Yvonne Boice-Zucaro Endorses Constance Scott

By way of introduction, I am Yvonne Boice-Zucaro. I have been a resident of Boca Raton for nearly 40 years with deep involvement in the arts, the business community, and the political landscape of Boca Raton. I have decided to pen this response to the biased information that I have received concerning the upcoming City Council election.

Listed here are some of my reasons for taking a public position in support of Constance Scott in the upcoming election. These reasons are not exhaustive but represent my personal and deep convictions.

1. There is little actual space for any more development in Boca Raton. Redevelopment of existing spaces is the order of the day and redevelopment requires insights that are not found in Ms. Drucker’s resume but certainly is found in that of Ms. Scott. The current council members all ran campaigns on the theme of ‘no’ or ‘slow’ growth. That has been achieved, perhaps to the detriment of business relocations into the downtown. There is a need now to swing the pendulum back to the center and demonstrate to the development community that Boca Raton is not anti-growth but rather supportive of smart, sustainable growth.
2. Constance Scott brings a deep background in city and community matters. Since leaving the City Council, she has been a trusted community representative for Florida Atlantic University; representing the University’s interests to local governments in the five counties where the University is located.
3. Ms. Scott has the necessary background to stand up to the current cabal that has been running this city for way too long. She will assist in bringing new leadership to the city administration. The City Manager is currently in the drop program and will be leaving the city’s employ in the near term. To date, there does not appear to be any leadership from the current Mayor, the Deputy Mayor, or the other ‘elected’ Council members in preparation for this upcoming leadership change. Ms. Drucker does not possess  the tools needed to bring effective leadership for this change of administration. Ms. Drucker was ‘appointed’ to the City Council to provide her the advantage of being able to run a campaign as if she were an incumbent. The Mayor and Deputy Mayor contrived this appointment to provide this advantage; an advantage Ms. Drucker is taking full advantage with her campaign messaging and the blatant efforts by the Mayor and Deputy Mayor to swing the election to Ms. Drucker.
4. Ms. Scott was not encouraged by the council members to fill the remaining term of former council member Jeremy Rodgers. Ms. Drucker, however, was supported by the Mayor and Deputy Mayor for the appointment even in light of the recognized norm that if appointed, the appointee commits not to run for the council seat appointed too.
   In accepting the appointment, Ms. Drucker took away Mindy Rodger’s desire to finish out her husband’s term. Deputy Mayor O’Rourke insulted Mrs. Rodger, specifically, and, all women, generally, by commenting that Mrs. Rodgers was too busy w/4 children and would not have the time to dedicate to the council’s agendas. That statement is incredibly insulting to me as a woman especially when a woman had just been appointed a Supreme Court Justice of the United States; a woman w/7 children. As a point of order, I implore you to look at the City Council and CRA agendas over the last few months. One simply wonders why the City Council bothers to even convene these meetings!!!The Drucker appointment was done so the current power base could continue to control the “mickey mouse” problems that go on in Boca Raton without any counterbalancing voice examining the issues.Appointing someone who then has the advantage to run a campaign as if the incumbent is simply unacceptable. The city council knows that.

   How rude of Ms. Drucker and how ungrateful of the entire city council to not respect the wishes of the Rodger’s family and the public service offered by former council member Jeremy Rodgers.

Yvonne Boice-Zucaro