BOCA RATON, Fla. — WPTV is keeping our eyes on the hotly contested mayoral election in the Big Apple.
We know many of our WPTV viewers have migrated to South Florida from New York and the big question is: What will it mean for locals?
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There’s talk that even more people will plant roots in South Florida if Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani wins the race. It’s being dubbed the “Mamdani Migration" with fears ranging from higher taxes to shifting socialist policies.
WPTV’s Joel Lopez spent the day in Boca Raton, where the city’s mayor and residents are reacting to the potential changes.
In June, Mayor Scott Singer made national headlines, going viral over promoting the city of Boca Raton's tax-friendly business climate, workforce, and quality of life as New York City businesses face possible tax increases.
"Residents can know that targeted growth in our business sector to create high paying jobs ensures affordability, quality of life and a low tax base," said Singer.
Singer has stated that the city is open for business to companies wanting to relocate from New York City.
“At this point, have you already had business from New York commit to coming down to Boca?” asked Lopez.
“Several of our relocations have been out of state. We've had a number of conversations, and I think after tomorrow, people who have been talking to us, people are going to finalize those discussions,” said Singer.
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He indicated that he’ll be checking in on the results of NYC's mayoral election as he expects it to be the catalyst for a business boost in Boca Raton, creating jobs and economic vitality for the city.
He noted there's plenty of premium office space available, with more projects in the works.
Last week, the city announced that four corporate headquarters are coming to Boca Raton.
Singer calls Boca Raton the economic engine of Palm Beach County, highlighting that it is home to 40 publicly traded companies from industries such as financial services, financial technology, medical technology, AI, quantum computing, manufacturing and more.
However, not all residents share the excitement over this potential influx of newcomers.
Joe Majhess, a Boca Raton resident, expressed his concerns.
"We have problems of our own, we have to focus on those first, and then if we want to promote that later, no problem," he said.
“What about the benefits that it would bring to the city?” asked Lopez.
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"When you look at the traffic and the capacity of the city on a daily basis, I'm not really sure where you're going to put those people, because our roads can't handle it and our infrastructure is not built for it," said Majhess.
This conversation comes after months of advocacy from several residents to control the growth and new development projects in Boca Raton, including the controversial government center, which has undergone multiple changes since it's original proposal.
"We’re focused on the businesses; we don’t expect all the residents who want to leave New York to be able to come here,” stated Singer.
Singer clarified that much of the pushback he’s received from residents regarding NYC business recruitment stems from confusion that he’s also welcoming NYC residents.
He acknowledged that we can expect some NYC residents to relocate as well, but reiterated that the city does not have plans to build more housing to accommodate them.
Instead, they're focused on businesses filling out existing and future office space in the city.
As the mayoral election unfolds in New York, all eyes will remain on the implications it may have for Florida’s communities, with Boca Raton at the forefront of this evolving narrative.
