Making the case for changing the name of our City to “Lake Worth Beach”.

There are two more public meetings coming up at the City Commission: First Reading on Tuesday, December 4th and Second Reading on December 13th. To learn more about this topic click on this link.

The question of renaming this City of Lake Worth to the “City of Lake Worth Beach” will most certainly be on the ballot next year, a referendum to be held on March 12th, 2019.

So in the meantime. . .

Taking on the critics.

People think it’s a great idea. Other people don’t.

There is a truly American way to solve
this debate once and for all:

Let the voters decide.

 
But there are critics who don’t want this question to go to ballot on March 12th, 2019. Why? What are they afraid of? The beat reporter from The Palm Beach Post reports events in this City as happening in “Lake Worth Beach”. There are many press and news media reports about Lake Worth Beach.

So what is really the issue? Continue reading and let’s try to solve this question. 

There are some spreading untruths, false claims, mis- and disinformation about this debate. And that needs to be cleared up.

One claim is this will incur a lot more legal fees but these are the very same ones who opposed putting the Neighborhood Road Bond on the ballot in November 2016. No one is upset about those legal fees any more.

And some of these critics are the very same ones who put the ‘Heights Vote’ on the ballot when they were told by City Attorney Glen Torcivia that if it did go to the ballot and pass it would tie the City up in court for many years. It did pass. And the City ended up in court for many years.

Cities changing their names in Florida is nothing new. It’s happened many times before.

And the critics were recently hard at work when the City presented ideas about what to do with the condemned municipal pool too. Once you’re finished reading this blog post scroll back up and click on this link to read all about that.

As to the question, “Where We’re Going”?

From the City of Lake Worth’s recent Visioning Work Session: “Branding/Name Change Add ‘Beach’ ”? Ignore the critics of this going to ballot. The voters need to decide this question on Election Day, March 12th, 2019.

When this question does go to ballot and pass someone will get their five minutes of fame. They will file a lawsuit and get quoted in The Palm Beach Post. Maybe they’ll even get on TV. But then their five minutes will be up and you’ll never hear from them again. 

The other claim is that crime outside the City of Lake Worth that is reported in the press and news media as happening “in the City of Lake Worth” or “in Lake Worth” does not negatively affect our City’s image. Hogwash. Enough said about that.

Another claim is this topic comes up every 15–20 years. Nonsense. It’s been a constant matter of debate.

Commissioner Scott Maxwell brought up changing the name of this City to “Lake Worth Beach” six years ago. But those same critics put the pressure on and stopped it from going to ballot.

And another claim is changing the name of this City will be expensive. Most all the signage in this City needs to be replaced anyhow. So take this question to ballot and make the new signs for “Lake Worth Beach” or “City of Lake Worth”. Let the voters decide. Then the issue is no longer an issue. Then it’s on to the next big issue. For the critics the work is never done. Because that’s what critics do. 

And the critics of changing the name of this City have even taken a trip to ‘silly town’ suggesting Social Security checks might get lost in the mail. Hello. The City’s name would change. Not the zip code.

No. The Fed-Ex guy will not get lost and neither will the mail carriers. And the Snowbirds will still manage to find their way here every year.

And then the critics claim our City Commission is trying to change our history. Changing the name of this City will do just the opposite and this is why: If the voters approve changing the name of this City it will make this place a special place, unlike all those other places out west that wish they were located in the City of Lake Worth.

And all those Realtors taking advantage of this City of Lake Worth promoting a home or condo “in Lake Worth” will get a rude surprise when potential clients tell them “Go fly a kite.”

If this City does become Lake Worth Beach a lot of people will not be amused upon learning that property ‘in Lake Worth near the Beach’ is not “in Lake Worth Beach” which is the place they were actually looking for in the first place. You know, that “five minute drive to the Beach” which is actually forty-five minutes or longer from that latest ‘planned’ community of cookie-cutter housing units where each and every mailbox looks exactly the same and all the window treatments in every unit have the very same “earthy” hue.

And it needs to be pointed out referring to this City as “Lake Worth Beach” with the ‘Beach’ capitalized is already style at The Palm Beach Post, the County paper of record. For example, the beat reporter from the Post recently quoted a City business owner in the Downtown saying she, “[L]ikes spending time at Lake Worth Beach, taking her daughter to Mulligan’s Beach House or Kilwins for a few hours.”

Pretty much the only thing the critics point out that is factual and not silly is this City was founded one hundred and five years ago. And there have been a lot of changes since. This City used to have its own police department but PBSO took over in 2008. The critics opposed that too.

The critics oppose a lot of things. That’s what they do. But what they don’t do is offer up any alternatives. They wait until someone makes a move. To actually try and solve a problem. And that’s when they pounce.

So what exactly are the critics afraid of? That it will actually pass? But if it does pass and it doesn’t work and our City Commission ends up with “egg on their faces” the critics can then go to work and scream to the high heavens: “Throw the bums out!”

But the critics have been working real hard to ‘throw the bums out’ since 2011 anyway. And that hasn’t worked out very well either.

Well, just to be clear, meaning it hasn’t worked out well for the critics of Mayor Pam Triolo, Vice Mayor Andy Amoroso and Commissioner Scott Maxwell. But for most everyone else it’s been a real good seven years.

And for Maxwell he’s been at work on the City Commission for a lot longer. Eleven years. And he’s still at it. If this issue goes to ballot and passes Maxwell will become “Vice Mayor Pro Tem Scott Maxwell of Lake Worth Beach”. It does have a nice ring to it. . .

And Lake Worth Beach Mayor Pam Triolo, Lake Worth Beach Vice Mayor Andy Amoroso, and on March 19th, 2019 there will be an election of candidates in Districts 2 and 4 as well. Just pointing that out.

So. In conclusion. Let the question go to ballot. Change the name of this City or don’t change the name of this City. A simple “Yes” or a simple “No”.

Thumbs Up. Or Thumbs Down. Let the voters decide.

Oh. And one last thing about crime ‘in Lake Worth’:

“Crime Lake Worth”

Once upon a time there was a blog that looked like this:

Don’t you just love that little doggie!

CRIME! CRIME! CRIME!

“Lake Bass Cir” is not in the City of Lake Worth.

Lake Bass Circle is located in suburban Lake Worth west of the Town of Lantana.

Wow. Looks like Lake Bass Circle is
a pretty dangerous place!

“Juvenile Trouble” in Lake Worth! Oh My!

One last thing “Worth Noting”.

For a City so supportive of “The Arts” just think of all the creative people we’ll need to redesign our logos! Contact your elected leaders. Send this question to ballot on March 19th, 2019.