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Boca mayor backs Mayotte, Drucker for two City Council seats

By: Dale King

Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer has sent out an email announcing his endorsement of two candidates running for City Council seats in the March 9 municipal election.

“I’m proud to endorse my colleagues, council member Yvette Drucker and council member Monica Mayotte, to continue their service.”

Singer also called on the electorate to cast “yes” votes for two City Charter amendment questions that both impact the process of filing for elective city office. He said they are “two common-sense proposals.” 

The mayor also announced there will be no early voting period for the March 9 balloting. “You can go to PBCElections.org to request a mail-in ballot or find your polling place on Tuesday, March 9,” Singer said. “Please note that there is no early voting in this election. You can vote only by mail or on March 9.”

Monica Mayotte is currently completing her first term as the councilwoman in Seat D. Drucker’s situation is a bit more complex.

Jeremy Rodgers is officially the councilman for Seat C. However, he has been on a leave of absence since last summer when he was summoned to service in the U.S. Navy in Qatar. Rodgers is a member of the Naval Reserve.

In November, the mayor and the three remaining council members decided to fill Rodgers’ seat on a temporary basis, either until the March 9, 2021 election or until he returned from military duty. They interviewed 32 people who expressed interest in serving and selected Yvette Drucker by a 3-1 vote, with Councilman Andy Thomson casting a ballot for Rodger’s wife to serve out her husband’s term.

Rodgers is term limited and cannot run for another term on the council in March. It appears he is still on military duty.

In his email, Scott said Drucker “has a record of long involvement in our community. Among her many roles, she chaired the City of Boca Raton Education Task Force, served as president of multiple PTAs and the Boca Raton Historical Society, and was statewide chair for the Junior League State Public Affairs Committee.”

He also said that “Yvette’s votes on the City Council reflect a careful consideration of resident, business, and neighborhood concerns. She brings a history of service and a fresh perspective to this role.”

Also in the running for Seat C are Constance Scott, who held that post from 2009 to 2015; Bernard Korn and Josie Machovec.

Singer said Mayotte “has proposed forward-thinking ideas. She supported our important efforts to obtain a new public school for Boca, bring a Brightliine state to downtown and make sensible decisions on COVID-19 to keep residents safe and provide help to residents and business.”

“She has been a strong advocate on environmental issues and smart planning. Monica is also a former PTA president and city board chair.”

Mayotte is being challenged by Brian Stenberg.

Regarding his endorsees, the mayor said, “We don’t agree on every vote. What I feel we agree on is a willingness to consider all facts and viewpoints, make our independent choices and work together to find common ground.”

“Other places lack that, and when I joined the City Council in 2014, a number of residents felt we lacked it, too. We don’t want to see it here or now.”

City Charter amendment 1 “would increase the residency period for City Council candidates from 30 days to one year, which is still a modest requirement. It would be very hard to be able to lead this city after living here for only a month.”

The proposal also disqualifies candidates who claim a homestead tax exemption outside the city limits. “As in prior races, one of the candidates in this election has received tax benefits from a homesteaded residence outside of the city and yet still claims to live here for election purposes. Let’s close this repeatedly exploited loophole.”

Singer’s announcement did not name the candidate.

The mayor said he also endorses amendment 2 which “would require a candidate to obtain the signatures of 200 registered voters before qualifying on the ballot.” 

“This would be only 0.3% of our nearly 65,000 voters, and a smaller percentage than many other cities that require petitions.” Singer said he feels “any serious candidate to lead our city should be able to talk first with a minimal number of residents, and not merely get on the ballot by paying a small fee and filing a few forms.”

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