Not long after he decided not to run for a fifth term on the Palm Beach County School Board, Frank Barbieri told me that he didn’t plan to endorse anyone to be his successor.
That has changed.
Barbieri, whose District 5 includes Boca Raton and West Boca, has endorsed Mindy Koch. She’s one of five candidates running to succeed Barbieri, who has been on the board since 2008 and served as chairman during the chaotic days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Monday, Barbieri told me that he endorsed Koch because he’s worried about the conflict of interest he believes that Gloria Branch would present if elected. Branch, a Boca Raton resident who has raised the most money, is the daughter of Art Johnson. He was principal at Spanish River High School and served as superintendent from 2001 until 2011.
Two years after the board—with Barbieri in the majority—removed him, Johnson became executive director of the Palm Beach County School Administrators Association. It’s not a union, but it represents principals in negotiations and during disciplinary proceedings.
With Branch on the board, Barbieri said, her father’s position would become problematic. How could board members be certain that Branch hadn’t shared “confidential information” about personnel whom Johnson represents? Branch, Barbieri said, would have to recuse herself from votes related to the group her father represents.
There’s more. Johnson, Barbieri said, called him frequently during Donald Fennoy’s 2018-2021 tenure as superintendent, offering himself as a replacement. Barbieri worries that Johnson, through Branch, would try to undermine Superintendent Mike Burke, the former district CFO who succeeded Fennoy, to regain the job.
Barbieri also pointed to candidates’ different professional backgrounds. Koch spent 40 years in public education, obtaining a doctorate. Branch spent many years in business but has been a substitute teacher for just two years.
I spoke with Branch on Wednesday. She said, “I am not affected by what Frank Barbieri says and does. I am about student achievement. He is making this about politics.”
Would she recuse herself on matters related to the Administrators Association if her father still ran it? “It depends on the situation.”
What about her father trying to return as superintendent? “My father is 80 years old.” Branch added, “I support Mike Burke.” At Barbieri’s suggestion, the board approved a change that requires five of seven votes to fire the superintendent.
Though school board races remain non-partisan, they have become more openly partisan in recent years, especially with Gov. Ron DeSantis endorsing candidates. Though Barbieri recently switched from Democratic to No Party Affiliation, he said, “I don’t want a Republican taking my seat.” Branch is a Republican who has support from the right-wing website, Florida Jolt. Koch once chaired the county Democratic Party.
Barbieri opposes education-related policies that the GOP-led Legislature has passed. Though the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law and book bans have drawn the most attention, the biggest threat to traditional public schools is the law that makes private school vouchers available regardless of income. In Broward County, the law has caused large enrollment drops.
I asked Branch if she supports the voucher law. “There’s good and bad to it.” Will she vote for the constitutional amendment that would make school board races partisan? Branch dodged. “It doesn’t matter.” Branch said voters already know a candidate’s affiliation.
One other Democrat—Charman Postel—is in the race. Two other Republicans—Mike Letsky and Suzanne Page—are running. To avoid a runoff in November, one candidate would need a majority, not just a plurality. Otherwise, the top two vote-getters would advance. This race has become the most interesting on the Aug. 20 primary ballot.
Response to last month’s Delray shooting
Before we get to an update on Delray Beach’s budget discussion, we need to reference a violent incident that happened on June 22 near Atlantic Avenue and A1A.
The incident came up during the July 25 budget hearing in the context of public safety. As Delray Beach Commissioner Rob Long describes it, roughly 100 young people—from outside the city —“showed up” and began “shooting firearms.” Long said “patrons at Sandbar,” a popular beachside restaurant, “literally ran and hid for cover inside Boston’s,” the venerable restaurant/hangout just to the north.
A video confirms the chaos that the shooting caused. Photographs show bullet holes in a car, a garage and a hotel balcony. It was the sort of alarming incident that seemingly would have drawn public notice. I can’t recall any similar rampage in recent memory.
But the Delray Beach Police Department issued no news release. Two days afterward, the department’s Facebook page showed the department’s annual employee awards. There was no mention of the shooting.
According to a spokesman, the department issued no release because “there were no injuries.” But the department has called news conferences for arrests involving non-violent crimes, such as fraud. The Facebook page carried posts about providing showers for the homeless and recognizing military veterans on the force.
In addition, Police Chief Russ Mager told the commission on July 25 that the department had spent $32,000 in overtime since the shooting on patrols in that area, one of the most high-profile in the city. The Opal Grand Resort is on the corner of A1A and Atlantic.
Perhaps the department didn’t want to panic residents before the Fourth of July festivities downtown. But Beach Property Owners Association President Hal Stern said he was in “disbelief” after hearing the news. He’s waiting for a follow-up.
Delray commission approves lower property tax rate
Now to that budget discussion.
Led by Mayor Tom Carney, the new commission majority finally gave up on working with the staff to cut taxes and instead instructed staff to move forward with the decrease. They approved a property tax rate that would bring the city no more revenue next year than this year.
In doing so, Carney and commissioners Juli Casale and Thomas Markert rejected a rate lower than what City Manager Terrence Moore had first proposed. Long called the compromise “a victory in itself” and urged the commission to approve it.
But Carney insisted that the staff could “find creative ways” to cut another roughly $2 million while “not reducing services.” He added, “People aren’t going to notice.” The city is “taxing people to death.”
Police and fire make up roughly half the budget. Mager and Interim Fire Chief Kevin Green told the commission that achieving the “rollback rate”—no new revenue—would jeopardize their level of service. That’s when Long referenced the June 22 shooting and warned about cuts that could affect the police department’s ability to respond.
By approving that lowest rate now, the commission can’t raise it later. Given the directive not to cut services, Moore told me that he would look for $2 million in “ancillary revenue.” He will bring those ideas back to the commission on Aug. 13. The commission must approve the budget by Sept. 30.
Progress on proposed Ocean Breeze racket sport complex
Progress continues toward a racket sport complex on the former Ocean Breeze golf course in Boca Raton.
The Boca Raton Beach and Park District, which owns the 200 acres now called North Park, hopes to finalize its agreement this month with Boca Paddle. It’s an entity of Broward County-based Butters Construction & Development.
Boca Paddle’s project includes 22 pickleball courts—14 indoor and eight outdoor—and four padel courts—two indoor and two outdoor. Padel, which originated in Mexico, is a combination of tennis and squash. It has been gaining popularity in this country.
Boca Paddle will operate and maintain the facility for 49 years under a revenue sharing agreement with the district. District officials hope to get the site plan to the city soon. The city council must approve it.
In other news, the district on Monday will consider bids for the upgrade of the playground at Patch Reef Park. The district and city also will hire a consultant to create a master plan for recreation improvements identified in a needs study by the city and district. And the district will not raise its tax rate of roughly $1 for every $100,000 of assessed value. That tax applies to all Boca Raton residents and those who live west of the city and east of the Florida Turnpike. Owners will pay more overall because of higher values.
Delray files to dismiss lawsuit from former fire chief
Delray Beach wants a judge to dismiss the wrongful termination lawsuit filed by former Fire Chief Keith Tomey.
In its motion, the city challenges Tomey’s claim of whistleblower status. He alleges that City Manager Terrence Moore fired him in May in retaliation for Tomey’s accusation that Moore sexually harassed him.
The city, though, notes that when Tomey made that accusation to City Attorney Lynn Gelin, he declined to make a complaint. Tomey claimed that Moore did not fire him because of misconduct, but the city points out that the termination letter listed several policy violations.
Tomey, the city alleges, was “re-reporting” his original accusation to claim whistleblower status. But state law says that status doesn’t apply more than a year after any alleged incident.
Palm Beach County Circuit Court Judge Carolyn Bell has set trial for January 2026, if the case gets that far. I’ll have more when Bell rules on the city’s motion.
