Two Council Races & One Ballot Referendum In Lantana Tuesday

Florida County Prepares For Early Voting In State Primary

Photo: Getty Images North America

One day ahead of the municipal elections in Palm Beach County, our Election Spotlight is on the Town of Lantana where there are two Town Council races and a ballot referendum.

First term incumbent Mark Zeitler faces a challenge from Raymond Lastella for his Group 3 seat.

Both men are business owners. Zeitler owns an air conditioning company while Lastella owns a boat detailing and a jet ski rental business.

Zeitler cites among his accomplishments, keeping medical marijuana dispensaries out of Lantana and discovering that the town library's contractor was unlicensed. He says that led to a more discerning vetting process.

Lastella says some of the biggest concerns in Lantana are speeding and reckless driving. He wants to increase safety measures for pedestrians.

Vice Mayor Karen Lythgoe is serving as "acting-mayor" and is unopposed in her bid for Mayor in Group 5, a seat left vacant by the resignation of Robert Hagerty last fall.

That makes Lythgoe's Group 4 seat up for grabs and two candidates are vying for it.

Christopher Castle is a maintenance facilities director for an online pet pharmacy whose concerned about infrastructure and safety in Lantana.

Castle is a former control room operator at FPL and used to work for the South Florida Water Management District. He says that experience gives him a leg up when it comes to power grid and flooding issues.

John Raymer unsuccessfully ran for a different Council seat last year. The 21-year U.S. Army veteran says he wants to make sure residents are informed about what's happening in Lantana.

He cites taxes, infrastructure and attracting tourists to the town as key issues and wants to restore the beach. Raymer claims it's so narrow that people often prefer going to nearby Lake Worth Beach.

There is one ballot question for Lantana voters on Tuesday's ballot.

It asks if the town's Charter should be amended for future elections to allow for a plurality vote to decide races, rather than the current majority requirement. Right now, it takes more than 50 percent of the vote to win, which can often force runoffs.

The election is open to all voters in Lantana.


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