Former Soil and Water Conservation District Chair Rob Long and former teacher Angela Burns emerged victorious in the Delray Beach election for Seats 2 and 4 respectively. Long defeated Deputy Vice-Mayor Juli Casale while Burns defeated Angie Gray in a close race. The candidates engaged in accusations against each other, mainly related to their character, leading up to the election.
Rob Long’s background and experience
Rob Long is the owner of Door 2 Door Strategies, a community outreach business founded by him in 2018. He also served on several city boards, including the Planning and Zoning Board and the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce Board. Long has lived in Delray Beach for 13 years.
Angela Burns’ background and experience
Angela Burns spent 34 years working as a teacher for the Palm Beach County School District. She served on various city boards, including the Delray Beach Education Advisory Board, Delray Beach Democratic Club Board, and Delray Library Advisory Board. Burns has been a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People since 1983.
Details of Seat 4 race
Burns faced Angie Gray for Seat 4, previously occupied by Shirley Johnson. Gray served on the Delray Beach Commission from 2009 to 2014 and as vice-mayor for two of those years. She’s a Realtor and also held positions on city organizations, such as the Community Redevelopment Agency, the Small Business Advisory Committee, and the Kiwanis Club of Delray Beach. Both Burns and Gray are longtime residents of Delray Beach.
Approval of public safety and park improvement bonds
In addition to the election, two bond referendums were on the ballot. Voters approved a $100 million bond to pay for public-safety renovations and equipment and a $20 million bond to pay for park improvements. The public-safety renovation bond was passed by a 61% approval and the park improvements bond was passed by a 63% approval. The public-safety bond will finance renovations to the police station, the Ocean Rescue Headquarters, and four fire stations in the city. The parks bond will fund projects and improvements at Catherine Strong Splash Park and Miller Park, among other city parks.