By Dale King
With just a few days left to file the necessary paperwork to run for office in the March 9 Boca Raton municipal election, it appears voters may be called upon to decide a single contest.
At press time, City Clerk Susan Saxton reported that three people have signed on to run for the post held for nearly six years by Jeremy Rodgers. Seat C hopefuls include Constance Scott, Yvette Drucker and Bernard Korn.
As the week ended, only one person had filed to run for Seat D on the Boca Council – incumbent Monica Mayotte, who is finishing her first term on the city’s legislative panel.
The official qualifying period for the balloting that’s still about three months away started on Tuesday, Dec. 1 and will end at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 9, when all papers must be turned in the office of City Clerk Saxton at City Hall, 201 W. Palmetto Park Road.
While the city election in March may not offer the twists, turns and angst of the Nov. 3 presidential competition, it does have some quirks of its own.
A few months ago, incumbent Rodgers, who was not only a councilman, but also deputy mayor, was called to military service in Qatar. A U.S. Naval reservist, he initially hoped to attend council meetings via electronic connection, particularly since council meets are being conducted “virtually” due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The connection didn’t work out, so Rodgers’ seat remained vacant, and the title of deputy mayor was conferred on Councilwoman Andrea O’Rourke.
Council members recently put out a call for volunteers to temporarily fill Rodgers’ seat. In late October, council members interviewed the hopefuls and chose Yvette Drucker, who had also announced her candidacy for the council post.
Scott, who was the city councilwoman in Seat C for six years, from 2009 to 2015, is hoping to win back the seat in the March balloting. She was one of the 32 who came forward to fill Rodgers’ seat on a temporary basis until the term is over March 31, 2021. But when council members put the matter to a vote, three voted for Drucker and one, Councilman Andy Thomson, chose Mandy Rodgers, Jeremy’s wife.
When she announced her intention to run for Seat C in March, Scott said: “Now, perhaps more than ever, we need to work together for the future of our city, the safety of our residents, and the strength of our local economy.”
“COVID-19 is a crisis of public health and economic uncertainty that will continue to impact our city and community for the foreseeable future. We’ve come too far in Boca to take any steps backward – not for a pandemic, not for anything.”
A Boca Raton native and graduate of Boca Raton High School, she has a BA in economics from the University of Michigan. She met her husband, Tom, in that state where she served as economic development manager for the city of Flint. Tom Scott was a state legislator in Michigan, and they returned to Boca Raton following his retirement.
Drucker is a first-generation Cuban American who grew up in Miami before moving to Boca Raton. She graduated from Florida International University with a degree in international relations.
The temporary council member has been a leader for the Junior League of Boca Raton both locally and throughout Florida as Statewide Public Affairs Chair. Her community involvement also includes service on boards of the Florence Fuller Child Development Centers, Boca Raton Children’s Museum (vice president and treasurer), a mentor for the Viner Scholarship Foundation and a member of the host committee for the Boca Raton Museum of Art.
She has also served as chair of the Boca Raton Education Task Force and vice-chair of the Boca Raton Historic Preservation Board.
Monica Mayotte moved to Boca Raton in 1996. She has a bachelor of science degree in management information systems from Florida State University.
Since moving to Boca Raton, she has served as PTA president at Addison Mizner Elementary School from 2002-2004. She began her volunteer service locally when she was appointed by former Mayor Susan Whelchel to the Green Living Task Force in 2009. The task force eventually transitioned to the permanent Green Living Advisory Board. Mayotte remained a member until 2016 and served as chairperson from 2014 to 2016.
Korn is a real estate broker and real estate instructor whose name has appeared on several ballots lately. He has challenged Mayor Scott Singer in his bid for the city’s top elective office, and Korn was also listed as a presidential candidate on the 2020 ballot.
To qualify as a candidate, state and city forms must be completed and submitted. All forms are available online and in the city clerk’s office.
Candidates should be aware that new proof of residency requirements adopted by Ordinance No. 5541 on Sept. 9, 2020 are now in effect.