Hometown News and Views

By Judy Wilson
Pelican staff
Deerfield Beach – Mayoral candidate Jean Robb spent about $175 on five lock boxes she intended to use to collect absentee ballots. This week, she withdrew the idea saying she feared the opposition, Mayor Peggy Noland, would challenge those ballots,
Robb had planned to place lock boxes at five businesses around the city that support her, collect absentee ballots and deliver them to the supervisor of elections, saving voters the $1.47 postage.   Brenda Snipes, supervisor of elections, and her longtime employee Mary Cooney, thought it was a bad idea. Although not prohibited by law, both said the real danger to the voter is if the ballots were not delivered to the supervisor. Other than by mail, absentee ballots can be returned only to the built-in ballot boxes at the county’s two courthouses.
Robb, who was mayor from 1980 to 1993, has run several times since then. This time, she has mounted an aggressive advertising campaign. Robb/Mayor signs have been placed at frequent intervals along the city’s major thoroughfares.
According to her last campaign report ending Feb. 1, she has spent almost $3,000 on the red and white signs. Funding for her campaign so far has come from many small donors and the $6,000 she has loaned herself for a total of $12,620. Of that she has spent $10,887.  One of her most generous supporters is the owner of Gustav Realty in the Cove Shopping Center and his related businesses there.  Delray restaurant owner Tony Verderame and Data Management out of Jupiter are her only $500 donors.
Noland’s campaign contributors include some of the area’s largest political donors. With $17,650 in her account as of Feb.1 , Noland has the support of JB’s restaurant where the manager and owners have contributed $2,000, Keith  and Associates, Wheelabrator, waste and recycling hauler Bergeron, $2,500, attorneys Becker Poliakoff, Shutts & Bowen, Aleida Waldman and   Ruden McCloskey’s Committee for Good Government. She also a number of individual $500 donors.
To date, however, her sign campaign is almost non- existent.
The only other commission race in the March election is for the District 3 seat which covers Century Village East and Crystal Lake.  Richard Rosenzweig has raised $1,134, his largest backer the Deerfield Beach Democratic Club.  Donna Capobianco has $2,900 in her campaign account, $1,000 of it a loan from herself and $500 from attorney Patrick Murphy. The other candidate for this seat is Caryl Berner who reports no monetary activity. Berner filed under the city’s hardship policy so did not have to pay the filing fees.