Petition With 5,000+ Signatures Could Trigger Public Vote In Boca Raton…
BY: ANDREW COLTON | Editor and Publisher | BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2025 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — The founder of “Save Boca,” the organization fighting the City of Boca Raton over its planned 31-acre mega-government complex on land that includes parks, says he is surprised that officials didn’t at least pause all plans while his petition with more than 5,000 signatures is reviewed.
Jonathan Pearlman presented the petition with 5200 signatures during a city council meeting on Tuesday. So many people attended the meeting — more than 300 — that it’s believed a record was broken. Pearlman told BocaNewsNow.com on Thursday that while the City Clerk is reviewing and verifying all signatures, he is shocked that officials are continuing as if it’s business as usual.
“It is astonishing that the city has not immediately paused the project,” said Pearlman. “But we expect the project will not continue as it is proposed.”
Under the City of Boca Raton’s charter, the “Save Boca” petition contains more than enough signatures to force a public vote on the current redevelopment plan. But the signatures have to be verified, then language has to be crafted so voters know what they’re voting on.
City of Boca Raton spokesperson Ileana Olmsted told BocaNewsNow.com on Thursday that it will take some time to verify the signatures, then for the city to take the next step — if there is a next step.
”When required signatures are collected and filed with the City Clerk, the Clerk will review the petitions for compliance with the Charter’s requirements as to form, content, and the number of valid signatures and coordinate with the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections to verify the signatures and voter registrations,” said Olmsted in the written statement. “The City Clerk then has 20 days to determine whether the petition meets the requirements for certification of sufficiency under the City Charter.”
The controversial building project, which includes a new city hall and a new city recreation center, is expected to cost more than $300M. It is part of a “public-private partnership” that is not supposed to rely on taxpayers for funding. But thousands of people are opposed to the plan which could include renovating “Memorial Park,” and potentially relocating famed banyan trees while potentially blocking off at least one street. “Save Boca” says rebuilding City Hall is fine, but there’s no need to bulldoze 31 acres of public property for the sake of expansion — then sell off parts to private business to fund it.
“The City of Boca Raton is one of the richest, if not the richest, municipality in the country,” said Pearlman. “There is no reason the city needs a public-private partnership to build on public land. Just rebuild city hall where it is with money that’s already in Boca Raton’s bank account.”
But City of Boca Raton leaders say the project is a look to Boca Raton’s future and secures prime space for public use. The plans are a work in progress. We are linking to the current version at the end of this article.
If it is determined that the petition meets all requirements for a general vote, the City of Boca Raton would turn to the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections to determine when it would take place and how it would be worded.
”Because there is already a municipal election scheduled in March 2026, all requirements under the City Charter would need to be completed in sufficient time for the City to meet the Supervisor of Elections’ specific deadlines to have the measure placed on that ballot,” said Olmsted.
View the latest City of Boca Raton redevelopment plan here. Read the latest from SaveBoca.org here.
