Name: Mike Liebelson

Office sought: Mayor of Boca Raton

Campaign website: mikeforboca.com

Date, place of birth: December, 1955, Queens, New York

Generally speaking, is Boca Raton on the right track or the wrong track, and why?
Wrong track. We have a city council that has approved uncontrolled development that is negatively affecting resident’s quality of life, including greatly increased traffic, increased taxes, neighborhoods under threat from incompatible large developments nearby, pressures on existing infrastructure (roads, water, sewer,utilities) etc.

How will you vote on ballot question No. 1, and why? (police headquarters, public safety improvements)
Public safety is my number 1 priority and police infrastructure needs to be expanded and updated. However, the city’s own financial advisory board recommended a bond issue level of $120 million which is being exceeded by almost 50% with ballot question #1. In addition, I have no faith that our existing city commission has the capabilities to properly manage and provide oversight for the construction of the large project that is being proposed. This city commission treats our tax dollars like OPM – Other People’s Money. Resident taxpayers have seen a 70% increase in property tax revenues that has been swallowed up by expenditures that are not being properly controlled by the city council. Given this financial carelessness, I will be voting no on ballot question No 1. However, very soon after a new council is seated with me as mayor, we will work to right-size the police headquarters and likely come out with a new bond issue that is smaller in size and properly addresses the critical needs that our police force has.

How will you vote on ballot question No. 2, and why? (Lease of downtown land, public improvements, Memorial Park)
I will vote NO. This is a public land giveaway, plain and simple. The residents of our city have been fed propaganda by the developer and the city council. Billions of dollars of benefits have been bandied about. These numbers have been produced by the city’s consultant who is being paid $2.8 million by the developer if the deal goes ahead. 90% of those dollars occur after year 30 in the 99-year lease deal. When brought back to today’s present value dollars the far-in-the-future benefits are worth $100 million, Meanwhile we are giving up land valued at $200 million and
the residents are funding another $200 million for the public improvements (yes, another bond issue being proposed). So, we are in the hole for $300 million all while approving the developer’s plans for 5-7, 12 story towers that will completely change the character of downtown Boca and sentence the residents of downtown Boca to a decade of construction, cement dust and gridlocked traffic.

Are you satisfied that the ballot language approved by the City Council accurately reflects the details of the ballot questions?
No, there is no mention of the fact that the City is required to fund the $200 million in civic improvements and no mention of the 5-7, 12 story towers that are being built. There is also no mention of the negative financial deal that this represents to the City.

The Florida Legislature is considering proposals to reduce or eliminate property taxes. Do you agree the taxes are too high, and what tax cut proposals do you support?
Yes, they are too high. City of Boca property tax collections have gone up by 70% over the last 5 years. This is squeezing retail, other small business, restaurants, renters and young families. This is because homesteaded properties have been insulated from the big increases in taxes and those taxes have instead fallen on the commercial and rental properties. Either the state will cut these property tax collections, or I will work to do that as mayor. There is plenty of waste and excessive
spending throughout the City’s operating and capital budgets that can be reduced if tax revenues are reduced. Unlike the current city council, I will not support the sale or leasing of our public lands to make up for lost tax revenues.

What most distinguishes you from your opponent(s)?
I accept zero campaign contributions from developers. My opponents have raked in more than $500,000 in contributions from big developers primarily through dark money political committees contributing to their political committees. My opponents have voted together 98% of the time, including for variances, land use changes and other votes that have paved the way for the uncontrolled large developments that are suffocating Boca. I will control growth and make sure that infrastructure is in place and paid for before new development approvals occur and make sure that those new developments comply with our plans and zoning ordinances. I have extensive real-world business experience, both founding and building a highly successful company in the independent power industry and managing 10,000 employee organizations as a leadership-team member in the C-Suite of Fortune 100 companies.

List in reverse chronological order, starting with most recent, colleges and universities attended with years of attendance and degrees held.
MBA in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania 1979-1981

Bachelor of Sciences in Chemical Engineering with honors from the University of California at Berkeley 1974-1978

List in reverse the chronological order your work history for the past 10 years. 
The following goes beyond 10 years:
Senior Advisor to Zanskar Geothermal and Minerals, Monolith Materials and Steelhead LNG

Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer for Foster Wheeler AG, a global engineer and construction company based in Geneva, Switzerland

Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer for NRG Energy, focusing on low carbon technologies, founder and President of NRG Solar, at the time one of the largest utility scale solar companies in the country

Co-Founder and Managing Director of LS Power Corporation, one of the most successful independent power companies in the country

Engineering and management positions at Commerical Union Energy Corporation, Pyropower Corporation, Air Products & Chemicals, Exxon and Chevron.

Have you ever been a party to a lawsuit, including bankruptcy or foreclosure? If so, provide details and disposition.
NO

Have you ever been charged or convicted of a misdemeanor or felony, including an adjudication of guilt withheld? If so, provide charges, dates and terms of sentence.
NO

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2026/02/14/questionnaire-mike-liebelson-candidate-for-boca-raton-mayor/