Delray Beach and Boca Raton have referendums. Will voters back plans amid opposition?

Elected leaders in Boca Raton are asking for more time, while those in Delray Beach want more money during Tuesday’s elections. But it’s not clear whether voters will go for either of them.

In addition to voting for candidates in two contentious City Commission races, Delray Beach voters will be asked to consider two bond referendums, $100 million for public safety and $20 million for parks and recreation.

Boca Raton has no candidates on the ballot, as the mayor and City Council races are unopposed, but voters will be asked to decide whether to extend the terms of their elected officials for a year. Mayor and City Council seats would increase from three years to four years if approved.

[ RELATED: How Delray Beach elections turned into a fierce battle ]

City ballot initiatives are normally low-key efforts that attract little attention, as cities can’t spend tax money to try to persuade voters to approve them. What’s notable about these ballot measures is the division they’re creating.

The Boca Raton City Council was split at a Dec. 13 meeting on whether to put the question of longer terms on the ballot, with the decision passing 3-2.

Mayor Scott Singer is a major proponent, saying most large cities have four-year terms, as do county commissions and school boards. He said a longer term allows for the learning curve needed for the job. With three members elected in one election cycle and two in another, elections are held almost every year.

Singer said Tuesday’s election will cost about $150,000 and $200,000. He said it should save money in the future by cutting down on the number of elections needed.

“Every election year, you hear, ‘Four more years, and you have to say, no it’s three more years,’” Singer said. “People think that’s weird and makes no sense.”

But several council members said the public feedback they’d received was negative. Some residents said the initiative was self-serving and shouldn’t be decided during a low-turnout election.

“Our hope is to elect the best and brightest but that’s not always the case,” Boca Raton resident Amy Price said at the Dec. 13 meeting. “If we don’t, four years in office could be four years too many.”

Some Delray Beach residents have complained the two ballot questions they will consider lack details, a criticism Mayor Shelly Petrolia said is largely valid. She said city staff developed the plan without her input.

Delray Beach will ask voters for about $20 million in parks bonds, with most of it going to Catherine Strong Park. (Carline Jean / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

“The bond language itself comes across as vague, which creates skepticism among the public, and rightfully so,” she said. “There are legal constraints. You have a limited number of characters that can be used on the ballot.”

She said the city has tried to be more specific on its website and in a recent public information meeting.

The bonds would cost about $129 for the owner of a home with an assessed value of $250,000, although the cost will go down slightly in 2024 after some previous bond debt is retired, according to city documents.

City officials say the $100 million bond would be used for “renovations and innovations” at the Delray Beach police station on West Atlantic Avenue as well as several fire stations. The cost would cover a complete rebuild of the 36-year-old police station, Commissioner Ryan Boylston said, although the city is also considering a renovation.

Most of the $20 million in parks bonds would go toward renovations and upgrades at Catherine Strong Park at 1500 SW 6th St., including a covered artificial turf multi-purpose practice field, covered basketball courts, walking trails, improvements to its “SplashPad” and other improvements, according to city materials.

The money could be used at other parks, but no projects are specified. The Catherine Strong improvements may not appeal to residents citywide, Petrolia acknowledged. But she said the ballot language allows for other uses, including improvements to other parks or the city’s aging golf course.

Some Delray Beach residents and former city leaders say this is the wrong time to ask voters to approve the bonds, arguing the city hasn’t provided enough specifics of how the money will be used.

Former Mayor Jeff Perlman championed $24 million bonds in 2004 to pay for improvements to parks and recreational facilities, Old School Square and the city library and they all passed easily. But he said those plans were developed with robust public input. He opposes the bonds on this year’s ballot, saying there are too few specifics and too little public input.

“This is by far the largest bond we’ve ever done and we’re doing it without public input in an environment of inflation and rising interest rates. I can’t imagine a worse time to do this,” Perlman said.

Perlman is also highly critical of current city leadership.

“We’re just told to trust. I’m not sure this group has earned that,” said Perlman, who frequently criticizes Petrolia and Commissioner Juli Casale.

Perlman is a board member of Old School Square, who Petrolia and Casale voted to evict in a controversial move.

Perlman is also executive vice president of CDS International Holdings, which is a partner in a major mixed-use development in Delray Beach, which the City Commission approved 3-2, with Petrolia and Casale voting no.

Boylston said he’s trying to persuade critics to invest in the city. He said he’s been going door to door talking to residents. The city has done a good job outlining on its website most of their questions, such as how much it costs, why the bonds are needed and how it will be spent, he said.

“Once residents get those questions answered, they’re totally for it,” he said.

Delray voters will also vote in two races. Casale is being challenged by Rob Long, who owns a strategic advising firm, while former Commissioner Angie Gray is running against retired teacher Angela Burns.

In addition to Delray Beach and Boca Raton, municipal elections will be held Tuesday in 15 other Palm Beach County communities. In Broward, six communities are having local elections.