RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — A district appeals judge upheld a judge’s decision to remove five candidates from the ballot on Thursday.
The decision likely ends the candidacy of five people running for Riviera Beach government, including one current council member. The decision is also the second time in two years a judge removed a sitting member of the council from the ballot.
These five candidates paid to register their campaign with a debit card rather than a check from a campaign account, which is required by Florida law.
They include Kendrick M. Wyly, Kendra D. Wester, Joseph Bedford, Sr., Douglas Lawson, and Madelene Irving-Mills. The candidates could appeal to the Florida Supreme Court, but one of the candidates, Douglas Lawson, acknowledged his time in office would be ending, in a statement he texted to WPTV’s Ethan Stein.
“We presented the case in court, but unfortunately, the ruling was not in our favor,” Lawson wrote. “I remain committed to serving the city as the representative for District 5 until March and am truly grateful for the opportunity the community has entrusted me with during my time in office.”
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WPTV reached out to the four other candidates about the judge’s decision, but we didn’t hear back by publication. Those candidates argued the decision from the judge would disenfranchise voters of Riviera Beach by only providing one choice for one council seat and eliminating all candidates for mayor.
“We have a democratic obligation to choose elected officials and nobody should take that right away. That right was fought for, that people gave their lives for, and this is a disdainment on our city," said Irving-Mills.
Multiple candidates said they paid with a debit card after receiving advice from a “consultant” advising the city clerk’s office to help register candidates. City staff later identified Debra Buff, the former city clerk of Belle Glade and former president for the city clerk’s association of Florida, as the consultant but said it was unclear if there was any professional services agreement with the city of Riviera Beach.
City staff told WPTV’s Ethan Stein there was no paystub or record of contract to the individual.
The lawsuit was filed by Mayor Ronnie Felder, Council Member Tradrick McCoy and candidate Fercella Davis-Panier.
It leaves Davis-Panier the only candidate for District 5, likely awarding her a seat on the council controlling the city and its utility district.
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The lawsuit also eliminates all the candidates for mayor after Felder was eliminated for giving a check from a closed campaign account.
According to the city charter, the next city council will get the opportunity to appoint a mayor due to the vacancy. People must apply for the position, but there is no residency requirement of one year like other positions in the city.
This would open the mayor’s position to everybody, including people thrown off the ballot.
