The race for Seat 3 on the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council features incumbent Councilwoman Marianne Miles being challenged by former Councilwoman Anita Kane.
Former Councilman Todd McLendon, who had initially filed to run for Seat 3, withdrew from the race last month.
The Seat 3 race is one of two council races on the ballot. The other is Seat 1, which has incumbent Councilwoman Phillis Maniglia challenged by longtime resident Robert Sullivan.
The election will be on Tuesday, March 19, held concurrently with Florida’s presidential preference primary. Both seats are for three-year terms.
ANITA KANE
Anita Kane was appointed to the council in December 2018 to fill a vacancy and served until March 2019, when she was unseated by former Councilwoman Lisa El-Ramey. Prior to that, she served on the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Board of Supervisors before that board was eliminated.
More recently, Kane has served as chair of the town’s Finance Advisory & Audit Committee (FAAC), reviewing town finances and budgetary documents, and making recommendations.
“I have served the town since moving here in 2012,” Kane said, noting that she is proud of her work to make the LGWCD dependent to the town. “I was among those who went to Tallahassee to bring it to a referendum.”
That eliminated a second layer of government and streamlined town operations, Kane noted, adding that she considers it her top accomplishment when it comes to her work on behalf of the town.
Her time on the FAAC has also helped taxpayers, Kane added.
“I have exposed some inconsistencies in spending and assessments through my post on the finance committee,” she said. “Those were resolved.”
In addition to her town service, Kane is an educator who runs a private school in the western communities. “I have been a small business owner for 25 years,” said Kane, who considers herself fiscally conservative.
Her work looking over the town finances was crucial in her decision to run for the council this year.
“I am passionate about trying to protect our community and have it remain rural,” Kane said. “I think that there has been a colossal waste of money… Town funds have been wasted on a series of projects that were done to get votes, as opposed to get a quality project.”
She also wants to make sure that commercial uses stay off Okeechobee Blvd.
“Okeechobee is our main street, and if you commercialize that, you are basically splitting our town in half,” Kane said.
Her top priority over the next three years is to reduce government waste.
“I would continue paving projects with established rights of way, proper drainage, and proper design and engineering,” she said. “I will try to seek appropriations to fund townwide canal functionality and road and trail improvements.”
Kane said that her “experience in town matters” makes her the best person to serve on the council.
“I am very familiar with the town’s financial situation,” she said. “I look to represent all of the residents of Loxahatchee Groves with integrity and transparency.”
Her vision for the future is that Loxahatchee Groves “remains a rural enclave for those who treasure rural life, be it for nurserymen, equestrians or just people who like living in a rural area.”
Kane believes that the town should respond to regional growth with caution, noting that everything is interconnected. She would fight to keep Okeechobee a two-lane road “because that growth is using our main street as a shortcut for their way home… There are other roads they can use.”
While Kane does not support Wellington’s proposed annexation on the north side of Southern Blvd., she does not think the area should become part of Loxahatchee Groves.
“I personally don’t think we’re in a situation to annex that land west of us,” she said. “There is a lot of turmoil in a particular area, and we are not equipped to handle those issues in addition to all we have.”
Regarding the work of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office in keeping the town safe, Kane noted that Loxahatchee Groves is a relatively safe community, but said she has been concerned by reports of increased crime.
When asked what she is most proud of in the Town of Loxahatchee Groves, Kane said, “I am most proud of the people who live in the town and their passion for what they do and where they live.”
MARIANNE MILES
Marianne Miles was elected to the council in 2021, unseating former Councilwoman Lisa El-Ramey. She is seeking her second three-year term in Seat 3.
Miles did not return several calls and e-mails for input into this article. However, in January, she sent an e-mail to town residents, copying the Town-Crier.
“In 2021, residents voted me into the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council,” she wrote. “It was an opportunity to serve our community and get things done. We paved the deteriorating OGEM, and some dirt roads were paved, giving all drivers a safer, dust free and longer-lasting surface. Thanks to resident cooperation, six major bridge and culverts were replaced.”
She also noted that state-mandated reserve funds are met at $2.8 million.
“All this, in three years, without increasing taxes or going into debt, while preserving our rural community,” Miles continued. “There is more to do for our community. Continue drainage, paving and completing the FPL underground power lines project, to name a few. I have not forgotten the residents coming to the council asking for road and drainage relief. Some are on this year’s Capital Improvement Plan, others require complex engineering assessment before proceeding.”
She also noted the council’s work improving trails. “We need better connectivity and maintenance, but we now have several recreational trails to enjoy,” Miles wrote. “I am proud of preserving lands, our tree canopy and striving for better water management.”
If re-elected, Miles said that she would protect the community’s unique lifestyle.
“I believe in making our own rules that fit our town and lifestyle,” she wrote. “Raise a family, livestock, work from home and live at ease in this rural community we call home. I’ll continue to support uncomplicated rules that apply to everyone, not special interests, and that don’t erode our rural lifestyle.”
She added that commercial development along Southern Blvd. has brought money to the town and jobs close to home.
If re-elected, Miles said that she would “listen, be fair and serve our unique community.”
