‘On the Record’: Race for Jupiter mayor

SLEW OF BUILDING PROJECTS, AND A TROUBLING AREA OF TRAFFIC. THE TOWN OF JUPITER IS GETTING READY TO PICK THE MAYOR. IT WANTS TO HANDLE ALL OF THESE ISSUES AND MORE. AND NOW WE ARE SITTING DOWN WITH THE TWO CANDIDATES. LET’S GO ON THE RECORD. YOU’RE WATCHING ON THE RECORD, ON 25. GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. I’M TIFFANY KENNEY. IN JUST OVER A WEEK, THE TOWN OF JUPITER WILL VOTE ON ITS NEXT MAYOR. AND I’M JOINED NOW BY THE INCUMBENT IN THE RACE, MAYOR JIM KORETZKY. MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US THIS MORNING. I WANT TO START WITH WHAT SEEMS TO BE THE TOP ISSUE FOR THE TOWN. JUPITER IS WELL ON ITS WAY TO FORMING ITS OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT. FIRE STATIONS ARE ALREADY UNDER CONSTRUCTION, AND THERE WAS CONCERN THAT THE TOWN DIDN’T GO THROUGH THE PROPER CHANNELS TO APPROVE ALL OF THIS. THE RESIDENTS DIDN’T GET A CHANCE TO SPEAK. TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR STANCE ON THAT. WELL, WE BELIEVE THAT WE HAD PUBLISHED CONVERSATION IN PUBLIC MEETINGS, TOWN COUNCIL MEETINGS. QUITE A FEW OF THEM. AND I POST ON MY FACEBOOK, MAYOR JIM CRISKY FACEBOOK PAGE AND HAD POSTED WHAT WE WERE GOING THROUGH AND SIMPLY PUT, IS, YOU KNOW, WE WERE SERVED WELL BY PALM BEACH COUNTY FIRE RESCUE FOR MANY YEARS. NEVER WAS ANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THAT. VERY SATISFIED. BUT WHEN THE COUNTY STEPPED UP AND WANTED TO EFFECTIVELY DOUBLE THE TAX RATE AND FEELING LIKE IT’S TIME FOR US TO SUBSIDIZE OUTSIDE OF JUPITER TO UNINCORPORATED AREAS WHICH ARE INHERENTLY MORE EXPENSIVE TO SERVE, WE STARTED LOOKING AT OPTIONS, AND WE ENDED UP WITH THE DECISION TO FORM OUR OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT AND ALL THE NAYSAYERS QUESTIONING, WHAT COULD WE DO IT? YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD IT TAKE? I’M THRILLED WITH THE PROGRESS WE’VE MADE. IT’S BETTER THAN I COULD HAVE HOPED FOR, AND WE’RE EXCITED AND WE’RE GOING TO BE READY ON OCTOBER 1ST, 2026 TO TO TAKE OVER SERVICING, YOU KNOW, OUR BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS, HOPEFULLY IN CONTINUE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PALM BEACH COUNTY FIRE RESCUE AS THEY COVER UNINCORPORATED AREAS AND AND ALSO WITH ADJOINING MUNICIPALITIES SUCH AS THE GARDENS, WHO WE ALREADY HAVE A MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT WITH. NOW, MAYOR, IN THE PAST, YOU’VE SPECULATED THAT IF YOUR OPPONENT, COUNCILOR CAMERON MAY, IS ELECTED MAYOR, HE WILL WANT TO REISSUE REVISIT THIS ISSUE OF THE TOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT, EVEN THOUGH HE HAS SAID HE’S ON BOARD WITH THE PROJECT. YOU’VE ALSO SAID IF THE DECISION IS REVERSED, THE TOWN WOULD BE ON THE HOOK FOR $250 MILLION. WHERE DOES THAT NUMBER COME FROM? WELL, $250 MILLION OVER TEN YEARS IS THE AMOUNT OF TAXES, REVENUES THAT WOULD BE THAT WOULD BE COLLECTED FROM JUPITER TAXPAYERS IF WE WERE TO GO TO% THE FULL MILLAGE RATE. I THINK THE PUBLIC REALIZS, YOU KNOW, THE CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE WITH JUPITER, I MEAN, WITH PALM BEACH COUNTY ENDS ON SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2026. SO IF IN FACT, IN THIS ELECTION, THE PALM BEACH COUNTY FIRE RESCUE UNION CANDIDATES WERE TO BECOME GET ELECTED. AND WANTING TO STAY WITH PALM BEACH COUNTY FIRE RESCUE, WHAT LEVERAGE DO YOU THINK THEY WOULD HAVE FOR ANYBODY WOULD HAVE FOR THE COUNTY NOT TO JUST DO WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO AND JUST UP THE TAX RATE? IT HAPPENED. THAT’S THAT’S MY CONCERN, QUITE FRANKLY. THAT’S THE REASON WHY I’M RUNNING FOR REELECTION. WELL, THE STATE LEGISLATURE IS PROPOSING A BILL THAT WOULD ELIMINATE PROPERTY TAXES IN FLORIDA, AND THAT WOULD MEAN A HIT TO FUNDING FOR THINGS LIKE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. SO HAVE ARE YOU WORKING ON JUST IN CASE THIS DOES PASS OF ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO CONTINUE THE FUNDING? NO. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I’LL JUST SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, IT’S JUST SUCH A STAGGERING WE HAVE THE LOWEST AD VALOREM TAX RATE IN IN NORTH COUNTY OF ANY MUNICIPALITY BY CLOSEST IS THE GARDEN. SOME ARE LIKE DOUBLE OURS. SO, YOU KNOW, IT’S IMPORTANT TO US TO TRY TO KEEP COST OF LIVING LOW. AND SO IT REALLY IS ABOUT THAT. AND REGARDING THE OTHER QUESTION YOU ASK, QUITE FRANKLY, I THINK IT’S ABSURD PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THAT. BUT I’M WAITING, AS WE ALWAYS DO, TO WHAT THE LEGISLATORS. I DON’T KNOW HOW YOU COULD MAKE UP. THE AD VALOREM TAX COLLECTIONS THROUGH A SALES TAX, I THINK WOULD BE OVERLY BURDENSOME. PERSONALLY. FURTHER, HEY, LET ME ASK THE STATE LEGISLATORS, HEY, WE FUND PUBLIC SCHOOLS THROUGH AD VALOREM TAXES. IT’S ONE THIRD OF OUR AD VALOREM TAXES. WHY DON’T YOU START WITH THAT AND FUND IT WITHOUT TAXING OUR RESIDENTS? I DON’T THINK IT’S POSSIBLE TO DO EVERYTHING. HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THAT. LET’S TALK ABOUT DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING. ALSO, A BIG TOPIC OF CONVERSATION IN JUPITER AND THE U.S. ONE QUARTER IN JUPITER IN PARTICULAR, SEEING A LOT OF GROWTH. HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT HOW THIS DEVELOPMENT IS BEING HANDLED AND WHAT TYPE OF PROJECTS WOULD YOU ALSO LIKE TO SEE? WELL, I THINK JUST TALKING ABOUT GROWTH, AND I SUSPECT YOU’LL GET INTO TRAFFIC NEXT. I DO THINK THAT JUPITER HAS UNIQUELY MANAGED GROWTH DIFFERENTLY THAN CERTAINLY OTHER MUNICIPALITIES. AND IN PALM BEACH COUNTY, IN PALM BEACH COUNTY, WE’VE ACTUALLY USED THE TRAFFIC AS THE LIMITING FACTOR TO STOP GROWTH, BECAUSE THE WAY IT WORKS IN MOST OTHER AREAS, AND I GO BACK OVER THE COURSE THAT I’VE BEEN ON COUNCIL, WE HAD A BIG BOX REGIONAL MALL THAT WANTED TO COME IN OFF INDIANTOWN ROAD CHAMBER AT THE TIME WAS BEHIND IT. WE WERE GOING TO THEY WERE TELLING US, WIDEN THE ROAD EIGHT LANES TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. IF WE HAD DONE THAT UMPTEEN YEARS AGO, WE’D BE NO BETTER OFF. SO. WE’VE BEEN MANAGING GROWTH IN HOLDING IT BACK, AND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PROVISIONS AND ACTIONS WE TAKE AS A COUNCIL. WE GET TOGETHER ONCE A YEAR TO REVIEW WHERE WE STAND ON TRAFFIC. WE MAKE SURE WE’RE PURSUING TRAFFIC LIMITATIONS, WE PUT TRAFFIC CAPS ON DEVELOPMENT. YOU CAN’T BUILD WITH ANY MORE IMPACT OF THIS. WE BUY A PROPERTY TO TAKE TRIPS OFF THE ROAD. WE WOULD HAVE HAD A TARGET STORE ACROSS FROM WALMART IN THE MOST. IN THE WORST CASE I COULD IMAGINE. I LIKEN IT TO A SITUATION ON PALM BEACH LAKES MANY YEARS AGO, AND BUT WE WERE ABLE TO BUY UP THE PROPERTY AND NOW IT’S A DOG PARK. WELL, SO WE’VE TAKEN ALL THESE STEPS TO MANAGE GROWTH. WE KNEW, I KNEW WHEN I MOVED TO JUPITER, WE WERE ALWAYS GOING TO BE TRAVELING, CHALLENGED BY TRAFFIC, AND WE’RE CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT. BUT WE’VE REALLY HELD BACK DEVELOPMENT ON A1A YEARS, A FEW YEARS BACK, THERE WAS A COUNCIL THAT WAS REALLY TRYING TO PUT TOO MUCH IN WHAT WE CALL OUR INLET VILLAGE, AND I WORKED TO GET OUR COMP PLAN TO ESTABLISH A ROADWAY LEVEL OF SERVICE LIMIT ON THAT SECTION OF A1A FOR CARS FOR BICYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS. UNPRECEDENTED. WE USE THAT TO CONTROL GROWTH IN THE INLET VILLAGE. WELL, LET’S TALK ABOUT THE TRAFFIC. YOU MENTIONED THAT. AND YES, I AM GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE OF INDIAN TOWN ROAD, ONE OF THE MOST CONGESTED AREAS IN JUPITER. IT’S A STATE ROAD, THOUGH. SO WHAT DO YOU DO TO HELP ALLEVIATE THE TRAFFIC PROBLEMS ALONG INDIAN TOWN? WELL, NUMBER ONE, WE WHAT WE’VE DONE IS WE TRY TO MANAGE GROWTH TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC THAT’S ON IT. BUT WE’VE BEEN WORKING FOR YEARS IN COLLABORATION WITH PALM BEACH COUNTY AND, AND FDOT TO GET, TO GET PROJECTS TO MOVE FORWARD. WE HAVE ONE GOING ON RIGHT NOW. AND WHAT WE DO SOMETIMES IS THE TOWN IS WE STEP UP AND PROVIDE EXTRA MONEY THAT MAYBE FDOT WOULDN’T DO OR NOT. MAYBE THEY WOULDN’T. SO WE HAVE A I-95 INTERCHANGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT THAT’S UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW. PART OF THAT PROJECT IS BOTH EASTBOUND AND WESTBOUND FROM I-95. TURN LANES, OCCASIONAL TURN LANES ARE GOING TO BE TURNED INTO THROUGH TURN LANES. WHAT THAT DOES, AND WE FUNDED PART OF THAT TO HAVE THE THE FDOT EXPAND THE SCOPE OF WHAT THEY WERE DOING. BUT WHAT THAT DOES IS THEN THROUGH AN INTERSECTION, INSTEAD OF HAVING THREE LANES OF THROUGH TRAFFIC, YOU HAVE FOUR. AND REALLY THE CAPACITY OF ROADWAY IS LIMITED BY THE INTERSECTION. SO WE’RE DOING ALL THOSE KINDS OF THINGS. WE’VE GOT A NUMBER OF PHASES WE HAVE TO PURSUE, BUT WE’RE JUST MARCHING DOWN THE PATH OF TRYING TO MITIGATE TRAFFIC. ALL RIGHT. AND MAYOR, WE’VE GOT ABOUT 45 SECONDS 30S LEFT. I WANT YOU TO GIVE YOUR FINAL MESSAGE TO VOTERS. WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS DISCUSSION TODAY. WELL, I HOPE THAT THE VOTERS HAVE BEEN IN OFFICE FOR A LONG TIME. I HAVE A RECORD. I’M NOT PROMISING ANYTHING. I HAVEN’T DONE, AND HOPEFULLY BASED ON MY TRACK RECORD, I HOPE THAT THE PUBLIC WILL VOTE FOR ME ON MARCH 11TH TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP TO THE TOWN ON THESE ISSUES OF FISCAL, YOU KNOW, THE COST OF GOVERNMENT, MAKING SURE WE ARE MANAGING GROWTH, MAKE SURE ALL THE TOPICS YOU TALKED ABOUT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. MAYOR JIM KORETZKY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US THIS MORNING. STAY HERE WHILE WE WE GO TO A BREAK. AFTER THE BREAK, WE’RE GOING TO SIT DOWN WITH THE ONLY OTHER OPPONENT IN THIS RACE,YOU’RE WAT WPBF 25. THANK YOU FOR STAYING WITH US. WE CONTINUE OUR CONVERSATION WITH THE CANDIDATES FOR MAYOR OF JUPITER. JOINING ME NOW IS COUNCILOR CAMERON MAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE, COUNCILOR. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME A LITTLE BIT. LET’S START WITH THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. WE TALKED ABOUT IT WITH THE MAYOR. YOU WORK AS A FIREFIGHTER FOR PALM BEACH COUNTY. YOU OPPOSED JUPITER IN THE BEGINNING OF FORMING ITS OWN FIRE DEPARTMENT. YOU DIDN’T THINK THE COUNCIL WENT THROUGH THE THE PROPER PROCEDURES? AS WE DISCUSSED. BUT NOW, THOUGH, YOU’RE FULLY ON BOARD WITH IT. TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR STANCE ON THIS. YEAH. SO LIKE YOU SAID IN THE BEGINNING, I WAS, YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS IN WHICH WE DECIDED TO CREATE JUPITER FIRE RESCUE, I FELT DIDN’T FULLY ALERT THE PUBLIC TO THE DECISION THAT WAS BEING MADE. WE HAD A PRESENTATION UPDATING US ON THE NUMBERS AT THE TIME, SINCE THE CONTRACT HAD BEEN SIGNED. SO AT THAT TIME, THE COUNCIL FELT IT PRUDENT TO GO AHEAD AND PROCEED WITH CANCELING THE CONTRACT AND CONTINUING DOWN THE ROAD TO JUPITER. FIRE. I FUNDAMENTALLY FELT LIKE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACTUAL AGENDA ITEM FOR THE RESIDENTS TO BE AWARE OF. BEFORE WE MADE SUCH A EXPENSIVE VOTE, AND THAT WAS MY, YOU KNOW, ISSUE IN THE BEGINNING. AND, YOU KNOW, AS THINGS PROGRESSED AND WE STARTED TO BUILD IT OUT, I DIDN’T WANT TO JUST SIT BACK AND JUST VOTE NO ON EVERYTHING AND BE OUTVOTED AS A FIREFIGHTER AND SOMEONE WHO’S RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR RESIDENTS, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE BUILDING A REALLY GOOD FIRE DEPARTMENT THAT EVERYBODY CAN BE PROUD OF. YOU KNOW, THERE ARE CONCERNS THAT IF YOU’RE ELECTED AND A MOVE IS MADE TO REVISIT THE ISSUE OF A TOWN FIRE DEPARTMENT, THAT THAT DECISION WOULD BE REVERSED. THE TOWN WOULD BE ON THE HOOK FOR $250 MILLION. THAT’S BEEN THE NUMBER THAT’S KIND OF BEEN TOSSED ABOUT. YOU SAY THAT NUMBER IS WRONG. SO THE THE TWO 50,000,250 MILLION AVERAGE CONTRACT COST. RIGHT NOW, WE’RE ABOUT $26.5 MILLION PER YEAR. YOU MULTIPLY THAT OUT OVER TEN YEARS WITH MAYBE A SMALL PERCENTAGE INCREASE OVER THE YEARS TO MAKE UP FOR INCREASING COSTS. THE WHOLE CONTRACT WILL COST ABOUT $250 MILLION OVER TEN YEARS. NOT A NOT AN INCREASE. THERE WAS ORIGINALLY A PROPOSAL TO DOUBLE THE MILLAGE RATE FOR THAT. JUPITER WAS PAYING FOR PALM BEACH COUNTY FIRE RESCUE. WE ALL UNANIMOUSLY SAID, NO, THAT’S NOT ACCEPTABLE. AND THAT’S WHY WE HAVE THE CONTRACT THAT WE SIGNED. NOW, THAT IS A COST FOR SERVICE AGREEMENT. AND OUR MILLAGE RATE ACTUALLY HAS CONTINUED TO FALL OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS SINCE THE NEW CONTRACT HAS BEEN SIGNED. IT WAS AT 1.87 AND NOW IT’S AT 1.64. SO I DON’T SEE HOW THE MILLAGE RATE WILL DOUBLE, AS IF IT’S GOING TO CONTINUE TO TO LOWER. SO AS THE MAYOR, I CAN’T MAKE A MOTION TO UNDO OR DO ANYTHING. IT’S UP TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO MAKE THAT MOTION. YOU CAN SUPPORT THE MOTION IF YOU IF YOU FEEL SO NECESSARY. BUT RIGHT NOW, WITHOUT THERE BEING SOLID EVIDENCE TO SAY WHERE WE’RE AT RIGHT NOW WITH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE’VE SPENT SO FAR, THERE’S NOTHING FOR ME TO LOOK AT AND SAY, OKAY, WE NEED TO STOP WHAT WE’RE DOING AND REVERT BACK TO PALM BEACH COUNTY COUNCIL. THE STATE LEGISLATURE IS PROPOSING A BILL THAT WOULD ELIMINATE PROPERTY TAXES IN FLORIDA. THIS WILL BE ADDRESSED IN THE SESSION, BUT THAT WOULD ALSO MEAN A HIT TO FUNDING THINGS LIKE A FIRE DEPARTMENT. EXACTLY. WHAT DO YOU SAY ABOUT THAT? IT’S CONCERNING. IT’S WITHOUT KNOWING HOW THEY WOULD HAVE ALTERNATIVE FUNDING FOR THOSE TYPES OF PROGRAMS FOR FIRE, POLICE, SCHOOLS. I KNOW THAT THERE IS A BILL BEING MOVED FOR THIS SESSION TO STUDY ELIMINATING OR REDUCING PROPERTY TAXES, AND THE STUDY WOULD HAVE TO BE DUE BY OCTOBER 1ST, I BELIEVE. BUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE SOMETHING COMES OUT OF THAT STUDY THAT SAYS THIS IS HOW YOU REPLACE IT TO FUND THESE THINGS. BUT I’VE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE AS A FIREFIGHTER MYSELF WHO HAVE REACHED OUT TO ME TO ASK ME WHAT’S GOING ON WITH IT, AND IT’S TOO EARLY TO TELL WHAT THEIR GOAL IS OTHER THAN REDUCING TAXES, WHICH I’M ALWAYS IN FAVOR OF REDUCING PEOPLE’S TAXES. BUT THE, THE, THE PRIMARY SERVICES, THE EMERGENCY SERVICES THAT ARE FUNDED THROUGH PROPERTY TAX ARE, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY A DANGER OF LOSING THEIR FUNDING. BUT I KNOW THAT I DON’T THINK THE LEGISLATURE WOULD EVER DO ANYTHING TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE EMERGENCY SERVICE FUNDING. SO WE’LL HAVE TO SEE HOW THAT GOES. DEVELOPMENT AND HOUSING. YES. BIG TOPIC. A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT ALONG US. ONE. WHAT ARE THE PROJECTS THAT YOU’RE LIKING THERE? HOW DO YOU STEM THE GROWTH WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, CAUSING MAJOR PROBLEMS? YEAH. SO WHEN I FIRST WAS ELECTED AS A COUNCIL MEMBER, WHEN I, WHEN I CAME IN, I REALIZED THAT A LOT OF THESE LARGER PROJECTS THAT HAD BEEN BUILT ALONG THE US ONE CORRIDOR WERE BENEFITING FROM WHAT’S CALLED A BONUS POINT PROGRAM, AND THE DEVELOPER WAS ABLE TO TRADE OFF WHAT THEY CALLED BONUS POINTS TO INCREASE THEIR HEIGHT AND DENSITY FOR PUBLIC BENEFIT. SOME OF THOSE PUBLIC BENEFITS, WHETHER IT WAS A BOAT DOCK OR A PUBLIC RESTROOM OR SOME PARKING, IF THE DEVELOPMENT WAS SOLD OFF, THE NEW OWNER OF THE BUILDING MAY NOT LIKE TO THE UPKEEP OR THE MAINTENANCE OF THOSE PUBLIC BENEFITS, AND THEY WANTED TO ELIMINATE THEM. AND I SAID, WELL, THAT’S NOT FAIR BECUSE YOU GOT INCREASED HEIGHT AND DENSITY. AS FOR THE BONUS POINT PROGRAM TO TO WITH THIS PUBLIC BENEFIT. SO YOU CAN’T JUST ELIMINATE IT. AND I FELT THAT PROGRAM WAS NO LONGER NECESSARY BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE TOWN OF JUPITER DIDN’T LIKE THE SIZE OF THE BUILDINGS THAT WERE GOING IN, SO I MADE IT A PRIORITY OF MINE TO ELIMINATE THE BONUS POINT PROGRAM, PUT IT BACK IN OUR PLANNED UNIT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, AND ALLOW FOR THE DEVELOPERS TO ASK FOR HEIGHT AND DENSITY, BUT IT HAD TO GO THROUGH THE PROPER PROCESS, AND EVERYBODY, I THINK, HAS BEEN ALIGNED THAT THEY DON’T WANT INCREASED HEIGHT AND DENSITY PAST WHAT CODE OR OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ALLOWS. THERE’S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF PLACES FOR PROJECTS TO BE NEWLY BUILT. THEY COULD POTENTIALLY REDEVELOP THE AREAS, AND THOSE ARE THE MY CONCERNS IS IF THEY TRY TO REDEVELOP A PARCEL, THEY WOULD GO FOR INCREASED HEIGHT AND DENSITY TO GET A BETTER RETURN ON THEIR INVESTMENT. AND IT’S JUST NOT A GOOD LOOK FOR JUPITER. AND IT DOESN’T FIT WHAT JUPITER IS ALL ABOUT. SOMETHING I JUST SPOKE TO THE MAYOR ABOUT IS TRAFFIC. THE CONGESTION ALONG INDIANTOWN ROAD. WHAT DO YOU THINK THE SOLUTION IS TO TO DEAL WITH THE CONGESTION THERE ON INDIAN TOWN ROAD? YEAH. SO WE’RE WE’RE WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE LIVING IN JUPITER THAN WE EVER HAVE. WE HAVE OVER 61,000 PEOPLE LIVING HERE. AND IT’S ALMOST YEAR ROUND NOW. WE USED TO HAVE A SEASON AND YOU CAN HAVE A NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE IN TRAFFIC IN SEASON, BUT IT’S REALLY HASN’T CHANGED A WHOLE LOT. I DON’T THINK IT HELPED THAT WE HAD BETWEEN THE US, ONE BRIDGE BEING SHUT DOWN, AND THEN WE HAD THE I-95 INDIANTOWN ROAD NEW TRAFFIC LIGHT PROJECT COME UP AT THE SAME TIME WHEN THE BRIDGE WAS SHUT DOWN, BECAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE USED TO COME FROM STUART AND HOBE SOUND, THEY WOULD COME STRAIGHT DOWN US ONE, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE STOPPED USING THAT ROUTE WHEN THE BRIDGE WAS SHUT DOWN. SO THEY WERE COMING OUT 95 AND THEN COMING BACK IN JUPITER ON INDIANTOWN ROAD. SO YOU’RE CAUSING A LOT MORE TRAFFIC IN THAT AREA. I THINK ONCE THE BRIDGE IS OPENED BACK UP AND PEOPLE START REUSING THAT, THAT TRAFFIC PATTERN, IT COULD HELP TO ALLEVIATE SOME CONGESTION THERE. AND THERE ARE SOME PROJECTS THAT WE’VE ALL SUPPORTED WHERE EXTENDING ISLAND WAY SOUTH INTO THE JUPITER COMMERCE PARK, WHICH WOULD HELP ELIMINATE ABOUT 5000 TRIPS FROM THE INTERSECTION OF CENTRAL BOULEVARD AND INDIAN TOWN ROAD. THAT’S SOMETHING I SUPPORTED, AND THE MAYOR HAS SUPPORTED THAT AS WELL. SO WE’RE NO DIFFERENT ON THAT PROJECT TO HELP ALLEVIATE. THAT’S OUR BIGGEST TRAFFIC HOLDUP IS IS NEAR I-95 AND WE ARE WIDENING UNIONTOWN ROAD IN THAT AREA TO HELP ALLEVIATE SOME OF THAT, THAT CONGESTION. IT’S JUST GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME. YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, DURING ESPECIALLY AFTER COVID, WE HAD A LOT MORE PEOPLE MOVE HERE. AND IT’S REALLY SWELLED OUR CAPACITY. AND IT’S JUST GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO GET SOME PROJECTS ON BOARD THAT WILL HOPEFULLY ALLEVIATE THAT TRAFFIC IN THE FUTURE. AND WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BIGGEST ISSUE FACING JUPITER? I THINK IT’S ALWAYS GOING TO BE. AND IN THE LAST, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL YEARS IT’S ALWAYS BEEN IN TRAFFIC, INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OBVIOUSLY IS A BIG ISSUE. BUT AS AGAIN, EVERYONE HAS SAID, YOU KNOW, AND I’VE SAID THAT I’M ON BOARD WITH MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT FIRE DEPARTMENT. IF OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS GET ELECTED AND THEY WANT TO SEE SOMETHING CHANGED, I WOULD HOPE IT WAS DONE. AFTER THOROUGH ANALYSIS OF THE FUNDING AND HOW FAR ALONG WE ARE, BUT JUST MOVING FORWARD, JUST KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THE TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT THAT WE’RE APPROVING, JUST SOMETHING THAT’S ALWAYS GOING TO KEEP JUPITER, THAT HAD THAT SMALL TOWN FEEL. AND IF VOTERS TAKE AWAY ONE THING FROM THIS DISCUSSION THIS MORNING, WHAT DO YOU WANT THEM TO HEAR? WHAT IS YOUR FINAL MESSAGE TO VOTERS BEFORE THEY HEAD TO THE POLLS? I’M BORN AND RAISED IN JUPITER. I’VE BEEN HERE MY ENTIRE LIFE, AND IT’S IT’S MY HOMETOWN. I’M ONLY INTERESTED IN PROTECTING MY HOMETOWN. THIS ISN’T SOMETHING THAT I NEED TO DO. IT’S SOMETHING THAT I REALLY WANT TO DO. AND WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO’S DOING SOMETHING THAT THEY WANT TO DO, YOU’RE GOING TO GET THE BEST OUT OF THEM. AND I’M GOING TO FIGHT EVERY DAY TO PROTECT OUR PARADISE. ALL RIGHT. COUNCILOR CAMERON, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH US THIS MORNING. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. WELL, AFTER THE BREAK, JUPITER RESIDENTS WON’T JUST BE VOTING ON A NEW MAYOR. THE OTHER ISSUES THEY CAN EXPECT HERE WE GO. ON MARCH 11TH, THE TOWN OF JUPITER WILL VOTE ON A NEW MAYOR, BUT RESIDENTS WILL ALSO BE VOTING ON NEW CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. THESE ARE THREE YEAR TERMS ON THE BALLOT FOR THE FIRST DISTRICT RACE. PHYLLIS CHOI, TERRI GROOMS, ANDY WESTON AND ON THE BALLOT FOR THE SECOND DISTRICT RACE, LINDA MCDERMOTT WILL CHOOSE VICE MAYOR MOLLY SUNDSTRÖM. SUNDSTRÖM WAS ELECTED TO HER CURRENT POSITION BACK IN 2022, AFTER SERVING ON THE TOWN’S PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION. AND, AS A REMINDER, ELECTION DAY IS TUESDAY, MARCH 11TH. IF A RUNOFF ELECTION IS NECESSARY, IT WILL BE HELD ON TUESDAY, MARCH 25TH. ON THE RECORD. WE’LL BETHANK YOU FOR MAKING US OF YOUR MORNING. AS ALWAYS, WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO BE PART OF OUR DISCUSSION EACH AND EVERY SUNDAY RIGHT HERE AT TEN. AND UNTIL THEN, YOU CAN WATCH THIS MORNING’S ON THE RECORD AND EVERY EPISODE ON OUR WEBSITE, WPBF.COM, AND ON OUR FREE WPBF 25 NEWS APP. MATTER OF FACT WITH SOLEDAD O’BRIEN IS NEXT. WE HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT SUNDAY AND WE’LL SEE YOU AGAIN NEXT SUNDAY.

‘On the Record’: Race for Jupiter mayor

Updated: 11:19 AM EST Mar 2, 2025

‘On the Record’: Race for Jupiter mayor. A new town fire department and several new building projects are discussed.

JUPITER, Fla. —

‘On the Record’: Race for Jupiter mayor. A new town fire department and several new building projects are discussed.