RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — Riviera Beach Councilwoman Julia Botel was called a racist multiple times at a City Council meeting Wednesday night.
"I think the worst thing somebody who's called that can say is, 'I am not a racist,'" she said. "I had to say it last night."
One day after the heated City Council meeting, Botel spoke with WPTV about a controversy front and center in Riviera Beach.
"If you don't listen to that and you look at what I have done, not what I say or someone else says, look at what I've done, what I plan to do going forward, and then judge me," she said.
Much of Wednesday night's meeting focused on a beach party event called "Wet Dreams" last weekend on Singer Island and Botel's comments ahead of that event.
Botel said she was going off of information from a Riviera Beach police officer when she tried to stop the beach party with a suggestive name from happening. She alleged the event could lead to violence and had been banned in other areas. That information proved to be inaccurate. Some residents and City Council members questioned if her comments on the event, organized by Black promoters, were racially motivated.
Botel admits she made mistakes.
"Absolutely, that's why I apologized," she said. "My apology was sincere last night. I should have taken a deep breath, but when it's in the heat of the moment and you're worried about somebody, it's hard to do that."
Botel acknowledges there are race issues in Riviera Beach. She was asked how to mend that fence.
"Keep engaging with the community," she said. "I want to understand that pain. I want to be a healing person."
Wednesday's marathon meeting lasted about eight hours.
There will be an internal affairs investigation into the police handling of the event.
"It's definitely going to be done," Councilman Douglas Lawson said. "We're going to be investigating a lot of things across the city. Policies will be identified. Staff procedures will be identified."
Lawson said the council will be looking at leases of some businesses that closed on the day of the beach party. He's also requested an anti-discrimination policy to be applied to hospitality.
Lawson said the promoters deserve their money back.
"Our city manager came out with the statement that he was going to reimburse some of the fees," Lawson said. "I told him to have a sit-down, make these promoters whole, and have a discussion about ways we can make some corrective actions."
Botel said she has no plans to step down from her seat. She said when her term is up, she plans to run again.
