City Commissioner Sarah Malega will not seek another term in 2027
First elected in 2021, she says it’s time for someone else 'to bring new energy, new ideas and new vision’ to Lake Worth Beach
Lake Worth Beach Vice Mayor Sarah Malega said she will not seek re-election when her term expires in March 2027.
Malega, who represents District 1, roughly comprising the southwest section of Lake Worth Beach, said her decision was not influenced by health issues that required surgery last year.
“Honestly, it’s just related to being proud of the work that I’ve done and allowing somebody else the opportunity to bring new energy, new ideas and new vision to the commission,’’ she told the Lake Worth Beach Independent.
“I don’t believe that local elected officials should hold on to the position too long. I do not find my identity in being a commissioner or a vice mayor, although it has been an honor to serve the public,’’ she said.
Malega, 50, was first elected in 2021 when she defeated incumbent Scott Maxwell. She was re-elected in 2024, defeating challenger Melvin Pinkney.
Although voters in March 2022 approved limits prohibiting commissioners from serving no more than two consecutive three-year terms, those term limits do not affect commissioners who were elected before March 2022.
While Malega could have sought another term, she said she has been telling her constituents about her decision to leave the dais next year so potential District 1 candidates can prepare for the 2027 election.
Aside from District 1, two other seats are up for election in 2027: District 3 (held by Mimi May) and the mayor (held by Betty Resch). Voters will cast ballots for the commission seat in their district and for mayor, which is open to voters citywide.
“My goal is to be able to pass the torch and leave City Hall in the hands of somebody who is qualified, who knows what projects are happening and perhaps even give them some guidance,’’ Malega said.
Last year, she applied for a job that would have required her to resign from the City Commission: executive director of the Palm Beach County League of Cities.
As first reported by Stet News Palm Beach County, Malega made the short list of five from more than 250 applicants before Amelia Jadoo was chosen in October to replace the retiring Richard Radcliffe.
Malega “was a very strong candidate,’’ said Wellington Mayor Michael Napoleone, one of four members of the league’s executive committee.
Malega said she applied because the job would allow her to advocate on behalf of the county’s 39 municipalities, including Lake Worth Beach. Proud to have been a finalist, she said, “I am very happy for Amelia. I think she is a great choice.’’
Had she gotten the job, she also would have had to give up her roles in two businesses. In 2006, she founded PersonalAutoShoppers.com and in 2010 she and her wife, Dawn, opened The Zoo Health Club of Lake Worth.
What she didn’t disclose during her follow-up interviews with the league’s executive committee, she said, was the fact she was scheduled for surgery two days later to address severe head pain she’d been suffering all summer.
After experiencing severe headaches that started in May 2025, Malega underwent a cerebral angiogram in September at the Marcus Neuroscience Institute in Boca Raton.
She was diagnosed with a carotid cavernous vistula, a rare abnormal connection between the carotid arteries and veins behind her right eye. It causes a dangerous build-up of blood that can result in permanent vision loss if untreated.
She said she underwent surgery Sept. 24. Led by neurosurgeon Brian Snelling, the medical team inserted eight titanium coils through her legs and into her head, a procedure that allowed blood to drain properly from her eyes.
“It was a scary procedure but everything was extremely successful,’’ she said. “I cannot thank my neurosurgeon, Brian Snelling, enough. He and his team went above and beyond.’’
She suffered post-surgery double vision for a few weeks, a side effect alleviated with corrective lenses. But that’s nothing, she said, compared to the pain she endured before the diagnosis.
“There was one day I had to take 10 Motrin to get through the day at City Hall,’’ she said.
“It was a long road, a long journey, but I am feeling a lot better. I am back in the saddle running my business, back at City Hall and I stay and live in the moment, realizing that tomorrow is not promised for anybody.’’
Congrats Joe. You deserve it.