Tell the Deerfield Beach City Commission NO!
VOTE NO ON TERM EXTENSIONS
Proposed Change to Deerfield Beach Election Terms
The City Commission has proposed moving Deerfield Beach municipal elections from March to November of even-numbered years. As part of that transition, the proposal would extend the terms of the current Mayor and City Commissioners instead of holding the next scheduled municipal elections. The proposal is scheduled to appear before voters on the November 3, 2026 ballot if approved through the City’s ordinance process.
What would happen if voters approve the proposal?
If unwitting or overwhelmed voters approve this on a last minute, jam-packed, highly divisive ballot this November:
- Then our next local election in March 2027 will be canceled.
- The following local election in 2029 would also be canceled.
- Residents in Districts 3 and 4 wouldn’t be able to vote for their next Mayor and two Commissioners until 𝗡𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝟮𝟬𝟯𝟬.
WHY NOT put all this on the very next ballot, all this can be fairly addressed less than a year away in the March 2027 election. There’s no reason to rush it ahead to this November.
Why can’t it wait four months for our normal election? What is so urgent that you have to rush like this? Did something happen?
The City of Deerfield Beach modified term lengths in 2009, when we switched to staggered terms. Districts’ 1 and 2 terms were temporarily shortened to two years. Former District 1 Commissioners Pam Militello and Joe Miller lived it.
WHY Would City Officials Want to Extend their Own Terms?
How many times in a row will they try cancel the next election?
I believe this outlandish idea came about because they want to lock in the new police and fire department project by requiring a supermajority to update or modify their new plans regardless of unintended consequences, and because they want to open up our beach to overdevelopment by removing the beach Charter amendments that voters put in place once already, over 20 years ago.
Because of their excessively controversial choices on these amendments, public safety changes, unwanted major development projects, and unresolved flooding, they know they’ll take a hit when people vote in March 2027.
Vice Mayor Hudak advocated for the proposal under Option A, which would extend his own term. On the other hand, District 2 Commissioner Preston, whose term would also be extended 20 months, said he does not want his term extended.
This looks like exactly what it is, a desperate, last-ditch effort to maintain decision-making power.
This outrageous idea will affect all 52k voters here. Don’t do that! Don’t mess with peoples’ elections.
Put those ideas on the normal, regularly scheduled, 2027 ballot people are already expecting.
Group Project: Reasons why we don’t want 20 extra months
- Possibly doing away with Charter Amendments that protect the beach? Referendums and Variances make it fair for neighbors and developers.
- Forcing a public safety change while withholding financial data & teaming up with ethics violators to do the feasibility study.
- Trying to require all future commissions to have a supermajority to change what they did to public safety, regardless of cost or unintended consequences.
- Withholding this March 27 to November 26 idea from public discussion with the charter review board.
- SW 8th Ave flooding: x2, no remedy, just deal.
- Fire stations with 20+ years of mold and asbestos: no remedy, just deal.
- Pioneer Park boat ramp torn up and on hold.
- Oversized Axis Project apartments jammed in, Modera next.
- Allowing the beach area to fall to ruin without citations or foreclosures.
- Derelict building on NW corner 10th & US1, behind Dunkin, no foreclosure there either.
- Kingfisher Canal debris piled up over years, other canals also need dredging.
Let’s put the NO in NOvember!
Let’s put the NO in NOvember!
