A plaque placed by the outgoing city council in 2026, ordered removed by the newly-elected council members the following week. (Photo: Boca Daily News)
A plaque in front of city hall recognizing nearby Memorial Park, placed in the waning days of the administration of Mayor Scott Singer, will be replaced with a revised version with new language decided upon by the current mayor and council this week.
The emplacement of the plaque almost instantly created a stir – and some outrage – among residents due to its timing, just weeks after voters overwhelmingly rejected plans supported by some former officials to convey 7.8 acres of city-owned land to a private developer. Initial plans called for about 30 acres – including the park – to be marked for redevelopment before a grassroots effort led by the Save Boca organization pushed for a ballot referendum on the plan. The presence of the names of Singer and the previous city council members drew criticism on its own, since residents concerns about the park’s status as a tribute to veterans was disputed by elected officials who said it was never formally dedicated. Since then, resolutions from a 1947 city council meeting and newspaper articles from the era have surfaced, indicating the park was dedicated to local residents who fought in World War II…