BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) (Copyright © 2025 MetroDesk Media, LLC) — A high-stakes legal battle over the future of public land in Boca Raton intensified this week as local activists filed an emergency motion to intervene in a lawsuit that has temporarily blocked two voter initiatives from the ballot. The “Petitioners Committees” and their president, Jonathan Pearlman, are asking the court to let them join the case, arguing they are the only parties truly fighting to save the “Save Boca” ordinances. The motion comes days after a judge granted a temporary injunction effectively removing the measures—which would require voter approval for the sale or lease of city-owned land larger than half an acre—from the January 13, 2026, special election ballot.
The controversy stems from a lawsuit filed by plaintiff Ned Kimmelman first reported on by BocaNewsNow.com. who originally named Pearlman and the committees as defendants but later voluntarily dismissed them, leaving only the City of Boca Raton and the Supervisor of Elections to defend the ballot measures. Following that dismissal, Kimmelman successfully argued for a temporary injunction, which the court granted on November 25, 2025. In its ruling, the court cited technical timing issues regarding the election date and found the language of the ordinances violated the Florida Constitution and the City’s home rule powers. Pearlman’s motion alleges that by dropping the actual proponents of the ordinances from the suit, the plaintiff is attempting to “enjoin the will” of the voters without the grassroots organizers present to defend their work.
In their filing, the intervenors argue they are “indispensable parties” who stand to lose everything they have worked for if the court’s decision stands. The committees emphasize that they successfully gathered thousands of signatures to qualify for the ballot: 3,689 signatures for the Code of Ordinances amendment and 6,201 signatures for the City Charter amendment, both of which were certified by the City Clerk earlier this fall. They contend that the current judgment has a “direct and immediate impact” on them by nullifying months of grassroots effort and preventing the citizens of Boca Raton from exercising their right to vote on the issue.
The committees are seeking to enter the lawsuit in an “unsubordinated capacity,” meaning they would have full standing to file motions and challenge previous rulings. Specifically, if allowed to intervene, the group plans to file an emergency motion to vacate the order granting the temporary injunction entered on December 1, 2025. They are also seeking to transfer the case to a different division and judge, arguing that the matter is related to a prior case filed by Kimmelman that was voluntarily dismissed before being refiled.
The “Save Boca” ordinances were designed to curb the City Council’s power to use public land without direct voter consent, a move sparked by citizen concerns over development. The intervenors cite previous case law to argue that similar referendums have been upheld in the past and that they have a substantial likelihood of success on the merits. With the election calendar moving quickly, the intervenors assert they must be allowed to join the fray immediately to appeal the court’s order and attempt to get the measures back on a ballot.
