Lake Worth Beach election: Four vie for mayor's seat; two other seats also up for grabs

LAKE WORTH BEACH — From an empty swimming pool on the Atlantic Ocean to a quirky downtown where residents paint, party and parade, Lake Worth Beach has no shortage of issues in the March 19 election for mayor and two City Commission seats.

There’s the future of the historic Gulfstream Hotel, affordable housing, reviving the western part of the city, streamlining code enforcement, helping the homeless, reducing crime, boosting businesses, perking up parks, and plugging potholes.

The mayor is paid $29,500 annually and serves a three-year term. The five commission members are paid $24,500 annually and serve staggered three-year terms. All receive an additional $500 a month car allowance.

Eight candidates are running for mayor and two commission seats in the non-partisan election in the coastal city of about 42,000 residents.

Mayor's race: Incumbent Betty Resch

Betty Resch, the incumbent, was elected as mayor in 2021. The 73-year-old has been a resident of Lake Worth Beach since 1989.

Background: Resch received a law degree from Hamline University School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1988 and since then has been a member of the Florida Bar. Resch has been a solo practicing attorney in Lake Worth Beach since 1998.

Public service: Resch serves on the Legislative Committee, Land Use and Economic Development, of the Florida League of Cities and serves on the board of directors of the Florida League of Mayors. She is a member of the Lake Worth Beach High School Community Leadership Council and a member of the Downtown Jewell Neighborhood Association.

Priorities: Progress on the Gulfstream Hotel is needed. Resolving the future of the city’s beachfront pool, closed since 2016, is a priority. Resch wants to focus on developing downtown properties, as well as increasing affordable housing in the city. She wants more police presence in city parks, especially Bryant Park.

What she’s saying: “(The city pool) was closed in 2016 with no plan to revive or replace it. When I came into the office, over $300,000 had been spent on essentially the design of the pool. I am supportive of having a new pool, but I understand that it cannot be a drain on the city’s finances. If it is determined that it is not feasible, then the next question will be: what do we do now?”

Campaign finances: Resch has raised about $22,000 and hopes to raise a total of about $40,000.

Website: bettyreschformayor.com

Mayor's race: Andy Amoroso

Andy Amoroso, 59, served as a Lake Worth Beach commissioner and vice mayor between 2011-20. He has been a resident of the city for about 45 years.

Background: A graduate of Lake Worth High School, Amoroso has a bachelor’s degree in travel and tourism from Palm Beach State College. He has owned and operated several businesses in the city, and now owns the Tacky Tourist novelty shop on Lake Avenue.

Public service: Amoroso served as the vice president of the Florida League of Cities for 10 years and also served on the league’s transportation board. He served on the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Sober Home Task Force. Amoroso served on the Palm Beach County Business Development Board.

Priorities: Reducing crime is a top issue with voters, Amoroso says. Homelessness, prostitution and drugs are all part of the crime problem and the city needs “wraparound services” to combat them. Another priority is improving the efficiency of City Hall, especially the code enforcement division. Amoroso wants to work more with the city’s 200 neighborhood associations to promote business and social interaction.

What he’s saying: “Lake Worth Beach needs to keep that small-town feel. We need to improve on what we got. We need to use smart growth to pay our bills and improve the lives of our residents.”

Campaign finances: Amoroso has raised about $25,000. His goal is to raise about $50,000.

Website: andyformayor24.com

Mayor's race: Alex Cull

Alex Cull, 32, is making his first attempt at running for office. He has been a Lake Worth Beach resident since 2020.

Background: Cull attended the University of Pittsburg, where he studied bioinformatics. Cull has been a senior deal coordinator with Amazon Business since 2022. Before that, he was a property manager and casualty broker/sales director with Rand Insurance Corp.

Public service: Cull is a former advisory council member of the Lake Worth Beach Planning and Zoning Board. He is also active with the Swinton Community Garden, Tiger Territory Community Garden, Boy Scouts of America and Planned Parenthood.

Priorities: Boosting affordable housing, increasing public safety, improving the environment, opposing privatization of the city’s assets and attracting businesses to downtown are Cull’s priorities. He wants investment in more solar energy, improvements in stormwater infrastructure and the attraction of more business to the city west of Dixie Highway. Cull wants to reduce the burden on police by providing social workers for non-criminal emergencies.

What he’s saying: “I offer Lake Worth Beach a candidate who not only understands the challenges but has a proven track record of turning challenges into opportunities. My vision for our city is one of progress, unity, and prosperity, where every resident is valued, and every voice is heard.”

Campaign finances: Cull expects to spend about $20,000 on his campaign.

Website: alex4mayor.org

Mayor's race: William Joseph

William Joseph, 53, is making his first attempt at elective office. He has been a resident of Lake Worth Beach for 29 years.

Background: Joseph is a private investigator based in Lake Worth Beach.

Public service: Joseph works with local Hispanic and African-American organizations.

Priorities: Reducing homelessness in the city is a top concern for Joseph. The city needs more affordable and workforce housing to help first-time home buyers. He also wants more attention to the south and west sides of the city to bring in more businesses and improve property values. The city should have more electric vehicles. Streets need improving. He wants more recycling and neighborhood cleanup campaigns. The city’s water treatment system needs updating. More public transportation is needed.

What he’s saying: “When I knock on doors, from the west side of town to College Park to along the ocean, people know who I am. They know I will fight for them. We need to reduce crime. More affordable housing. All residents can be happy, no matter their income.”

Campaign finances: Joseph has raised about $15,000. His goal is about $19,000.

Website: williamformayor.com

District 1 race: Incumbent Sarah Malega

Sarah Malega, 48, is running for her second three-year term for District 1 City Commission. She has been a Lake Worth Beach resident for 12 years.

Background: Malega has a business degree from Florida State University. Malega has been president of personalautoshoppers.com since 2006. She has been owner/CFO of the Zoo Health Club of Lantana since 2022 and owner/vice president of the Zoo Health Club of Lake Worth Beach from 2010-2023.

Public service: Malega has been a member of the legislative committee of the Florida League of Cities since 2021. She is a member of the Royal Poinciana Neighborhood Association and COMPASS Stonewall Ball Committee. She was a member of the Healthier Lake Worth Beach Steering Committee from 2014 to 2022.

Priorities: Malega wants to encourage investment throughout the city. More infrastructure investment is needed. She wants more affordable housing. She wants to formalize a strategic plan to protect city-owned properties. Malega would encourage more “Quality of Life” programs with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s office, such as the PALS program. She wants a solution to the future of the city’s beachfront pool.

What she’s saying: “A lot of people are concerned about the economy and rising prices. We, as a city, cannot change inflation, but we can seek grants and funding from the state and federal government to ease the burden of our residents.”

Campaign finances: Malega plans to raise about $22,000 for her campaign.

Website: sarahmalega.com

District 1 race: Melvin Pinkney

Melvin Pinkney, 61, is a bishop of New Life Zion Temple. He has been a Lake Worth Beach resident for about 32 years.

Background: Pinkney has been a water treatment plant superintendent in Riviera Beach since 2016. He was the chief operator of the Water Utilities Department in Lake Worth Beach from 2014-2016. Before that, he was with the Boynton Beach Utilities Department for about 29 years.

Public service: Pinkney is a participant on the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Committee and works with feeding the homeless at New Life Zion Temple.

Priorities: Pinkney wants to work with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office to bring a “visible and engaged presence in the neighborhoods” to reduce crime. He also wants a city liaison with the Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County. Pinkney wants better communication between city residents and City Hall. He wants new proposals for affordable housing, such as dorm-style housing.

What he’s saying: “In my career and my ministry, I am recognized as a team builder and have been recruited to build a culture of cooperation. I will bring that experience to the chamber. I am a pastor and activist and it has always been my strength to listen, respond and build bridges to meet people’s needs.”

Campaign finances: Pinkney has raised about $5,600. His goal is $8,000.

Website: melvinpinkneyforlwb.com

District 3 race: Kim Stokes

Kim Stokes, 42, is running for her second three-year District 3 term. Stokes has been a Lake Worth Beach resident for 13 years.

Background: Stokes has a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Florida Atlantic University. She has been with Curriculum Associates since 2011, where she collaborates with graphic artists and computer programmers to create digital math lessons. Stokes taught math at Lake Worth High School, where she was also a cheerleading coach.

Public service: Stokes was first elected to the District 3 seat in 2021. She is a member of the Eden Place Neighborhood Association, League of Women Voters and Progressive Caucus.

Priorities: Stokes wants more municipal transparency and efficiency, specifically with the city’s electric utility.  Stokes wants to establish a mobile response team, made up of social workers and emergency medical personnel. She wants better city parks, beaches and golf courses, as well as more affordable housing. She favors a 60-day minimum home rental requirement to stop the “hotelization” of neighborhoods.

What she’s saying: “I view the management of the city similarly to running a large non-profit organization. We need to be as efficient and effective. We need the same level of accountability.”

Campaign finances: Stokes plans to spend about $12,000 on her campaign.

Website: kimstokesforlwb.com

District 3 race: Mimi May

Mimi May, 49, is a longtime public school teacher who has been active in her neighborhood associations. She is making her first run for elected office. She has been a Lake Worth Beach resident for about seven years.

Background: May has been a math teacher and Math Department head at Bak Middle School of the Arts since 2016. She has been a teacher for Palm Beach County schools since 2007. She has a master's degree in education from Canisius College.

Public service: May has been treasurer, vice-president and president of the College Park Neighborhood Association. She is active in the Lake Worth Beach Neighborhood Association President’s Council, which hosts events such as the Great Taste of Lake Worth Beach, Great American Raft Race and the annual Street Painting Festival.

Priorities: May wants a “streamlined” code compliance permitting process that eliminates frustration for homeowners and contractors. To improve public safety, she wants more city engagement with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. The city should hire a park ranger to maintain city parks. Multi-language education materials should be provided to help residents navigate the homeownership process.

What she’s saying: “I have held leadership positions in my community, workplace and life. I am prepared to step into the role of city commissioner with an open mind, a willingness to listen and learn, and the fortitude to make decisions that will move Lake Worth Beach forward.”

Campaign finances: She plans to spend about $20,000.

Website: mimimay.com

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Lake Worth Beach election: Three spots open on commission