Questionnaire: Ryan Boylston, candidate for Delray Beach mayor

Name: Ryan Boylston

Age: 41

Website: BoylstonforMayor.com

What distinguishes you most from your opponent(s)?
My extensive local, regional and professional leadership experience. As a Commissioner and Vice Mayor, I’ve initiated projects that fed thousands during the pandemic, saved historic landmarks and managed the budget responsibly. My campaign has received broad support, including hundreds of residents, five former mayors, police/fire/service-workers unions, community leaders and state/county elected officials because they trust that I can deliver on our community’s vision for a better Delray Beach.

List in reverse chronological order, starting with most recent, colleges and universities attended with years of attendance and degrees held.
Graduated from the University of Central Florida in 2005 with a business degree in marketing and mass communication.

List in reverse chronological order your work history for the past 15 years.
CEO & Founder – 2TON Creative Agency (2012 to Present)
Corporate Buyer – Autonation (2009 to 2011)
City Commissioner – City of Delray Beach (2018 to Present)

Have you ever been a party to a lawsuit, including bankruptcy or foreclosure? If so, provide details and disposition.
NO

Have you ever been charged or convicted of a misdemeanor or felony, including an adjudication of guilt withheld? If so, provide charges, dates and terms of sentence.
NO

Do you support creation of a historic district to protect East Atlantic Avenue, and why or why not?
Yes. I was the commissioner who requested this initiative be added to our list of priorities in the 2022 commission goal-setting meeting. Like our community, I believe it is important to protect our one-of-a-kind street. City staff is currently working with consultants, property owners and community members to ensure an our newest historic district is a successful one.

Pension benefits for city public safety workers have increased and public safety costs are roughly half the city budget. Is this appropriate, and would you support additional increases?
During my time on the commission, the only pension adjustments we made were either cost neutral or provided a savings to the city. All other requested pension enhancements were denied. As the two largest departments in the city, public safety has historically made up 50% of the city’s operating budget. Over the past 10 years, this percentage has fluctuated between 49% and 53%. Recently, we have seen a decline over the past three budgets to 50% in 2024. Public safety is and has been a top priority for our city for generations. I have continued that tradition by advocating for police/fire contracts that keep us competitive in the market. The outcome is usually a police or fire contract in the top five in the county. Every contract that I have approved has had unanimous support from the city manager’s office, as well as the legal, finance and human resources departments.

Do you think the city’s building height limits are too low, too high or just right, and would you pledge to oppose any easing of height restrictions in the future?
Our height limits vary across our city. There isn’t an area of our city where I would support increased height. There are however, areas that I would support decreased height. I sponsored an ordinance on the barrier island that decreased residential building height/massing, as well as an LDR amendment that decreased height along Atlantic Avenue. I strongly oppose any ease of height restrictions, and I will continue to champion our city’s longstanding no height waiver policy.