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 political advocacy organization says Boca Raton’s planned Jan. 20 City Center agreement was revised so it would remain binding even if a promised March 10 referendum never occurs.
The current Boca Raton City Council will vote on the master agreement later this month at the January 20th meeting. In addition to that vote, residents would be asked to approve or reject the transaction in the March 2026 election.
But Save Boca, a local advocacy group, is warning that the latest version of the agreement includes new language spelling out what happens in a scenario where the referendum does not take place at all — and the group says the change could allow the Jan. 20 contract to remain binding anyway.
According to Save Boca, the council promised voters on Sept. 9 that the Boca Raton City Center LLC project would be decided by citizens at a referendum. Save Boca says the contract language has since been modified to include a “failure of the referendum to occur” scenario, and that under the revised terms, the absence of a March 10 vote would “have no effect on the effectiveness of this Agreement” and “shall not be deemed a rejection” by voters.
In plain terms, Save Boca argues the revised contract framework shifts the project from requiring voter approval to requiring voters to actively reject it — and that if no vote is held to reject it, the agreement would still stand.
The group points to changes it says were made between an older contract draft and the current version on the agenda. In the prior version, Save Boca says the agreement was framed as contingent on the March 10 referendum. In the new version, the group says the contingency language was removed or weakened, including a change to the title of a contract section.
Save Boca says the title of Section 23.24 was changed from “Effectiveness Contingent Upon Voter Approval” to “Voter Referendum,” which the group claims reflects a shift away from making the agreement dependent on voter approval.
Save Boca is urging residents to contact the City Council and oppose approval of Ordinance 5769 or any agreement with Boca Raton City Center LLC before March 10. In materials circulated to supporters, the group argues it is premature for the city to sign a binding deal ahead of a referendum the city previously promised, and it contends the revised language increases the city’s exposure to legal conflict if the referendum does not occur.
The group also circulated a suggested message for residents to send to councilmembers, arguing that signing the agreement prior to March 10 would be contrary to the Sept. 9 promise to voters, and asserting that residents “will be harmed” if the contract is approved in its current form. The draft message includes the term “misfeasance,” which Save Boca defines in its materials as a lawful action performed improperly or negligently in a harmful manner.
The exact letter the political advocacy organization is asking residents to send to the Boca Raton City Council:
Do not approve Ordinance 5769 or sign any contract with Boca Raton City Center LLC prior to the Referendum vote on March 10th because that would be contrary to your promise to the citizens on September 9th that the Boca Raton City Center LLC project would be subject to voter approval on a referendum question. The contract in the Agenda has been changed and now states that if the referendum does not occur that it “shall have no effect on the effectiveness of this Agreement” and that the failure of the referendum to occur “shall not be deemed a rejection” by the voters contrary to your promise on September 9th to the people as their elected representatives that the project would be decided by a vote of the people at a March 10th referendum. To approve the contract and this language is premature, and neglects your duty to live up to your prior promises and assurances to the voters as citizens of Boca Raton concerning the use of public property that is actually owned by the citizens of Boca Raton. You should not, and cannot, without neglecting your duty to live up to your promise to the voters, approve Ordinance 5769 or sign any agreements concerning the Boca Raton City Center LLC project prior to the Referendum Vote that was previously promised by the City at the March 10th Referendum. Signing this contract prior to March 10th is contrary to the prior assurances, neglects your duty to live up to the promises you gave the voters as citizens of the City regarding city property, and constitutes misfeasance (a lawful action that is performed improperly or negligently where your actions are conducted in a harmful or negligent manner) . If the contract is signed your constituents will be harmed, and will act accordingly.
At the bottom of the group’s communication, Save Boca includes a disclaimer stating it is a paid political advertisement from SAVE BOCA, INC., stating it is paid for independently of any candidate or committee.
About Save Boca
Save Boca is a Boca Raton–based political advocacy organization that has endorsed and is actively promoting candidates in the city’s March 10 municipal election. The group has published candidate profiles, solicited donations, and encouraged voter participation related to the election. Save Boca’s founder, Jon Pearlman, is also a candidate for City Council.
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