Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Environmental expert, doctor, ex-politician vying for open seat
Boca Raton voters will choose a new council member for Seat D in the March 13 election.
Former Miami Springs Vice Mayor Armand Grossman, environmental expert Monica Mayotte and Dr. Paul Preste are seeking to replace Councilman Robert Weinroth. He decided not to seek reelection to run for Palm Beach County Commission later this year.
The three candidates are focusing on development, traffic, parking, green space and responsiveness to residents.
Mayotte, who has lived in Boca for 21 years, said the council should consider quality of life issues when a project comes before the city for approval. She cited “density, traffic, parking resiliency and open green space” in her campaign literature.
“How are other cities our size solving these traffic issues?” she said. “We’re having these problems now and we need to address them now.”
“Overcrowded schools are because of overdevelopment,” she said at a candidate forum. “I want to make developers accountable.”
Preste came forward to buy the city’s municipal golf course outside city limits. But at the forum he said he would have voted against selling it. “I would have bought the course in Boca Teeca” within the city limits, he said.
He also proposes a fly-over to help move traffic on Dixie Highway.
“I’m big on increasing traffic on Dixie Highway,” Preste said about a proposal to make Dixie and Federal highways one-way each.
Preste, an internist with a practice in Fort Lauderdale, told residents he wasn’t accepting campaign contributions. His February report shows he selffunded $500. Mayote’s February reports listed $44,324.99 and Grossman’s $73,405.00 in monetary contributions. Grossman says in his campaign literature that he wants residents and the education and business communities to have a “shared vision” for the city.
“I am for responsible growth,” he said.
Mayotte is the sustainability coordinator for JM Family Enterprises and is a volunteer with former Vice President Al Gore’s Climate Realty Project. In Boca, she was chairwoman of the Green Living Task Force to increase the environmental awareness of city residents.
Grossman is a retired educator who served two years as director of the Dade League of Cities. He was vice chairman of the Palm Beach County Planning Commission.