Why do state PACs care about Lake Worth Beach's City Commission races?

A prominent Republican campaign finance operative is managing money for political committees trying to influence small-town nonpartisan races

FOR THE SECOND consecutive year, factions trying to influence Lake Worth Beach’s nonpartisan City Commission races have formed state-registered political action committees with help from a prominent Republican campaign finance operative.

So what? After all, PACs are a part of the election cycle, right?

True, but some local residents are concerned about the PACs for at least three reasons:

• PACs usually are involved in higher-profile county, state and federal races. Small-town elections like the Lake Worth Beach City Commission usually aren’t considered prime fodder for PACs.

• The two PACs seeking to influence the city’s District 2 and District 4 races could have registered with the Lake Worth Beach City Clerk. They did not. They registered in mid-February with the state Division of Elections — a completely legal move that allows them to will file their first campaign finance reports on April 10, a month after the March 11 elections. Had they registered with the city, the PACs could have been required to publicly disclose their donors and expenditures before election day.

• For help, the two PACs turned to a prominent Tallahassee-based campaign finance operative known for representing Republican clients. Lake Worth Beach’s races are supposed to be nonpartisan.

Election day is Tuesday. Two commissioners, Chris McVoy and Reinaldo Diaz, are facing challengers who are being supported by the PACs, according to recent mailers paid for by the PACs.

Last year, the same Tallahassee firm representing the two latest PACs managed money for a PAC that helped unseat commissioner Kim Stokes, who had often voted in unison with McVoy and Diaz.

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