Issues & Positions
Marc Wigder’s approach to governing Boca Raton is guided by three principles: fiscal responsibility, smart growth and service to all 18,000 acres of our city. Below are his positions on key issues facing Boca Raton:
Fiscal Responsibility & City Finances
How will you keep Boca Raton financially strong?
Boca Raton faces significant long-term fiscal challenges that require responsible planning today. The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), which currently generates approximately $25 million annually for the city, will expire in 2042 and cannot be extended. Marc believes we need to make smart investments now that will keep Boca financially strong for every generation.
Marc’s approach focuses on:
- Proactive revenue diversification – Creating new revenue streams before existing ones disappear
- Fiscal discipline – Maintaining one of the lowest property tax rates in Florida while delivering first-class services
- Strategic investment – Spending money today on infrastructure and facilities that will generate long-term returns
- Transparent oversight – Serving as Chair of the Audit Selection Committee to ensure every dollar is spent responsibly
What’s your record on managing city budgets?
Working with his City Council colleagues, Marc has:
- Extended the CRA to keep tens of millions in tax revenue in Boca Raton
- Relocated administrative offices to an existing building, saving tens of millions in construction costs
- Maintained competitive pay for city workers, police, and firefighters without raising tax rates
- Overseen over 100 capital projects with disciplined budget management
The Downtown Government Campus Project
Why do you support the Downtown Government Campus project?
Marc supports moving forward responsibly with the Downtown Government Campus because Boca Raton needs modern public facilities, upgraded parks, and long-term revenue while CRA funding still exists. The project represents a critical investment in the city’s future.
It’s not about 30 acres downtown. It’s about ensuring all 18,000 acres of Boca Raton have the infrastructure and revenue to thrive for generations.
Key reasons for support:
1. Financial Necessity
- The CRA will expire in 2042, eliminating roughly $25 million in annual city revenue
- This is our window to leverage CRA funds for transformational infrastructure before that revenue disappears
- The project is projected to generate over $3 billion in revenue over a 99-year lease period
2. Improved Facilities
- Current City Hall cannot accommodate large public meetings—we have to use external facilities
- Modern facilities will improve city services and accessibility for all residents
- A centrally-located police substation will better serve the entire city
3. Enhanced Parks and Recreation
- The project includes significant green space expansion, including approximately 18 pocket parks
- Memorial Park will be revitalized into a first-class destination honoring our veterans
- Public recreational facilities will be upgraded and modernized
4. Smart Planning
- Located near the Brightline station, creating a walkable, transit-oriented neighborhood
- Promotes connectivity, including potential pedestrian bridge to Mizner Park
- Creates civic vibrancy through mixed-use development with residential, retail, and office spaces
How will you ensure this project respects Boca Raton’s character?
Marc has been clear that the Downtown Campus must respect Boca’s past while planning for its future. As both a real estate developer and City Councilman, he understands the need to balance new development with neighborhood character.
Marc has spent his career developing real estate projects that align with their communities. He holds a sustainability-focused MBA from Yale and built a successful sustainable real estate business. He’s interested in building the world-class Boca Raton of the future, not recreating Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach or Manhattan.
Marc insists the project must:
- Preserve and enhance green space and parkland
- Honor Boca’s military heritage through Memorial Park improvements
- Provide amenities the community wants, not just what developers desire
- Maintain Boca’s distinctive identity as a world-class community
Doing nothing is not a cost-free option. It’s actually the most expensive thing a city can do. Cities that stop investing in themselves go backward.
Without the Downtown Campus:
- Boca loses the opportunity to leverage $25 million annually in CRA funds before they revert to the county
- Current City Hall and facilities remain inadequate and outdated
- The city forgoes billions in long-term revenue needed to maintain services
- Memorial Park remains underdeveloped instead of becoming a premier veteran memorial
The Downtown Government Campus Project
How will you ensure Boca Raton remains affordable for working families?
Marc championed Boca Raton’s first attainable housing ordinance because he believes the people who make our city work, such as teachers, nurses, police officers, firefighters and city employees should be able to afford to live here.
Responsible development, not no development, keeps Boca diverse and affordable for the long term. Marc believes that if we want to ensure families can live in Boca Raton across generations, we have to let the city evolve as it grows. Preserving things in amber only results in unaffordability.
Marc’s approach includes:
- Balanced housing pipeline – Supporting diverse housing types from single-family homes to apartments
- Attainable housing incentives – Making it financially viable for developers to include workforce housing
- Mixed-use development – Creating walkable neighborhoods where people can live near where they work
- Long-term planning – Ensuring housing policy serves future generations, not just current homeowners
Won’t new development make Boca more expensive?
Actually, the opposite is true. When we restrict all development, we create artificial scarcity that drives prices higher. In other states, restrictive housing policies have dramatically reduced affordability, forcing young people to move if they want to start or grow a family. Marc believes Boca Raton should be a city with something for everyone, from age 1 to 100, and he will fight to keep it that way.
Marc believes in smart growth that:
- Increases housing supply to meet demand
- Provides options at different price points
- Keeps Boca accessible to people at various life stages
- Prevents the city from becoming exclusively for the wealthy
The Downtown Government Campus Project
How will you address traffic concerns with new development?
Marc recognizes that traffic is a top concern for residents and takes a comprehensive approach to transportation, but saying no to everything is not going to make traffic disappear. Smart planning can reduce car dependency, while simultaneously investing in our road infrastructure can help improve the flow of traffic.
Smart Development Patterns:
- Support walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods where residents can live, work and shop in one area, reducing the amount of cars on the road in dense areas
- This “vertical sustainability” reduces vehicle miles traveled compared to suburban sprawl
- Located near transit like Brightline to encourage alternatives to driving
Infrastructure Investment:
- Replace aging pipes and infrastructure proactively, before emergencies
- Coordinate development timing with infrastructure capacity
- Ensure new projects contribute to road improvements and traffic mitigation
Alternative Transportation:
- Supported BocaConnect, Boca’s new shuttle service for downtown and beach access
- Previously served as Vice Chair of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Board
- Advocates for walkability and connectivity improvements
What about disaster preparedness and emergency response?
As a coastal city in South Florida, Boca Raton can be impacted by major storms and other severe weather incidents. Strong cities can’t avoid all disasters, but they are prepared and resilient. That’s why as a City Councilman, Marc prioritizes:
- Generator-ready facilities for seniors and vulnerable residents during emergencies
- Clear hurricane evacuation routes
- Well-funded emergency services with modern equipment
- Proactive infrastructure maintenance to prevent crisis situations
Environmental Sustainability
How will you protect Boca’s environment while allowing development?
Marc’s professional background in sustainable real estate directly informs his approach to environmental stewardship. Sustainable development ensures future generations can enjoy Boca Raton’s natural beauty.
Marc’s environmental priorities:
Coastal Resilience:
- Support coastal protection and resilience projects
- Invest in infrastructure that protects against sea level rise
- Preserve beach access and water quality
Green Space Protection:
- Ensure new developments include meaningful parkland and green space
- Revitalize existing parks like Memorial Park into premier destinations
- Maintain tree canopy through responsible development standards
Energy Efficiency:
- Advocate for green building standards in new construction
- Reduce city government’s energy footprint through modernization
- Support sustainable business practices (as demonstrated at The Greenhouse)
Balanced Approach:
- An approach to environmental protection based on making smart decisions about where and how we build, not just protesting every project.
Public Safety
How will you keep Boca Raton safe?
Marc is committed to ensuring police, fire, and emergency services have the resources they need, because a world-class city deserves world-class protection:
Adequate Funding:
- Support competitive pay and benefits to recruit and retain top talent
- Invest in modern equipment and technology
- Never treat public safety as optional or subject to budget cuts
Strategic Facilities:
- Advocate for modern, centrally-located police station on Spanish River Boulevard
- Current station pressed against railroad tracks is poorly positioned to serve the whole city
- New location will improve response times and service citywide
Proactive Approach:
- Prepare for emergencies before they happen
- Invest in disaster preparedness and resilience
- Support first responders with training and resources
Small Business & Economic Development
What’s your vision for Boca’s business community?
As a small business owner himself, Marc understands firsthand the challenges entrepreneurs face. Making it easy to do business in Boca Raton attracts talented people who are willing to bet on our city, which enriches us economically and culturally.
Reducing Red Tape:
- Streamline permitting processes to reduce burden on businesses
- Make it easier to start and operate a business in Boca Raton
- Balance necessary regulation with pro-business pragmatism
Attracting Investment:
- Support development that brings quality retail and dining options
- Fought for Fresh Market/Prezzo center on Military Trail for convenient amenities
- Welcome businesses that enhance quality of life for residents
Supporting Local Economy:
- Proud that major corporations are headquartered in Boca
- Equally committed to supporting small businesses and startups
- Want to make Boca a great place not just to work, but to start a company
Generational & Neighborhood Issues
How do you represent all neighborhoods and generations?
Marc ran for City Council to represent all 18,000 acres of Boca Raton, not just one neighborhood or demographic group. Every neighborhood deserves attention, and every generation deserves consideration.
West of I-95 Residents:
- Understands the promises made when these neighborhoods were built: top-tier schools, parks, libraries, safe communities
- Fights to maintain high standards and invest in suburban facilities
- Recognizes families moved here for excellent public schools and family-friendly amenities
Downtown & Apartment Communities:
- Proud the average age of Boca Raton is declining as young professionals move here
- Fought for convenient dining and entertainment options like Fresh Market/Prezzo
- Supported new apartment communities to make Boca more accessible to young families while preserving green space and prioritizing quality of life for all residents
Seniors:
- Committed to accessibility, walkability, and disaster preparedness
- Supported BocaConnect shuttle service for residents who no longer drive
- Ensures public spaces offer programming for seniors, not just families with children
Small Business Owners:
- Brings real-world understanding of business challenges to city governance
- Pro-business mindset focused on reducing unnecessary burdens
- Supports environment where both large corporations and startups can thrive
Leadership & Experience
What makes you qualified to serve on City Council?
Marc brings a unique combination of private sector success and public service experience. Boca Raton is a sophisticated, world-class city that can’t entrust its government to people who admit they don’t understand how the city works.
Business Acumen:
- Nearly 30 years as real estate attorney and investor
- Successfully turned around foreclosed property into thriving business hub in Boca Raton
- Understands budgets, contracts and complex negotiations
Legal Expertise:
- Yale MBA with sustainability concentration (high honors)
- Law degree (cum laude) with real estate focus
- Deep knowledge of zoning, development law and municipal finance
Civic Leadership:
- Chaired multiple city boards and community organizations before running for Council
- Earned Florida League of Cities Gold Certificate of Excellence as elected official
- Proven track record of bringing people together to solve problems and getting things done for Boca taxpayers
What’s your approach to decision-making?
Marc’s decision-making philosophy is straightforward. Passion and emotion are important, but they’re not enough to lead a world-class city. We need logic, experience and the courage to govern for Boca’s future.
- Listen to all stakeholders – Community input matters, but governing requires weighing all perspectives
- Focus on facts, not emotions – Data and analysis should drive decisions, not social media outrage
- Think long-term – Make decisions that benefit future generations, not just today’s voters
- Act with fiscal responsibility – Every dollar spent must deliver value for taxpayers
- Serve the whole city – Represent all 18,000 acres, not just one neighborhood