The Voters Speak: A Resounding NO! to More Terms for Council Members

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On August 28, almost 12,000 residents weighed in on the three PBG charter questions. This was almost three times the participation in the March election at which the Council first sought to resolve the questions.

In March, 2 questions were thrown out by a circuit court judge for being misleading, and they were clarified and put back on the August ballot as questions 1 and 2, with one issue (City Manager residency) separated out into question 3. March question 3 (Run Again) was allowed to go forward and did pass, but is still being challenged at the court of appeals.

The city had spent $35,000 for the March election, and then another $65,000 for August, ostensibly to “educate” the voters. Unfortunately, the campaign that resulted used misinformation to influence the voters to vote YES on all three questions, and this expenditure is being challenged in yet another lawsuit. The city’s actions, and the challenge to them, caught the attention of many residents through articles in the Palm Beach Post, and citizen’s sharing the news on social media and in emails.

The vote was definitive. Much as the original term limits question was passed with 80% in November 2014, voters said NO to the Council’s desire to have three terms instead of two (question 1), and they rejected the repeal of the City Manager residency requirement (question 3). Both of these were rejected by close to a 2 to 1 margin, and almost every precinct in the city voted NO by more than 15 points.

Question 2, which dealt with a general cleanup of the Charter passed with 60% of the vote.

Given the split vote (The city wanted YES to all, opponents wanted NO to all), you can probably conclude that voters were willing to trust the city to a certain extent that the charter rewrite was necessary, but soundly rejected the Council’s desire for more time in office.

It should be noted that a typical Gardens’s election shows a strong variation in the vote of different parts of the city. There are differences between gated and non-gated communities, eastern and western sections, older and newer areas, those with strong HOAs and those without. The March election showed these differences, but pointedly, the August election did not. It should be noted that March elections where city races are usually decided, have smaller turnout and tend to draw those that are most aware of city issues. City issues are incidental in August and November elections which primarily are deciding state and national races. The larger electorates at these times are likely to decide based on a “policy filter” (eg. “we like term limits”), rather than a personal one (eg: “I trust the Mayor so will vote her way”). Of course, whether you follow city issues or not, if you live in Palm Beach Gardens, your vote is as good as any other, and higher turnout is good for Democracy.

Hopefully, the city and Council will respect the wishes of the voters this time and we can put this all behind us.

Below are the results from the August election:

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Question 1 – Three terms instead of two?

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Question 1 – Three terms instead of two
Strong Yes	Weak Yes	Very Close	Weak No	Strong No
Click the precinct on the map for vote totals.

		Registered	Cast	Turnout%	YES	NO	Yes Margin%
1186	Mirabella	1436	417	29	138	257	35
1188	Westwood Gardens	895	263	29	80	169	32
1189	Old Palm – North	95	17	18	4	13	24
1190	The Isles, Paloma, San Michelle, Alton	3547	980	28	344	592	37
1192	Evergreen	1440	400	28	121	253	32
1194	Frenchmans	2023	616	30	257	329	44
1228	Osprey Isles, Carleton Oaks	451	170	38	64	98	40
1238	Mirasol	1696	451	27	93	336	22
1240	PGA National	2454	750	31	266	449	37
1242	PGA National	2542	709	28	261	405	39
1244	PGA National	1537	503	33	185	291	39
1246	Bent Tree, Garden Lks, Shady Lks, Gdns of Woodbury	2382	610	26	146	442	25
1247	Old Palm – South	228	54	24	13	38	25
1248	PGA-east.	1497	499	33	152	330	32
1250	Gardens Glen	63	26	41	11	13	46
1252	BallenIsles	2288	802	35	294	475	38
1254	Hunt Club	445	154	35	39	106	27
1260	Elm Avenue	1294	472	36	118	338	26
1266	Union Square, Randolph Way	462	56	12	26	28	48
1268	Golfers Drive, Lilac	298	37	12	13	21	38
1270	Lilac Park	10	1	10	0	1	0
1272	Holly Drive, Riverside	1900	579	30	172	387	31
1274	Gardenia Dr, Arbor Way	1581	481	30	149	318	32
1280	Lake Catherine	392	129	33	57	69	45
1284	Gardens Mall area	2170	508	23	201	283	42
1288	Oakway Circle	38	13	34	4	8	33
1290	The Oaks	2084	633	30	196	408	32
1292	Nature’s Way	73	29	40	15	14	52
1296	Prosperity Oaks, Marina Gardens	727	149	20	54	84	39
1324	Oaks East, Sandelwood	1258	307	24	96	193	33
1326	Siena Oaks	557	206	37	68	129	35
1340	Landing Place	14	9	64	6	3	67
1352	Steeplechase, Montecito	2202	627	28	237	367	39
1360	Sunset	889	290	33	90	190	32
1372	Sandtree	162	32	20	10	22	31
6062	Bay Hill Estates	814	269	33	104	151	41
6064	Rustic Lakes	122	35	29	7	27	21
	TOTALS	42066	12283	29%	4091	7637	35%

Question 2 – Charter Cleanup?

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Question 2 – Charter Cleanup?
Strong Yes	Weak Yes	Very Close	Weak No	Strong No
Click the precinct on the map for vote totals.

		Registered	Cast	Turnout%	YES	NO	Yes Margin%
1186	Mirabella	1436	417	29	223	163	58
1188	Westwood Gardens	895	263	29	141	99	59
1189	Old Palm – North	95	17	18	16	1	94
1190	The Isles, Paloma, San Michelle, Alton	3547	980	28	582	305	66
1192	Evergreen	1440	400	28	222	104	68
1194	Frenchmans	2023	616	30	369	181	67
1228	Osprey Isles, Carleton Oaks	451	170	38	102	44	70
1238	Mirasol	1696	451	27	217	203	52
1240	PGA National	2454	750	31	387	304	56
1242	PGA National	2542	709	28	423	233	64
1244	PGA National	1537	503	33	261	190	58
1246	Bent Tree, Garden Lks, Shady Lks, Gdns of Woodbury	2382	610	26	259	288	47
1247	Old Palm – South	228	54	24	33	11	75
1248	PGA-east.	1497	499	33	250	212	54
1250	Gardens Glen	63	26	41	15	9	63
1252	BallenIsles	2288	802	35	435	313	58
1254	Hunt Club	445	154	35	77	59	57
1260	Elm Avenue	1294	472	36	244	197	55
1266	Union Square, Randolph Way	462	56	12	37	13	74
1268	Golfers Drive, Lilac	298	37	12	22	11	67
1270	Lilac Park	10	1	10	1	0	100
1272	Holly Drive, Riverside	1900	579	30	287	257	53
1274	Gardenia Dr, Arbor Way	1581	481	30	232	214	52
1280	Lake Catherine	392	129	33	82	38	68
1284	Gardens Mall area	2170	508	23	335	121	73
1288	Oakway Circle	38	13	34	8	4	67
1290	The Oaks	2084	633	30	355	207	63
1292	Nature’s Way	73	29	40	20	6	77
1296	Prosperity Oaks, Marina Gardens	727	149	20	85	37	70
1324	Oaks East, Sandelwood	1258	307	24	160	117	58
1326	Siena Oaks	557	206	37	107	73	59
1340	Landing Place	14	9	64	5	0	100
1352	Steeplechase, Montecito	2202	627	28	366	200	65
1360	Sunset	889	290	33	155	113	58
1372	Sandtree	162	32	20	22	8	73
6062	Bay Hill Estates	814	269	33	177	57	76
6064	Rustic Lakes	122	35	29	15	17	47
	TOTALS	42066	12283	29%	6727	4409	60%

Question 3 – Repeal City Manager Residency Requirement?

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Question 3 – Repeal City Manager Residency Requirement?
Strong Yes	Weak Yes	Very Close	Weak No	Strong No
Click the precinct on the map for vote totals.

		Registered	Cast	Turnout%	YES	NO	Yes Margin%
1186	Mirabella	1436	417	29	111	279	28
1188	Westwood Gardens	895	263	29	69	172	29
1189	Old Palm – North	95	17	18	8	8	50
1190	The Isles, Paloma, San Michelle, Alton	3547	980	28	255	642	28
1192	Evergreen	1440	400	28	109	221	33
1194	Frenchmans	2023	616	30	254	298	46
1228	Osprey Isles, Carleton Oaks	451	170	38	47	105	31
1238	Mirasol	1696	451	27	119	305	28
1240	PGA National	2454	750	31	208	493	30
1242	PGA National	2542	709	28	230	426	35
1244	PGA National	1537	503	33	129	332	28
1246	Bent Tree, Garden Lks, Shady Lks, Gdns of Woodbury	2382	610	26	117	444	21
1247	Old Palm – South	228	54	24	18	28	39
1248	PGA-east.	1497	499	33	118	345	25
1250	Gardens Glen	63	26	41	7	16	30
1252	BallenIsles	2288	802	35	286	477	37
1254	Hunt Club	445	154	35	39	100	28
1260	Elm Avenue	1294	472	36	108	343	24
1266	Union Square, Randolph Way	462	56	12	16	34	32
1268	Golfers Drive, Lilac	298	37	12	10	23	30
1270	Lilac Park	10	1	10	0	1	0
1272	Holly Drive, Riverside	1900	579	30	128	417	23
1274	Gardenia Dr, Arbor Way	1581	481	30	106	349	23
1280	Lake Catherine	392	129	33	39	83	32
1284	Gardens Mall area	2170	508	23	149	310	32
1288	Oakway Circle	38	13	34	5	7	42
1290	The Oaks	2084	633	30	177	401	31
1292	Nature’s Way	73	29	40	12	14	46
1296	Prosperity Oaks, Marina Gardens	727	149	20	41	84	33
1324	Oaks East, Sandelwood	1258	307	24	76	201	27
1326	Siena Oaks	557	206	37	60	124	33
1340	Landing Place	14	9	64	1	4	20
1352	Steeplechase, Montecito	2202	627	28	197	373	35
1360	Sunset	889	290	33	78	189	29
1372	Sandtree	162	32	20	8	22	27
6062	Bay Hill Estates	814	269	33	84	149	36
6064	Rustic Lakes	122	35	29	9	23	28
	TOTALS	42066	12283	29%	3428	7842	30%