‘Save Boca’ Founder Begins Renewed Drive to Toss Downtown Contract, Drawing Mayor’s Ire

Jon Pearlman (left), the downtown area, and Mayor Scott Singer. (File Photos)

A group of members of the “Save Boca” organization have been promoting a new petition to force a vote on the proposed public-private partnership that would provide a 99-year lease of city land to a developer in exchange for potential revenue that could be used toward a new government campus. The city council has put the project to a vote in the March 2026 municipal election, however Save Boca’s representatives say they have started the renewed drive for one reason: they simply don’t believe the vote will take place, and that city officials will find a way to cancel it.

That belief drew a stern response from Mayor Scott Singer, a long-time backer of the redevelopment project who also backed ballot question wording for the March referendum that opponents believed to be biased. Still, the vote is expected to go on, with the questions having been submitted to the county election supervisor for printing and distribution.

“Residents will vote in the upcoming election, and that vote is binding,” said Singer in a statement that – without naming him directly – referred to Jon Pearlman, Save Boca’s founder and a candidate for city council. “Ballots are already being printed and will be mailed soon. Despite being repeatedly corrected that the proposed deal is contingent on voter approval, this individual has now expanded the misinformation by stating a second, duplicative petition process is needed for a vote that is already scheduled.”

Pearlman, however, said he believes the city is playing “dirty tricks because they know exactly how the citizens of Boca will vote.” Opponents of the effort pointed to the fact that city council members have already signed a contract with Terra Group and Frisbie Group, the two developers, despite the vote not having yet taken place. That contract states that it is contingent on voter approval, however objectors have pointed to language contemplating a scenario where a vote “does not take place” as the basis for their suspicion. City officials have said the language was in place to protect residents from potential liability, but Save Boca has argued that no contract should have been signed without voter approval in the first place.

The city government campus and Memorial Park redevelopment area, Boca Raton, FL, Oct. 2025. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

The new petition drive targets the contract itself, which was introduced and adopted in the form of an ordinance by the city council at meetings over the last several weeks. The petition drive seeks to force a ballot measure that specifically repeals the ordinance itself. Should enough signatures be collected, the council would have the opportunity to adopt the petition as written – repealing the ordinance on their own – or place it on the ballot in March. In theory, this would mean two questions could appear on the March ballot – repealing the ordinance that contained the original contract, and approving or rejecting a partnership with Terra and Frisbie outright.

The petition states that “Ordinance 5769 is hereby repealed in its entirety;” “If any portion, part or section of this Ordinance is declared invalid, the valid remainder hereof shall remain in full force and effect;” “All ordinances or parts of ordinances, in conflict herewith, are hereby repealed, to the extent of such conflict;” and “This Ordinance shall become effective as provided by law.”

Hotel and retail space (rendering) at the proposed ‘One Boca’ area. (Credit: One Boca/ Terra-Frisbie)

Residential space (rendering) at the proposed ‘One Boca’ area. (Credit: One Boca/ Terra-Frisbie)

“We intend to continue to collect petition signatures with the power granted to us, the citizens of Boca, in Section 6 of the City Charter and will deliver the signed petitions to the city clerk within the 30 days as set forth in the Charter,” Pearlman said.

Singer, on the other hand, accused Pearlman of making “false statements” on his website and in social media. The council passed a resolution this week stating it opposes any form of a second ballot initiative and would not “accept” new petitions, though it was unclear how the council could block such an initiative if legally sufficient.

“The latest petition movement seeks to put that question on a ballot that already exists,” Singer said. “To avoid the voter confusion, duplicative effort, and legal conflict, the resolution informed the new petitioners committee that we would not accept new petitions for something that is already on the ballot.”

Singer told residents in a social media post that, “You need not sign to have the vote and may want to ask why they are still proceeding despite the lack of need and opposition of other Save Boca residents.”

Pearlman, for his part, has been collecting signatures for several days and is racing to obtain the 3,676 required within a 30-day window.

“What we are doing is to guarantee that the people will have the ability to vote and this is the only way to ensure that,” he said. “The City Charter has granted us that power and we intend to collect the signatures necessary to secure that our vote won’t be taken away from us.”