Riviera Beach City Council selects mayor amid candidate controversy

In a non-traditional process, the Riviera Beach City Council selected Douglas Lawson as the new mayor after all candidates for the mayoral race were disqualified due to improper payment methods during registration, violating Florida law. Residents expressed frustration over the lack of public input in the selection process, highlighting ongoing issues with city infrastructure and governance. Former Mayor Ronnie Felder noted that he too was removed from the ballot for similar reasons and criticized the current city administration for its dysfunction. The city manager indicated that measures would be taken to prevent such issues in the future, although there were questions about the legitimacy of advice given by a former clerk involved in the situation. Community members feel disenfranchised, calling the situation a 'wild, wild west' scenario without proper debate or representation. The disqualification of candidates has raised concerns about the integrity of the electoral process in Riviera Beach.