It was a week like few others in Boca Raton politics.
On Tuesday, voters overwhelmingly rejected the Terra/Frisbie downtown redevelopment plan. It got a majority in four of the city’s 38 precincts.
Voters also reshaped the city council, electing all three candidates who had endorsements from Save Boca. The group formed last summer to oppose the project.
On Thursday, City Manager Mark Sohaney reshaped the administrative staff—he fired Police Chief Michele Miuccio and two deputy managers, Jorge Camejo and Chrissy Gibson.
And on Friday, Councilman Andy Thomson became mayor by five votes over Mike Liebelson after a machine recount and a hand recount. Thomson never got Save Boca’s endorsement, though he was the only council member to oppose the plan and the one who secured Tuesday’s vote.
Liebelson also didn’t have Save Boca’s endorsement, but he aligned himself as often as possible. An email asked, “Will you join me tomorrow to SAVE BOCA?” Liebelson put at least $275,000 of his own money into the campaign. The final total could be higher.
Thomson’s victory means that someone with lots of experience will be running meetings of what will be perhaps a historically inexperienced council. The new council members—Michelle Grau, Jonathan Pearlman and Stacy Sipple—have little beyond their first-time campaigns.
As I wrote last week, the council faces what could be a daunting three years. It will begin with a restart on the 30 acres around City Hall and could include facing what could be massive cuts in property tax revenue. All of which makes the timing of the firings seem odd. In two years, the council must rewrite rules for downtown redevelopment. Nobody knew that topic better than Camejo. After the Terra/Frisbie controversy, community outreach will be essential. That was Gibson’s specialty. Debate on a police station will start under a new chief.
Sohaney told me Monday that the changes were about “efficiency and streamlining.” None of it was “disciplinary.” The four deputy managers he inherited, Sohaney said, were too many for a city of Boca Raton’s size. “I don’t know if Dallas-Fort Worth has that many.”
Deputy City Manager James Zervis now oversees what Sohaney called all “internal” departments, such as finance, public works, utilities and engineering. Deputy City Manager Andy Lukasik has “external” departments, such as development services, parks, economic development and sustainability. Sohaney has police, fire and communications.
Regarding downtown redevelopment, Sohaney wants to use “different ways” to rewrite Ordinance 4035, which has governed downtown for more than 40 years. He wants to bring in “outside assistance” to help the development services department “from a workload perspective.” He acknowledged that the approach is a work in progress.
Regarding the police department, Sohaney said he spent lots of time speaking with sworn and civilian staff since starting in September. While praising her dedication and four decades of service, he concluded that Miuccio had “lost the support of the rank and file.”
Sohaney said the city would “canvass” the community to determine why the police station bond issue failed. By the end of April, he hopes to present the council with options for the station and for park/recreation facilities—“including Memorial Park”—north of City Hall. Ahead will lie discussion about a new city hall, community center and police substation, if the plan remains to move the station to Spanish River Boulevard.
The personnel decisions “were not taken lightly,” Sohaney said. “That’s why I took five months to evaluate. I believe the reorganization will provide better service and be a better use of taxpayer dollars.”
Unpacking the Boca Raton election results
Here are some quick thoughts about the election:
Turnout. It was impressive. Roughly 19,000 votes were cast for mayor and for or against the Terra/Frisbie project. That was a turnout rate of roughly 30%, or double what some city elections have drawn in recent years.
The total vote hadn’t been that high since August 2018’s special election to fill the mayor’s seat after Susan Haynie’s arrest on public corruption charges. That year, the election was on the state primary ballot, which always draws more voters.
Yet some residents didn’t cast votes on every item. There was a roughly 600-vote drop-off between the mayor’s race and the council races. The vote on bonds for a police station drew fewer than 18,000 votes.
Not all losers were on the ballot. Terra/Frisbie had a contract to buy two private parcels south of the library and make the land part of the project. The owner who stood to benefit regularly touted the project. So much for that deal.
The usual rules didn’t apply. Robert Weinroth raised more than five times as much money as victor Sipple. He had endorsements from first-responder unions and the Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce. Not long ago, that would have been enough. Not this year. Sipple had Save Boca.
In the last four years, Weinroth, a former eight-year city council member, has lost his re-election bid to the county commission, a Republican congressional primary, and now a campaign to return to the council.
An analysis of Judy Mollica’s Delray Beach City Commission race victory
Judy Mollica spent the weekend “decompressing” after winning a seat on the Delray Beach City Commission.
Based on precinct reports, Black voters were key to Mollica’s defeat of Andrea Keiser and Dolores Rangel. She had support throughout the city, but Mollica did extremely well in the northwest and southwest neighborhoods.
In one Pompey Park precinct, for example, Mollica got 74% of the vote. In the precinct that includes Village Academy, she got 66%. Her margin over Keiser was 424 votes. In low-turnout, single-race elections, a few lopsided precinct advantages can mean a lot.
When we spoke Monday, Mollica noted that she lives in The Set and received its endorsement. She carried 18 of the city’s 35 precincts.
Mollica said she would like to broker “a truce” between the pro-Mayor Tom Carney faction and the pro-Commissioner Juli Casale faction. With their competing newsletters, the factions regularly hit new lows of passive aggressiveness.
One day before the election, Carney emailed in support of Keiser. Commissioners, Carney said, must be able to understand large budgets and look for savings. Last year, Carney said, only he did so. Other commissioners voted “to raise your taxes.”
At that day’s meeting, Commissioner Thomas Markert criticized Carney for sending out “false information” and creating a “negative culture. I hope it can stop.” Casale said she and others looked for savings. Carney, she said, should be “censured” for criticizing fellow commissioners.
As usual, Carney was unrepentant. After the election, Carney’s newsletter congratulated Mollica and criticized Rangel, whom the pro-Casale newsletter had supported.
And on it goes.
Major Delray Beach municipal projects moving forward
Fortunately for Delray Beach residents, the work of the city gets done despite the commission sniping.
Public Works Director Missie Barletto reported last week that the golf course renovation is “on track” for completion in November. Grass installation will start in two weeks.
Regarding another major renovation, that of Pompey Park, Barletto said the staff hopes to have a guaranteed maximum price by next month. Any “adjustments” to the project—if necessary—would be up for discussion by the city and the community redevelopment agency.
Defendant in Boca Bash strangulation case acquitted
A judge last week found Cole Preston Goldberg not guilty of attacking his ex-girlfriend at Boca Bash 2022.
Prosecutors had charged Goldberg with attempted second-degree murder and domestic battery by strangulation—both felonies—and misdemeanor battery. Palm Beach County Circuit Judge John Parnofiello presided over the bench trial.
Caroline Schwitzky, who appeared a decade ago on the TV show “90 Day Fiancé,” testified that Goldberg attacked her after she had broken up with him at the annual event that draws boats and booze to Lake Boca. When Goldberg pushed her under the water, Schwitzky said, “I thought I was going to die.”
Goldberg, though, said he had been afraid that he would drown and was trying to help Schwitzky. According to a report in The Palm Beach Post, Goldberg’s father said after the verdict, “I told him from day one: Everyone’s going to love him and hate her,” after which Goldberg’s attorney said, “Stop talking.”
Schwitzky has filed a separate, civil lawsuit seeking damages from Goldberg. In December, the two sides agreed to pause the lawsuit pending the outcome of the criminal trial.
Hearing set for Delray developer charged with possession of child pornography
A hearing is set for today on Scott Porten’s motion to modify the terms of his release on bail on 11 counts of possessing child pornography.
The Delray Beach businessman and civic activist is challenging the prohibition on his use of all digital devices. Porten has argued that the order prevents him from conducting necessary professional and personal business.
In the motion to modify those terms, Porten’s attorney called them “overbroad.” Porten, he said, would buy a new phone and laptop, install data-monitoring software, agree not to delete any search history and to not use social media. The motion includes a comment from his therapist that allowing Porten “access to limited digital technology” would allow him to “participate in remote psychotherapy sessions, manage essential financial responsibilities such as online banking and perform necessary work-related activities.”
