A note to my friends, supporters and residents of the City of Lake Worth Beach:

After being contacted by, and reaching out to, fellow Lake Worth Beach residents this past October, it was clear that they wanted a new direction for the city and were not satisfied with those who indicated a desire to run for the position. Most of the people I talked with suggested that such a candidate was me and running for Mayor would fill that need.

After much reflection and consideration, I’m announcing that I will not be continuing my campaign for Mayor. After consulting with family members, trusted friends, colleagues and key supporters, I realized that the most important factor was relatively easy to recognize: The relatively recent decision to run for office did not provide enough time and resources to be able to win in March of 2021. 

A further realization was to be an effective Mayor in a sizable, diverse city like Lake Worth Beach, one must be prepared to dedicate more time to campaign than my current and projected business volume was going to allow me to do.  Suddenly we were engaged in a full-time effort for the campaign to raise enough financial resources to compete in a potential 5-way race. We also quickly discovered that raising money to compete during a pandemic, when so many of our neighbors are suffering badly from the impacts of Covid-19, proved especially challenging. 

I wish the best of luck to the remaining competitors for the job. I pledge to stay involved as a vocal participant in our local government. I urge the next Mayor and Commission to move forward on what would have been the foundations of my campaign. 

These were to improve the quality and increase the volume of communication coming from City Hall to our residents and businesses. We must vastly improve customer service and look at the quality of the experience residents and businesses have when doing business with the City. I fully support the City conducting a comprehensive Charter review and will continue my efforts in helping make the Lake Worth Beach dais be more representative of our diverse population in that regard.. Finally, we must go forward with improvements to the oceanfront park, the disposition of a city swimming pool and the Blueway Paddling Trail project. Successful execution of these opportunities will increase the quality of life for all City of Lake Worth residents.

I thank everyone  for their support and encouragement. I hope everyone stays safe, wears their masks and enjoys the best holiday season possible under different and challenging circumstances.

With continued love for Lake Worth Beach, I remain...

Wes Blackman

Resident of Lake Worth Beach