A straw poll was taken last month of the elected leaders in the City of Lake Worth.

“Worth Noting”

The straw poll result at the City Commission
was unanimous: Rename this City to be-
come “Lake Worth Beach”.

One of the electeds said,


“. . . Royal Palm Beach doesn’t have a beach. West Palm Beach really doesn’t have a beach. We have a beach.
     And if there is one thing that folks that come to Florida are attracted to oftentimes is the word ‘Beach’. I enthusiastically support a name change. I know that some folks may be a little uncomfortable with that and I understand that. Change is difficult. But I think it’s time for us to turn a page in the history and move forward . . . So yes I support that.”

—Quote. Lake Worth Commissioner Scott Maxwell in making the straw poll unanimous on Oct. 30th, 2018.

As to a likely question on the ballot next year:

“Rename this City to be called Lake Worth Beach?”

City Manager Michael Bornstein was absent at this City Commission meeting last month and the question was asked by Assistant City Manager Juan Ruiz.

This straw poll was taken due to the absence of Vice Mayor Pro Tem Scott Maxwell at a City Work Session in October; from the Executive Brief regarding ballot questions on the March 12th, 2019 ballot for the public to consider:


Get update from Commissioner Maxwell as to his desire regarding ballot language discussed at the October 18, 2018, work session.

As to the question: Rename the City of Lake Worth to “Lake Worth Beach”?

On this topic here is the entire quote from Commissioner Scott Maxwell last night with emphasis added:


On the name change [to “Lake Worth Beach”] I could not more enthusiastically recommend going that direction.

As you recall, several years ago I suggested this for a variety of reasons. . . . I am quite sure many of those reasons for a name change were brought up and discussed. The two biggest ones in my mind going forward is we’ve done so many wonderful things here in the last several years for this City and we’re moving in a different direction.

There are some legacy reputation issues that we’re trying to fight to get away from and unfortunately we’re unable to do that sometimes because of other parts of the County that have a Lake Worth address.

And when they [unincorporated “suburban Lake Worth”] fall into a situation where something has happened in those areas, and not terribly positive, be it crime or something else, oftentimes those news accounts are associated to us here in the City of Lake Worth and I think it’s time that we shed some of the things that are going on in the western part of the County and basically force the media to recognize just exactly who they are reporting on when these things come up.

The other thing too is it’s really interesting when you look at a lot of the names here in Palm Beach County. For example, Royal Palm Beach doesn’t have a beach. However we’ll have to give them credit for being proactive on sea level rise issue because maybe that will catch up with them one day. But Royal Palm Beach doesn’t have a beach. West Palm Beach really doesn’t have a beach.

We have a beach. And if there is one thing that folks that come to Florida are attracted to oftentimes is the word “Beach”. So if you’re visiting Palm Beach County or thinking about Palm Beach County and your kind of looking through all the thirty-nine municipalities and you don’t know any different you might just pass Lake Worth over because the word ‘Beach’ isn’t affixed to our name.

I enthusiastically support a name change. I know that some folks may be a little uncomfortable with that and I understand that. Change is difficult. But I think it’s time for us to turn a page in the history and move forward and get up there with everybody else. So yes I support that.


With the support of Lake Worth Vice Mayor Pro Tem Scott Maxwell the straw poll vote was unanimous, 5-0, supporting this question be put to the voters on March 12th, 2019.

Soon the City Commission will be asked to approve the ballot language. So stay tuned.

In the meantime contact your elected leaders and let them know you support changing the name of this City to Lake Worth Beach!