Lake Worth Beach: March 10 ballot questions explained
Voters cast ballots Tuesday on five proposed charter changes, including two dealing with lease terms on public land downtown and at the beach
LAKE WORTH BEACH voters cast ballots Tuesday on five proposed charter changes, including two that would allow the City Commission to approve long-term leases for commercial projects on city-owned land without voter approval.
Let’s go over each of the referendums in order of their appearance on the March 10 ballot, along with some of the main arguments being made by supporters and opponents.
Questions 2 and 3, about lease terms on public land, have stirred the most passion online and at public presentations. Those questions are nearly identical except for two differences: 2 pertains to land east of State Road A1A while 3 pertains to land west of A1A.
Question 1 – Certification of Election Results
“The City utilizes the County Canvassing Board and the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections certifies election results canvassed by the County Canvassing Board. Shall the City of Lake Worth Beach amend its Charter at Article III, Section 2 to reflect that the election results are certified by the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections?”
Summary
Several years ago, the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections informed the county’s 39 municipalities she would be unable to sit on each municipality’s canvassing board. At her request, all municipalities agreed to have the County Canvassing Board certify their election results. Lake Worth Beach never updated its charter to reflect that change.
VOTING YES would update the charter to reflect the current way city elections are certified, through the county canvassing board.
VOTING NO would preserve the outdated charter language which reflects certification of city elections by the City Commission, which previously had been canvassing city elections.
What supporters say
This is considered a housekeeping matter and would simply update the City Charter to accurately reflect the current way city elections are certified.
What opponents say
Lake Worth For All, a grassroots group opposing all five ballot questions, claims this change would remove a layer of protection for fair elections.
Question 2 – Lease Terms on City-Owned Property East of A1A
“In order to encourage private investment in and redevelopment of City-owned property and reduce the City’s maintenance costs of City facilities, shall Article II, Section 3 of the City of Lake Worth Beach Charter be amended to allow City-property East of A1A to be leased for up to 99 years for purposes other than lodging and residential uses?”
Summary
The change would allow commercial leases — but no hotels or residential uses — for up to 99 years at the city-owned beach and casino complex without a majority vote of city residents in a referendum. Currently, the charter allows the City Commission to approve leases on this land for up to 29 years; leases 30 years or longer must be approved by voters.
Voting YES would allow three city commissioners to approve leases of up to 99 years, stripping voters of the power they currently have on leases greater than 29 years. The city would continue to own the property, but would collect lease payments as part of a public-private partnership.
Voting NO would retain the current charter language giving voters final say on leases of city-owned property east of A1A of 30 years or more.
What supporters say
Lake Worth Beach, struggling to pay for deferred maintenance projects and other public services, needs new sustainable revenue streams. This will be especially important if property tax measures being pushed by Florida lawmakers are approved by voters statewide in 2027 or 2028.
Major developers won’t do business in Lake Worth Beach if they have to spend millions of dollars preparing a proposal that can ultimately be rejected by voters.
Yes, three commissioners would have final say on long-term leases of up to 99 years but voters have the power to vote commissioners into and out of office.
This change would offer the city its best chance to rebuild the casino complex and swimming pool area. And it will not hinder public access to the beach, as opponents have claimed.
What opponents say
The ballot language fails to make clear what approval of the change will do: Eliminate the existing requirement for a citizens vote on leases of 30 years or more. Many opponents say the city deliberately concealed this fact from “fact-based” brochures shared with voters and only acknowledged it at pubic meetings when questioned by residents.
The first 22 words of the question are leading and should have been eliminated. In other words, the question should have started: “Shall Article II, Section 3…be changed…”
This change strips away a critical safeguard residents currently have — a referendum vote — on large-scale, long-term development at the public beach.
Three city commissioners should not have final say on leases of up to 99 years on prime public waterfront land — leases that effectively dictate the land use for decades beyond current leadership and voters.
Question 3 – Lease terms parks, Downtown, and other city-owned land west of A1A
“In order to encourage private investment in and redevelopment of City-owned property and reduce the City’s maintenance costs of City facilities, shall Article II, Section 4 of the City of Lake Worth Beach Charter be amended to allow City-owned property West of A1A that is restricted in the Charter to be leased for up to 99 years?”
Summary
This change would allow commercial leases for up to 99 years at city-owned land on the west side of the barrier island and in the city’s downtown, including the golf course, City Hall and City Hall Annex.
Currently, the City Charter allows the City Commission to approve leases on this land for up to 19 years; leases 20 years or longer must be approved by voters.
Voting YES would allow three commissioners to approve leases of up to 99 years on city-owned land west of A1A. It would remove the power voters currently have on leases greater than 19 years. The city would continue to own the property, but would collect lease payments as part of a public-private partnership.
Voting NO would retain the current charter rule giving voters final say on leases of city-owned property west of A1A of 20 years or more.
What supporters say
Lake Worth Beach, struggling to pay for deferred maintenance projects and other public services, needs new sustainable revenue streams. This will be especially important if property tax reforms being pushed by Florida lawmakers are approved by voters statewide in 2027 or 2028.
Major developers won’t do business in Lake Worth Beach if they have to spend millions of dollars preparing a proposal that can ultimately be rejected by voters.
Yes, three commissioners would have final say on long-term leases of up to 99 years but city voters still have the power to vote commissioners into and out of office.
This change offers the city its best chance to overhaul the 100-year-old municipal golf course and upgrade City Hall and the City Hall Annex.
What opponents say
The ballot language fails to make clear what approval of the change will do: Eliminate the existing requirement for a citizens vote on leases of 30 years or more. Many opponents say the city deliberately concealed this fact from “fact-based” brochures shared with voters and only acknowledged it at pubic meetings when questioned by residents.
The first 22 words of the question are leading and should have been eliminated. In other words, the question should have started: “Shall Article II, Section 4…be changed…”
This change strips away a critical safeguard voters currently have — a voter referendum — on large-scale development downtown and at the golf course.
Three city commissioners should not have final say on leases of up to 99 years on prime public land — leases that effectively dictate the land use for decades beyond current leadership and voters.
Question 4 – Filling City Manager Vacancies
“Shall Article IV, Section 3 of The City Of Lake Worth Beach Charter be amended to require the process for filling a permanent vacancy in the Office of City Manager be started within 90 days of the vacancy and continue in good faith until the Office of City Manager is filled?”
Summary
Lake Worth Beach has had two City Managers and two Interim City Managers in the past five years. Interim City Manager Jamie Brown, who also is the City’s Public Works Director, has been managing the city since the last city manager was fired in late 2023. The current City Charter says the City Commission may designate a city manager — other than the mayor or a member of the commission — but gives no timetable to begin a search.
Voting YES would require the City Commission to begin searching for a new city manager within 90 days of a vacancy.
Voting NO would not add any specific time frame for the City Commission to begin searching for a city manager.
What supporters say
The city manager is the local government’s top administrator and sets the tone, upon direction from the City Commission, for city business. The position should be held by an interim for as short a time as possible, certainly not for more than two years, as has been the current case in Lake Worth Beach.
What opponents say
Lake Worth For All says the commission added this ballot question without establishing a critical need. The charter is for long-term issues, not timeliness for filling a vacant position.
Question 5 – Repeal of Defunct Police & Fire Sections
“In recognizing that the City no longer has a City Police or Fire Department and to eliminate any confusion, shall Article IV, Section 10 of the City of Lake Worth Beach Charter (Police and FireDepartments) be repealed?”
Summary
Lake Worth Beach dissolved its police department by merging with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in 2008 and dissolved its city fire department by merging with Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue in 2009. This change would delete charter language about the city police and fire departments. It would not prohibit the city from establishing its own police and fire departments again in the future.
Voting YES would remove sections in the charter about the police and fire departments.
Voting NO would leave sections in the charter about the police and fire departments, even though the city currently gets those services from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue.
What supporters say
This is a housekeeping matter that changes the charter to reflect how the currently gets public safety and fire service.
What opponents say
Lake Worth For All says that removing references to Police and Fire Departments from the city’s charter creates uncertainty about who would have authority over these public safety services.
The first 22words are “leading”??! They are MISLEADING. Typo? Twice ? On amendment 2 and 3? That makes this explanation extremely worrying. I’d like to call that a “misexplanation” at least with regard to amendments 2 and 3.