Vice Mayor Joseph Flagello, “then vote them out of office.”

    • Eliminate term limits for residents who volunteer for the town’s boards and committees.The change takes into account the learning curve needed for volunteers to get fully involved in working for the town. Supporters of the amendment say it takes time for volunteers to learn their jobs and it makes no sense to lose that competency when they are forced to leave boards because of term limits.

    • Eliminate special elections when a council seat unexpectedly becomes vacant for longer than six months. Under the change, the Town Council would be able to appoint a candidate to the council to serve out an unexpired term of greater than six months. The seat then would be put before the voters during the next scheduled March election.

    The amendment would save the town the cost of holding a special election — as much as $8,000 — and prevent spring and summer votes when South Palm Beach’s snowbird population is at its low.

    • Revise the qualifications for the town manager position.

    Current charter language requires candidates for the job to have at least 10 years’ experience and a specialized management degree. Council members believe this is unnecessarily restrictive and eliminates capable prospects for no good reason.

Two candidates for mayor

    The following candidates are competing for a two-year term as mayor of South Palm Beach:

Donald W. Clayman 

(Incumbent) 

Age: “I’m in my 70s.”

Education: Kent State College of Podiatric Medicine

Marital Status: Married, five children

Political/Community Service Experience: Mayor of South Palm Beach, School Board member of Winthrop, Mass.

Important Issues: Beach restoration

Quote: “We’re losing our beaches all the time. Something has got to be done to alleviate the problem. Our beaches are the most important part of South Palm Beach. We are completely stable financially and the tax rate has stayed stable without any increases. We also have a wonderful police force.”

Bernice “Bonnie” Fischer

Age: 62

Education: Quinnipiac University, University of New Haven; bachelor’s in environmental biology

Marital Status: Widowed, one child

Political/Community Service Experience: Town Council for four years, member of the Coastal Ocean Task Force

Important Issues: Beach erosion

Quote: “I think it’s important for a mayor to get out and deal with other communities and have a good rapport with our neighbors and the League of Cities. There’s a lot more to being a mayor than just staying within the confines of South Palm Beach.”