Council appoints Douglas Lawson mayor after special meeting and public presentations

RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — The Riviera Beach City Council voted 3–2 Monday night to appoint Douglas Lawson as the city’s mayor, following a special meeting in which 11 applicants made five-minute presentations and dozens of residents offered public comment.

The council’s roll-call vote appointed Lawson to serve from April 14, 2025, until March 2027; the city attorney said the charter and ordinances require that schedule and there is no opportunity under current law for an immediate special election. Lawson took the oath of office at the meeting and was sworn in by Bishop Thomas Masters after a brief recess.

The appointment fills the vacancy left when the mayor’s seat became open March 20, 2025. The city clerk described the application window and the selection procedure: applications were accepted March 26–April 4, and the council agreed to hear applicants in alphabetical order and accept nominations at the meeting.

Council members heard five-minute presentations from each candidate, including Lawson, who described an action-oriented plan emphasizing infrastructure, public safety, economic development, affordable housing and community engagement. “I humbly ask you for your support and ask for your vote tonight,” Lawson told the council during his presentation.

Several candidates outlined priorities tied to city-wide issues that residents raised during public comment: water quality and infrastructure, job creation, youth programs, small-business support and restoring trust among residents and city staff. Candidates who highlighted experience with grants and external partnerships noted potential funding sources such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; Chandra Stringer specifically proposed a Community Water Watch Council to provide resident-facing updates on water testing and repairs.

Public comment included 18 speakers who praised multiple candidates and urged the council to choose a leader who could unify the city and pursue outside funding for water and other infrastructure. Several speakers urged a woman be chosen as mayor; others stressed experience in bringing money into the city and improving relations with state and federal partners. One commenter asked whether the city had the roughly $400 million sometimes cited as a figure for a full water replacement plan; that figure was not confirmed during the meeting.

Before the nominations, City Attorney Don Wynne told the council and public that the charter and city code govern the appointment process and that a special election is not available under current charter provisions: “There is no opportunity for a special election. The charter does not call for it.” Council members were also told that the person the council appoints will serve until the March 2027 election, when a one‑year term will be on the ballot to return the mayor’s seat to the regular cycle.

Nominations opened after public comment. A council member nominated Douglas Lawson; the clerk closed nominations and proceeded to roll-call votes in the order required by the council’s procedures. The roll call for Lawson recorded three yes votes and two no votes; the clerk announced that Councilmember Glenn Spiritus and Councilmember Priscilla Davis Penier voted “no,” and the appointment passed with the remaining members voting “yes.” The council then recessed briefly and returned to administer the oath.

Lawson’s oath concluded the meeting. During the oath he affirmed support for the U.S. and Florida constitutions and pledged to “uphold, support, enforce the charter and the ordinances of the city of Riviera Beach, Florida and perform the duties for the office of mayor upon which I am about to enter to the best of my ability. So help me, God.”

The council and staff reiterated that the next opportunity for the public to elect a mayor will be the March 2027 election; anyone may file to run in that election. The appointed mayor will serve until that time and then the March 2027 ballot will include a one‑year term to re-align the office with the regular cycle.

Votes at a glance

- Appointment of Douglas Lawson as mayor — motion approved (roll call): Yes — Bruce Guyton, Tim Miller Anderson, Shirley Lanier; No — Glenn Spiritus, Priscilla Davis Penier. Outcome: approved. Term: appointment to serve April 14, 2025 until March 2027 (term end date: March 2027, not specified to day).