Boca needs a temporary appointee to fill City Council Seat C
By Dale King
The Boca Raton City Council is searching for a community-conscious resident to fill the temporarily unoccupied Seat C on that governmental panel.
A posting on the city’s website (myboca.us) says council members – who’ve been working shorthanded for a couple of months — hope to fill that vacant slot at the Oct. 27 meeting.
Concerns about the future of Seat C arose in late summer when the incumbent, Jeremy Rodgers, told fellow councilors he had been called up for military service overseas. A member of the U.S. Naval Reserve, Rodgers said he hoped he’d be able to attend council meetings “virtually” from his assigned station in Qatar. However, this connection could not be arranged.
“Due to the leave of absence for active military service requested by Council member Jeremy Rodgers, Seat C is temporarily unoccupied,” says the posting. “As a result, the Boca Raton City Council is accepting applications from persons interested in appointment to City Council Seat C.”
To qualify, applicants must be at least 18 years old, a resident of the city of Boca Raton and a registered voter in the city. Folk from West Boca will have to take a pass on this.
Applications for the vacancy must be completed and returned to the city clerk’s office by 5 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22, no later than 5 p.m. Interviews will be conducted on Monday, Oct. 26 at the virtual workshop meeting following the conclusion of the Community Redevelopment Agency meeting beginning at 1:30 p.m.
The council is expected to consider the appointment at their virtual regular meeting Tuesday, Oct. 27 at 6 p.m. The person selected will serve in the unoccupied position beginning that day and continuing either through Wednesday, March 31, 2021 – the final day of Rodgers’ term – or an earlier date, depending on whether Rodgers is released from his tour of duty before the end of his council term.
Ironically, Rodgers’ current stint marks his sixth consecutive year on the council, meaning that because of term limits, he cannot seek re-election in the March 9, 2021 city election.
Already, three people have announced plans to run for Seat C in March: Constance Scott, who served the city as councilwoman in Seat C from 2009 to 2015 when she had to leave due to term limits; Yvette Drucker, who is active in community groups, but has never run for elective office before and Bernard Korn, an habitual Boca Raton office seeker who has challenged Mayor Scott Singer a couple of times and has listed himself as a 2020 presidential candidate.
City Council meetings are normally held at 6 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. The CRA usually meets at 1:30 p.m. on the preceding Monday, immediately followed by the City Council workshop meeting.
Applications may be accepted online.
