Politics
Todd Drosky wins race for Deerfield Beach Mayor as voters pick two new Commissioners
Todd Drosky will continue serving in the Deerfield Beach government under a new title: Mayor.
On Tuesday, the District 4 Commissioner took 56% of the vote to defeat real estate investor Dan Herz, a fellow Republican, and secure the right to succeed term-limited Bill Ganz as the city’s top official.
Drosky will serve Deerfield Beach’s 87,000 residents at City Hall alongside new Commissioners Daniel Shanetzky and Thomas Plaut.
Shanetzky won the City Commission’s District 3 seat, taking 50.7% of the vote to defeat Philip Bradley and Karen Shelly, who respectively received vote shares of 28.4% and 20.9%.
Meanwhile, Plaut beat Chauncey Chapman, with 84% of the ballots in his favor, to take the District 4 seat Drosky is vacating.
Chapman had self-inflicted disadvantage. He errantly checked a box on his paperwork to make himself a write-in candidate, meaning his name did not appear on Tuesday’s ballot.
The city’s election rules provide that the candidate with the most votes in each race wins outright, with no runoff.
The winners Tuesday secured four-year terms. Because municipal elections are technically nonpartisan, none of the candidates’ political affiliations were denoted on the ballot.
Drosky, 53, raised more than $69,500 through March 6. He carried endorsements from the Broward Teachers Union, Broward Young Republicans, Metro-Broward Professional Firefighters and a deputies’ union from the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
He ran on a promise to keep taxes level, add more green spaces, promote “smart and responsible” development and promote public safety.
Herz, 63, amassed over $58,000. His campaign priorities included permanently lowering property taxes by 10%, moving the city’s elections to November, spurring local economic development and improving fiscal responsibility in government.
Things between the two candidates grew heated in the lead-up to the election. Drosky told NBC 6 Herz had made “very disparaging comments” about him, his family, and his supporters. Herz said that Drosky and others at City Hall had spent and developed irresponsibly.
Two other candidates for Mayor have dropped out of the race but did not do so soon enough for their names to be removed from the ballot.
Chaz Stevens exited the race and endorsed Drosky after taking Herz, the city, and the Broward Supervisor of Elections to court to remove Herz from the ballot. Stevens alleged that Herz lives in Plantation, not Deerfield Beach. A Judge decided last Wednesday that the matter would have to be settled after the election.
Caryl Berner also filed to run for Mayor but later withdrew.
For the Commission’s District 3 seat, which represents the center-west portion of the city, Bradley, Shanetzky, and Shelly ran to succeed Commissioner Bernie Parness.
Bradley, a 74-year-old Republican retiree with a background in biomedical engineering, added $17,000 from his bank account to his campaign coffers and spent all but $7,000 of it by last week.
Shanetzky, a 62-year-old lawyer, raised about $38,000 and spent $30,500. Shelly, a 70-year-old condo manager, raised about $11,000 and spent $7,700. Both are Democrats.
Bradley ran to reduce property taxes, “embrace innovative technology,” and advocate for “smart development.”
Shanetzky, meanwhile, leaned on his community involvement over the past four years, including service as Vice Chair of the Deerfield Beach Cultural Affairs Committee. He prioritized public safety, a preservation-conscious development plan and addressing traffic issues.
Shelly, who has worked in several posts in state government, wanted to help small businesses in the community, reestablish the Deerfield Beach Chamber of Commerce and ensure residents have a say in government decisions.
Twenty-eight years ago, in 1996, she unsuccessfully ran for Broward Supervisor of Elections.
Two Republicans, Chapman, 75, and Plaut, 73, competed in the race for the District 4 seat, which represents the city’s northwest corner.
Chapman raised more than $21,000 through March 6. Almost all of it came from his bank account. A retired engineering pro in the scuba diving industry, he promised to roll back property taxes by 10%, provide residents with more exclusive amenities, move the city’s elections to November, and stop “stupid spending of our tax dollars.”
Plaut, who previously managed office operations for a home inspection company, headed into Election Day as the city’s sitting Planning and Zoning Board Chair. He raised about $28,000 and spent almost $16,000.
His campaign platform prioritized using federal funds on sewage and drainage projects, renovating Deerfield Beach’s downtown area, improving the city’s local transportation provisions, backing law enforcement and ensuring the efficiency of municipal services.
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Lakeland City Commissioner Sara Roberts McCarley has announced she will run for Mayor in November.
“Lakeland is an incredibly special place to raise a family and run a business,” Roberts McCarley said. “I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and continue to serve the community I love, because I know that together, we can meet the challenges of tomorrow and get real results that move us forward.”
That makes Roberts McCarley the first candidate to file in the 2025 city elections.
The native Lakeland resident has served on the Lakeland City Commission since 2019, representing District C Southwest.
She previously served as Executive Director of Polk Vision, a community planning effort. She also served as the state director for Best Buddies International.
Roberts McCarley also volunteers with the Bonnet Springs Park Board, Randy Roberts Foundation Founder, Polk Arts and Cultural Alliance Board, Junior League of Greater Lakeland, Sun N Fun Board, and Night to Shine. She is Vice President of the Ridge League of Cities.
Roberts McCarley founded the Randy Roberts Foundation, named for her late first husband, which has provided more than $300,000 in scholarships to more than 245 students, according to her LinkedIn page.
Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz announced last year that he will not seek another term, according to LkldNow. He has served as the city’s Mayor since 2018.
Roberts McCarley is one of six City Commissioners. She said her platform includes “keeping local government accountable and transparent, protecting taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars and supporting Lakeland’s first responders.”
Roberts McCarley’s seat is also up for re-election this year, as is the District D Southeast spot and an at-large Commission seat.
A General Election is scheduled for Nov. 4. A runoff, if necessary, is scheduled for Dec. 2. Elections are nonpartisan.
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Your cats, dogs and other pets may have some extra help during future vet visits.
Sen. Jennifer Bradley’s legislation (SB 652), which qualifies “veterinary professional associates,” moved forward in the Regulated Industries Committee and now has two stops before the floor.
Bradley noted that this bill simply extends the long-standing parameters that apply to human care to house pets.
“Almost 50 years ago back in 1976, we first recognized physicians’ assistants for humans, allowing PAs to practice under physician supervision. This bill brings the same model to veterinary care,” she said.
These associates must be trained, with master’s degrees from approved programs. And in most cases, they must be supervised.
They can give shots and submit the animal to anesthesia with the vet on hand, and can give medicine and get stool and blood samples unsupervised. However, they are barred from prescribing drugs or performing surgery except for spaying and neutering.
The supervising vet is liable if the associate commits an error.
If the bill becomes law, it takes effect in July.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund and Americans for Prosperity support this legislation.
Other advocates on hand noted that skyrocketing costs and lack of easy access to vets have led to some animals going without care and others being surrendered.
Reaction to the bill defied traditional partisan lines.
Sen. Jim Boyd — a Republican, like Bradley — objected to the bill, saying that vets he had talked to had raised concerns about assistants doing these surgeries.
However, Senate Democratic Leader Jason Pizzo said he backs the legislation.
The bill seems to have a path in the House as well.
The companion bill from Republican Rep. Lauren Melo has its first hearing Wednesday in the Industries & Professional Activities Subcommittee.
Both bills have two stops ahead.
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