To all the residents of Loxahatchee Groves, I thank you for the support I received in the recent qualifying for the town council seats. I would hope the reason I was not challenged for the seat is that you believed through my service on various boards and/or committees, and my input in town meetings during my 25-year Groves residency, that I will support you fairly and with integrity and transparency.
The time is growing closer to our town election of a candidate for Seat 1 in Loxahatchee Groves on March 13, and I can only encourage you to vote, vote, vote. Out of the approximate 3,400 residents of Loxahatchee Groves, the town recognizes an extremely low number of voters each election. If you don’t vote, you cannot be heard. It does little good to complain after the fact if you never participated in making your voice heard through voting. The town council will have some very big decisions to make this year for the betterment of the town, and not all decisions will be popular, so I encourage you to research your candidates and select the one you believe best represents the goals of your town as a whole.
The Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association will be holding a candidate’s forum on Feb. 22, and I encourage you to come out with your well-prepared questions to ask the three candidates running for that seat. I will be in attendance, but only to introduce myself and meet residents. I will not be part of the forum, since I have been elected through qualifying.
As always, I would welcome getting your contact information as concerned residents and offering solutions for moving our town forward. There is no doubt in my mind that there are many, many skilled and knowledgeable residents residing in the Groves who can add real value to our town decisions — residents able to look at all sides of a problem and come up with the best solutions for any problem encountered. I would also encourage residents to step up and offer to serve on the various committees within the town to assist council members in their decisions.
You will make a difference if you get involved. Our town is a unique and wonderful place to live that working together will only make better. I look forward to seeing you on Feb. 22 at the candidate forum and again on March 13 at the voting poll.
Joyce Batcheler, Councilwoman-Elect, Loxahatchee Groves
