The issue discussed below ties into Boca Raton’s Downtown Campus Redevelopment Project, which is subject to a citywide referendum and multiple zoning actions. For a complete breakdown of what’s proposed and what happens next, visit our project hub.
BOCA RATON, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — A new round of political messaging around Boca Raton’s downtown campus plan is landing in residents’ inboxes and on clipboards, with the mayor and the activist group Save Boca sharply split over whether a petition drive is necessary ahead of a scheduled March 10 election vote.
Last week, a 4–1 Council Vote Advanced the One Boca master agreement, but the plan still needs to be approved by the people.
Mayor Scott Singer wrote in a statement that residents will vote on March 10 on the downtown campus plan, and that the result will be binding. He said ballots are already being printed and will be mailed soon.
Singer’s statement targets what he described as misinformation about the vote itself, specifically, claims that residents will not get to vote and that a second petition process is required to trigger a referendum.
“Residents will vote in the upcoming election, and that vote is binding,” Singer wrote. He also said the council has repeatedly stated, through votes, meetings, and documents over multiple months, that the downtown plan “is of no effect unless voters approve it in the March 10 election.”
Singer said founders and leaders of Save Boca appeared at a city council meeting to criticize what he called “the latest false statements” and to ask the council to move forward with a resolution clarifying that no second petition process is needed.
That dispute is now colliding with a message Save Boca sent to supporters, urging residents to sign petitions at the downtown library during set hours this week. The group’s message is framed as an urgent effort to “guarantee our right to vote on the downtown lease.”
Save Boca’s message tells residents to come sign even if they previously signed a petition, saying a new signature is needed now. It alleges city leadership cannot be trusted to let the vote happen and claims a petition drive is the public’s “recourse” to guarantee a vote.
“The mayor, council and city attorney cannot be trusted to give us our vote on this project,” the Save Boca message states. The group also claims there have been “recent actions” by the city council and city attorney aimed at moving the project forward even “if that means taking away our right to vote on it.”
Among its allegations, Save Boca asserts that an “extraordinary change” was made to a contract that made it binding if a referendum did not happen. The group’s message also says the city council signed what it calls a “binding contract” with the developer before the referendum vote takes place. It further claims a standard clause barring companies doing business with the city from contributing to campaigns of city officials was removed, and it suggests the developer could fund Singer’s congressional campaign. The message also raises questions about the city attorney’s role in the deal.
Singer’s statement rejects the premise of a second petition drive. He described the latest petition movement as an effort to put the question on “a ballot that already exists,” and said the city’s position is that it will not accept new petitions seeking a vote that is already scheduled.
“To avoid the voter confusion, duplicative effort, and legal conflict,” Singer wrote, the city adopted a resolution informing a new petitioners committee that it would not accept petitions for something already on the ballot.
He also addressed claims that the city council is trying to move or eliminate the vote. “Any claim that the City Council is trying to move the election or take away your right to vote is utter nonsense,” Singer wrote, adding that the council prioritized giving residents a direct vote and that remains in place.
Singer told residents the deal terms are available for review and invited questions by email.
For residents trying to sort through competing messages, the practical question is what action is required to participate in the March 10 decision. Singer’s statement is explicit: the vote is scheduled, ballots are being prepared for mailing, and he says no additional petition signature is needed to have that vote.
Save Boca’s message, on the other hand, is urging residents to physically sign at the downtown library within a 30-day window, arguing it is necessary to ensure the vote happens and urging residents to re-sign even if they signed earlier.
Save Boca’s message also includes political advocacy, it calls on voters to oppose the downtown lease and lists endorsed city council candidates, along with required political advertisement disclaimers.
The future of Boca Raton’s downtown — including city facilities, public land, and long-term financing — is now directly tied to the March 10 municipal election. Voters will decide two referendum questions alongside races for mayor and City Council. What’s on the ballot, who’s running, and how to vote.
