This article, originally published by Al Zucaro on BocaWatch.org, is preserved for historical purposes by Massive Impressions Online Marketing in Boca Raton.
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BocaWatch provides an analysis of incumbent candidate voting records before each local election. In this case, the coming election is August 28, 2018 and the incumbent candidate is Acting Mayor Scott Singer. Voting records can be used for fact checking campaign promises as well as an indicator of future voting tendencies.
The voting information summarized in this article was obtained from the Boca Raton City Clerk for the meetings where votes are taken.
Following is a summary of Scott Singer’s voting record from April 8, 2014 until May 8, 2018.
Year | Meetings | YES Votes | NO Votes |
2014 | 17 | 123 | 0 |
2015 | 22 | 200 | 3 |
2016 | 23 | 173 | 8 |
2017 | 18 | 210 | 1 |
2018 | 10 | 88 | 1 |
Totals | 90 | 794 | 13 |
The way to interpret this is that he attended 90 meetings where votes were taken. During these meetings he voted YES 794 times and NO 13 times.
Following are details on the 13 NO votes cast by Scott Singer during his four years on Boca Raton City Council.
Date Adopted | Ord No | Modifications | Res No | Topic |
24/11/2015 | 5327 | Text amendment – Creating PM-0.40 Zoning District (AM14-06) | ||
24/11/2015 | 148-2015 | University Village – Master Plan | ||
26/01/2016 | 5340 | Charter Amendment – Sec 3.04 – Council salary increase | ||
24/05/2016 | 5345 | Bldg Height Limitations East of Palmetto Park Bridge – Moratorium on Ordinance | ||
14/06/2016 | 5352 | Council salaries increase – Repealing Ord 5340 amending Charter 3.04 | ||
26/06/2016 | 5353 | Future Land Use Map Amendment – Wildflower property | ||
26/06/2016 | 5354 | Rezoning of Wildflower property – Northern portion (ZC-14-01) | ||
8/9/2016* | 5356 | Indefinite Postponement of ICW Land Preservation Ordinance | ||
26/09/2016 | As Amended | 103-2016 | Amended & Restated User Fee Schedule | |
13/12/2016 | 151-2016 | Increase Retail Sign Display Density | ||
12/12/2017 | 177-2017 | Sponsorship Agreement – BR Championship Golf Tournament | ||
27/03/2018 | 035-2018 | Fowler Variance Appeal (BBAA-17-92600001) | ||
* Ordinance 5356 was not adopted; thus sending the issue to a referendum vote on November 8, 2016 |
Some development-related NO votes in the above list include the University Village mixed-use development that is approved for 849 residences and a 185-room hotel. Scott Singer also supported preserving the ICW waterfront for recreation purposes.
The details of the ordinances and resolutions that are listed in the above NO Vote table can be found by entering the ordinance or resolution numbers into the boxes of the form in the following link. https://forms.ci.boca-raton.fl.us/…
Following are details on the YES votes for development projects cast by Scott Singer during his four years on Boca Raton City Council.
Vote Date | Dwelling Units* | Development Name |
6/10/2014 | 370 | 900 Broken Sound |
8/12/2014 | 76 | Boca Highlands |
9/9/2014 | 75 | Spanish River Highlands |
1/26/2015 | 170 | Tower 155 |
1/27/2015 | 282 | 6700 North Congress |
1/27/2015 | 398 | Fairway Commons |
8/10/2015 | 25 | 327 Royal Palm |
10/27/2015 | 8 | Pine Circle Villas |
10/27/2015 | 8 | Floresta Grove |
12/7/2015 | 104 | Via Mizner + 164 Rm Hotel |
12/8/2015 | 1 | 2500 N. Ocean Blvd. |
1/11/2016 | 8 | Oceanside Townhomes |
11/22/2016 | 180 | 5500 Broken Sound |
1/10/2017 | 55 | Boca Villas |
4/19/2017 | 322 | Boca Colonnade |
8/21/2017 | 193 | 375 Royal Palm |
8/21/2017 | 384 | Mizner 200 |
10/24/2017 | 70 | 1 S. Ocean |
12/12/2017 | 284 | 5201 Congress |
2/26/2018 | 48 | 475 Royal Palm |
2/27/2018 | 19 | Yamato Villas |
Total | 3,079 | |
*Approved by Scott Singer |
During his four years on the City Council, Scott Singer approved 3,079 high density residential units. Most of these units are not developed and on-line yet. When the proposed University Village dwelling unit density is added to the above approved developments, over 4,100 additional dwelling units are scheduled to be built over the next several years. These units will add to school overcrowding, traffic and downtown parking problems. This is totally inconsistent with the City Council’s low-density planning directive.
The above voting record analysis can be used as a data point for evaluating candidate Scott Singer against other candidates competing for the position of Mayor of Boca. Bocawatch will be publishing additional candidate information, such as campaign contribution sources, that can also be used for evaluation purposes.
Opinions don’t affect facts, but facts should certainly affect opinions. I challenge Scott to defend this record in a public forum. His vote to approve the development of 2500 N.Ocean Blvd alone should be enough to send him packing. We have a weak City Council who in apparent collusion with real estate developers have put tremendous pressure on Boca Raton’s brand and infrastructure. City Council members are stewards of a remarkable resource. It is their duty to be custodians of our past legacy as well as creators of the heritage of tomorrow.
Agree with Mr. MacDougall’s reply. All I needed to see, quite honestly, was Singer’s approval of the 2500 N.Ocean Blvd. development project.
I hope he enjoys his 15 minutes of fame as Boca’s interim mayor because that clock is ticking.
Go get ’em Al !
Kudos gentlemen , we need a council that does not give variances to these developers. If I wanted to live in a crouded city I would go to
Ft Lauderdale or West Palm. Developers are welcome to build using the
current planning and zoning guidelines. If that is a problem please go
ruin another city. I am all for progress, let’s do it in a manner that the majority of Boca Raton’s population can live with. I also would like the council members and mayor to be liable for decisions that they make. Maybe they will think twice about their votes.
It’s time to clean house of business as usual. Good decision making by our elected officials that we trust affects the quality of all our lives. People moved from Miami to get rid of this. Why is Scott Singer trying to bring it to Boca? #frustratedsadandangry.
Agree with all the comments here. If we wanted to live in Ft Lauderdale or Miami, we would. We chose Boca. The city council from the last 4 years needs to be rooted out with the exception of a minority.
Jeopardy question of the day. How many nonprofits have been created as a result of Scott’s Singers voting record?
Mr. Scott’s voting record must be resident friendly; it’s virtually identical to Mrs. O’Rourke’s.
22 yes votes in 4 years doesn’t make for a rollover to special interests as you intimate. More specific claims of bad judgement or relationships, if applicable are missing from this diatribe from a competing candidate. Facts don’t require cherry picking to make a point.
Jeff and Richard. I don’t understand your points. Point is the whole city knows what is going on. It started 6 ears ago when the outside thugs attacked a nice young fireman with ugly cancerous ads. And than kept going for 5 more years all funded by developers and their cronies. I call it the “CABAL” running the city. Oh and having a mayor indicted for stuff is really the tip of what is going on. The city knows and that is why we elected 2 ladies to the city council. The city is expecting them to fight corruption and they will. We need just 1 or 2 more friendly votes aug 28th in order to drive this cabal out of the city. We got Al Zacaro and Kathy Cottrell running. Boca you decide what this city should look like. Last chance.
Mr. Berke. Put in perspective, Singer’s residential development voting record for four years is 22 approvals and one denial.