The three candidates for mayor of Boca Raton are on pace to easily outspend the nine city council candidates combined—the race will top $1 million before the March 10 election.
One of those mayoral candidates is City Councilwoman Fran Nachlas. Through Dec. 31, Nachlas has received $40,000—in two donations to her political action committee, Fran For BocA—just from Boca Raton philanthropist Marilyn Simon. That is more than City Council Seat A candidates Christen Ritchey ($23,000) and Michelle Grau ($16,000) together had raised in direct contributions through the end of the year.
Overall, Nachlas has outraised Councilman Andy Thomson, $473,000 to $407,000. Nachlas has received $253,000 in direct money—including a $100,000 loan to seed her campaign—and $220,000 through Fran For BocA. Thomson has $117,000 in direct contributions and $290,000 from his committee—Running With Andy Thomson. State law limits direct donations to $1,000 from any individual or entity. Donations to committees are unlimited.
Among the recent contributions to Fran For BocA are $5,000 from PEBB Enterprises and $5,000 from Michael Kazma. PEBB is developing The Eclipse, a mixed-use project on the site of Office Depot’s Military Trail headquarters. Kazma is CEO of Amzak Capital Management and also has a long record of local philanthropy.
Former Councilwoman Monica Mayotte has made clear her support for Thomson. Mayotte and her husband, Terry Mayotte, each gave Thomson $1,000. Monica Mayotte gave another $5,000 to Running With Andy Thomson.
Among other committee donations was $5,000 from Wexford Real Estate, which has projects within the city, and $9,000 from Boca Raton-based YSK Consultants. Thomson got direct contributions of $500 and $100 from Save Boca supporters Holly Schuttler and Lisa Mulhall. The main issue separating Thomson and Nachlas is his opposition to the Terra/Frisbie downtown redevelopment project—which Save Boca opposes—and Nachlas’ support for it.
Thomson’s committee continues to receive most of its money from other committees controlled by his campaign consultant. Running With Andy Thomson got $100,000 from Floridians For Economic Leadership. Among its contributions is $20,000 from a PAC simply called The Committee. That PAC got $166,500 from the Committee on Civic Knowledge. Among its donors are a phosphate company accused of pollution violations and actress Debra Winger.
Such reliance on generically named, anonymous groups makes it hard to tell where Thomson’s money is coming from, though there was a $5,000 donation from James Batmasian of Investments Limited. Batmasian, one of the city’s largest private property owners, also has given to Nachlas.
In October, Mike Liebelson became the third candidate for mayor. He announces at each council meeting that he won’t take money from developers. All of Liebelson’s $55,000 has come from himself. Though Save Boca has not endorsed him, Liebelson regularly wears a Save Boca T-shirt.
Financing for Boca Raton City Council races
When it comes to the council races, several candidates are self-financing their campaigns, to one degree or another.
At one end is Seat B incumbent Marc Wigder. Of the $125,000 he has reported in direct contributions, $115,000 has come from a personal loan and a personal check. Among the other contributions is $500 from former Mayor Steven Abrams. Wigder’s committee got $5,000 from Morris Flancbaum, who owns a homebuilding company in New Jersey.
Wigder’s main opponent is Save Boca founder Jonathan Pearlman. For the last three months of the year, his first fundraising report, Pearlman showed donations of just $2,400 in two payments from himself.
Pearlman’s campaign vehicle remains Save Boca itself, which runs almost entirely on his money. Of the group’s $65,000 in direct contributions since June 30, $60,000 has come from Pearlman. He added $3,500 for in-kind donations. Save Boca regularly emails voters ahead of council meetings and has promoted Pearlman for months.
The third Seat B candidate is Meredith Madsen. She has reported just $500 in contributions.
In Seat A, lawyer and former Planning and Zoning Board member Ritchey and certified public accountant Grau are the main candidates. Save Boca has endorsed Grau, who regularly speaks against the Terra/Frisbie project.
Ritchey’s direct contributors include Nachlas’ husband, Dr. Nathan Nachlas. He gave $100. She also got $1,000 from Ele Zachariades, the land-use lawyer who regularly appears before the Planning and Zoning Board, and $1,000 from the CEO of PEBB Enterprises. Another $1,000 came from the firefighters’ union. Abrams gave $500.
Grau’s total includes a $5,000 personal loan and $1,000 from her accounting firm. She got $1,000 each from Nancy and James Hendrey, who were in the news a decade ago when they opposed a restaurant on the Wildflower property.
The third candidate is four-time loser Bernard Korn. His $5,000 loan is the extent of his fundraising.
Seat D is coming open because Thomson resigned early to run for mayor. Whoever wins must run again next March for a full, three-year term. The interim year would not count against the six-year term limit.
Former Councilman Robert Weinroth has raised the most money—$74,000, with $31,000 coming in the last three months of 2025. Weinroth served on the council from 2014 to 2018, then resigned and won a seat on the county commission. After losing for reelection, he filed to run for the school board before withdrawing to make an unsuccessful run for Congress in 2024.
Weinroth’s contributions include $1,000 from philanthropists Christine Lynn and Richard Schimidt and $500 from former Boca Raton Regional Hospital CEO Jerry Fedele. He also got $1,000 from PEBB’s CEO and $1,000 from Zachariades. Her firm gave another $1,000. The fire and police union each gave $1,000.
Opposing Weinroth are retired contractor Larry Cellon, who served for two decades on the Planning and Zoning Board, and pharmacist Stacy Sipple, who Save Boca has endorsed. Both entered the race last fall.
Of the $13,000 Cellon has reported, $10,000 is from a personal loan. Sipple has loaned her campaign $2,000.
Financing for local congressional races
Speaking of campaign contributions, local congressional Democrats Lois Frankel and Jared Moskowitz each had raised nearly $1 million through Sept. 30 as they seek new terms.
Frankel, who represents Delray Beach, had received $934,000. Moskowitz, who represents Boca Raton, had received $900,000. Each is a likely target when Republicans meet in April to further gerrymander Florida’s congressional map.
One Republican, Deborah Adeimy, has filed to run against Frankel. She had raised $78,000. Two Republicans have filed to challenge Moskowitz. Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer announced last month that he would join the GOP field, but the state has no record of him filing campaign papers.
Boca City Council to discuss final version of Terra/Frisbie lease and partnership
Speaking of the Terra/Frisbie project, the city council will discuss the final versions of the lease and master partnership agreement on Tuesday. The meeting will start at 10 a.m. because of the Martin Luther King holiday. I’ll have much more in my Tuesday post.
Delray Beach delays school zone speed camera program
Delray Beach is delaying the start of its speed camera program in school zones.
City Attorney Lynn Gelin said last week that there has been “a lot of confusion.” The city has been issuing warnings but has not issued fines. Among other things, Gelin said, the city and the vendor must set up monthly hearings at which alleged violators can plead their case to a magistrate. City commission members could get an update next week.
Also at last week’s meeting, the utility department got praise for responding quickly to a Jan. 3 water main break. The three-foot break happened while a contractor was drilling the deep-injection well for the new water plant.
Local restaurateur charged with domestic battery
Louis Bossi, owner of the eponymous restaurant in Boca Raton and another in Fort Lauderdale, was arrested Monday and charged with domestic battery.
According to the probable cause affidavit, sheriff’s deputies responded to a call from Bossi’s West Boynton home. The report said Bossi and his wife were in a “verbal dispute in reference to her prescription medication.”
After Bossi reportedly threw a water bottle that missed, the wife said, he “angrily approached … and grabbed the hair on the back of her head and pushed her against the wall.” Bossi grabbed her wrist and ordered her out of the house. According to the affidavit, while she was on the 911 call, she said her husband was screaming, “I’m going to kill you!” Deputies saw “bruising and scratches” on her wrist.
A judge found probable cause to charge Bossi with one count of domestic battery, a misdemeanor. His arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 2.
Bossi’s company issued a statement: “This is a personal legal matter and does not affect our restaurant operations. Our priority remains our guests and team, and we remain focused on delivering incredible food and service. Our restaurants remain open and operating as normal.”
Scott Porten requests changes to house arrest terms
Scott Porten is asking a judge to modify the terms of his house arrest while facing 11 child pornography charges.
In his motion, Porten’s attorney said the ban on using the internet or any smart electronic devices is preventing Porten from conducting necessary business, some of it arising from the charges. Porten, the attorney said, is dissolving a business partnership. He is selling an office building in Delray Beach, his car and a boat. He is building a house in Maine and needs to speak with the architect and contractor. He is unable “to conduct business and personal transactions at the most subsistent level.”
Also, the motion states, Porten is seeing a therapist. That requires access to Zoom. A hearing on the motion is scheduled for next Thursday. According to Porten’s attorney, the prosecutor has “an objection.”
A “case disposition” is scheduled for Feb. 24. According to a state attorney’s office spokesman, the lawyers and judge will discuss “next steps.”
