Boca Raton City Council to Consider ‘Save Boca’ Law Next Week

A sign from the ‘Save Boca’ campaign in opposition to a government campus redevelopment plan. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

The Boca Raton city council is poised to vote on the introduction of the so-called “Save Boca” law next week, which would limit the city’s ability to sell or lease public land without voter approval.

The ordinance, which will be considered at the April 28, 2026 council meeting, is largely based on the petition signed by thousands of voters last year that would have, likewise, limited the ability for the city to dispose of public land. The petition gained enough signatures to place it on the ballot for voter approval, but a lawsuit filed by a local attorney resulted in its early demise. The ordinance sets forth regulations on selling or leasing city-owned properties more than a half-acre in size, and simultaneously calls for a city charter amendment to accomplish the same. The city charter amendment would be placed on a ballot for future approval by residents, as required by law. A third measure contained with the ordinance states that the public must vote on the charter amendment at the “next available election,” but not later than the March 2027 municipal election.

Both the ordinance and charter amendment would require voter approval before the city may “alienate, sell, or lease city-owned land greater than one-half acre,” while including limited exceptions to “enable the city to function efficiently.” The exceptions include “keeping and updating existing nonprofit leases, granting utility easements that provide services to residents, using city land for its own public facilities and operations, and allowing short-term community or recreational uses, like events or programs.” During such civic events, the city would be required to keep control of the property and decline to give anyone “long-term or exclusive control.”

An additional change to the previous “Save Boca” law removed a small bit of text that aroused concerns – referencing city land “or any part thereof.” The phrase “or any part thereof” was replaced with a clarifying provision specifying that a single parcel or contiguous area of city-owned land may not be divided to avoid the half-acre threshold.

‘Save Boca’ tee shirts at the July 15, 2025 city council meeting. (Photo: Boca Daily News)

The legal technicalities of passing the “Save Boca” laws, named for the group founded by now-Councilman Jon Pearlman, mean they will be adopted and implemented on a few separate dates. Ordinances, in the state of Florida, must be introduced on first reading and adopted on second reading after a public hearing. The introduction will be up for a vote next week, with adoption scheduled for May 12. The charter amendment, which is meant to coincide with the ordinance so a future council cannot simply repeal it without voter approval, must be placed on the ballot by way of a resolution, which does not require two votes. The resolution is scheduled to be considered by the council on May 12 along with the public hearing and second reading of the ordinance.

Pending petitions left over from the original “Save Boca” campaign with be withdrawn pending the adoption of the ordinance and the placement of the ballot question. The lawsuit which nixed the original ballot measure, filed by attorney Ned Kimmelman, has been voluntarily dismissed, meaning the court’s block of the ballot measure is no long in effect, a memorandum from city staff to the council said. Pearlman’s appeal of the judge’s decision in the Kimmelman case – which was filed before he was elected to the council – is still pending, and will likely be addressed at the council meeting.

A copy of the proposed ordinance and resolution are embedded below. The council meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in the auditorium of the city’s police building at 6500 Congress Avenue, Tuesday, April 28.

Read the Ordinance and Resolution: