Jesse Scheckner
Anthony Segrich has a new job: Lake Worth Beach City Commissioner.
With all eight precincts reporting, Segrich, a no-party candidate, had 54% of the vote to defeat Democratic opponent Greg Richter.
Fewer than 730 Lake Worth Beach residents cast ballots in the contest, according to the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections’ unofficial results.
Segrich will serve a three-year term creating policy in the county’s eighth-largest municipality by population.
He replaces outgoing Commissioner Reinaldo Diaz, who placed third in the city’s General Election on March 11 and must leave office.
While campaigning, Richter and Segrich agreed there is too much red tape slowing permitting at City Hall and that local infrastructure needs better upkeeping.
Richter, a 69-year-old Realtor, brough experience as President of the South Palm Neighborhood Association and neighborhood liaison for the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) into the race.
He promised, if elected, to create a volunteer task force called the “Lake Worth Beach Pothole Patrol” to identify and fix problems in the city. He also wanted to address code compliance issues, improve the city’s tree coverage and ensure there’s enough parking, workforce housing and affordable housing in new multifamily developments.
“I spent my entire business career building relationships and driving projects forward to successful results, and I’ll bring that experience to the … City Commission,” Richter said in a statement. “My only objective is to be your voice and help (Lake Worth Beach) thrive as a vibrant and charming community.”
Segrich, a 47-year-old real estate agent who owns a water and mold remediation company, said the city needed to adopt a more business-like approach, starting with filling the city’s vacant City Manager position, a job now held by the Lake Worth Beach’s Deputy City Manager.
Other items on Segrich’s to-do list included filling key city staffing slots, creating more incentives to attract businesses, working with the PBSO to improve policing and cutting budgetary waste by having city staff do more work than outside consultants.
Segrich said Richter’s “Pothole Patrol” plan could “inspire a Jimmy Buffet (sic) song,” but would do little to “resolve the issues.”
“It’s time to bring back common sense and accountability to Lake Worth Beach,” he said. “Our beloved city is not without its challenges. As of late we have lost our way a little.”
Segrich was the better fundraiser, collecting $51,410 and spending $42,013 by March 20. The South Florida Sun-Sentinel endorsed him.
Richter raised $25,930 and spent $17,089. He won nods from the Palm Beach Post, Professional Firefighters/Paramedics of Palm Beach County Local 2928 and the Palm Beach Human Rights Council.
District 4 spans Lake Worth Beach’s southeastern portion.
