Coconut Creek Commission Race Heats Up After Six Candidates Vie for Three Seats in March Election

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2025 Coconut Creek Candidates: Vice Mayor Jackie Railey, Mayor Sandra Welch, Commissioner Rydell, Philippa Sklaar, Patricia Louise Duaybes, and Felicia Shuman Newkirk.

Six candidates, including three incumbents and three challengers, have qualified to run for three seats on the Coconut Creek Commission in the upcoming election on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, setting the stage for a competitive race that could shape the city’s future.

Seat B

Vice Mayor Jackie Railey will face Philippa Sklaar for Seat B.

Railey serves as the president of the Wynmoor Community Council and has worked in property management. If re-elected, she said she would continue her fight against the expansion of the Florida Turnpike and the Monarch Hill landfill, which she considers a threat to residents’ quality of life. She will offer more support for first responders and look for ways to develop Coconut Creek without diminishing its small-town feel.

Sklaar wants to improve relations between the city government and residents. She grew up in a political family in South Africa and said she was involved in the fight against apartheid. She has also helped people who have suffered domestic abuse. Sklaar said she would work to provide better health insurance for the city’s police officers and improve the service offered by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Seat C

Mayor Sandra Welch will face Patricia Louise Duaybes for Seat C.

Welch has a background in business administration and has worked as an executive assistant for American Express. She said a major goal is to ensure the proper development of the 200-acre MainStreet at Coconut Creek property. She will continue to fight against expanding the Monarch Hill landfill and promote more recycling efforts. Welch considers public safety a top priority and will work to ensure that the police and fire departments are well-funded.

Welch is proud of an award she won at American Express for saving about $100,000 by finding ways to use office supplies more efficiently. An important goal is to ensure the efficient use of city resources. “I look at everyone in Coconut Creek as a customer,” she said.

Louise Duaybes is a professional drone pilot who teaches people to fly drones. She has lived in Coconut Creek for 34 years and raised her two children there. She has also worked in financial services. Duaybes is very concerned about the dramatic tax increase and believes property taxes should not have increased so dramatically. She wants younger people to be able to purchase homes.

Seat E

Commissioner Joshua David Rydell will face Felicia Shuman Newkirk for Seat E.

Rydell is an attorney who specializes in criminal and civil litigation. He has served on the Coconut Creek Parks and Recreation Board and completed the Coconut Creek Citizen’s Academy. He has also led the city’s efforts to oppose the Monarch Hill landfill expansion.

Rydell is the principal attorney with The Law Offices of Joshua D. Rydell. He focuses on criminal and civil litigation and administrative professional representations. He has served on the Coconut Creek Parks & Recreation Board and is an alumnus of the Coconut Creek Citizen’s Academy.

Newkirk is a former Broward Schools educator and a prior case manager for the Urban League of Broward. Newkirk said she enjoys working with young people. She has worked in the fields of mental health and drug treatment.

Newkirk wants to bring more affordable housing to Coconut Creek. She said there is not enough affordable housing and too much expensive home development in the city. She wants to support seniors with rental and mortgage assistance and believes they need a voice and guidance on receiving available resources.

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David Volz

David Volz has worked as a writer in South Florida for 35 years. He has written for the Sun-Sentinel, Hollywood Gazette, School Transportation News, South Dade News Leaders, Observer among others. He has an MA in Communications from Florida Atlantic University and a BA in Communications from Valparaiso University. Volz teaches Communications at Miami Dade College and Palm Beach State College. He lives in Coral Springs and enjoys running and participating in 5Ks and half-marathons.