Leading Palm Beach Gardens through its next expansion phase won’t be easy, but Chuck Millar says he’s been preparing for it his entire life. Running for the Group 4 City Council seat, Millar boasts over four decades of experience in growth management and local government. With thousands of new residents arriving each year, he argues the city needs steady, experienced leadership to navigate its rapid growth. Some of his priorities include public safety, reducing traffic congestion, developing affordable housing, and expanding the city through controlled annexation.
“We are not an on-the-job learning city,” he insists. “Not with a $265 million budget.”
Millar has lived in South Florida for forty years and has been a resident of Palm Beach Gardens for ten years. After receiving his bachelor’s in Urban Planning, he worked for years as a consultant before becoming senior project manager for Atwell, focusing on land development and energy projects. Throughout his career, Millar has built close relationships with major stakeholders, including Florida Power & Light. He also served as chair of two city advisory boards—Art in Public Places and the Planning, Zoning, and Appeals Board—where he helped shape recommendations for Palm Beach Gardens.
“I understand how local government works, functions, and operates,” he says. As of 2024, Palm Beach Gardens has a population of nearly 62,000 and roughly 55 square miles to manage. Millar believes his extensive background makes him uniquely qualified to guide a city that, in his words, “is always and will remain in growth mode.”
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Millar’s top priority is to maintain strong police and fire services. “First and foremost is public safety,” he explains, noting endorsements from Palm Beach Gardens’ firefighters and the Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association. “That’s job one of local government… to maintain and protect the quality of life, but also to provide those emergency services.”
Disclosure: The owner of Florida Jolt has contributed to the campaign of Chuck Millar
However, Millar also notes some new challenges facing the community. While business booms in Palm Beach Gardens,
skyrocketing housing costs mean only a fraction of those workers reside in the city. According to estimates by economist Hank Fishkind, commuter traffic has added 35,000 trips daily to Palm Beach Gardens’ streets.
“What we as a city, as policymakers and decision-makers have to continue to do is provide for that workforce housing.” Part of the solution, Millar says, lies with zoning. If elected, he hopes to designate more affordable housing and more mixed-use developments to help mitigate traffic.
The other key piece of Millar’s platform is annexation, which he calls a logical step to allow Palm Beach Gardens to grow. “I’m very supportive of annexation if it’s done correctly,” he says, adding that better communication could help future proposals succeed. “There’s some opportunities there to square off our boundaries and to continue to provide our residents with… some of the best fire and police EMT service in Palm Beach County.”
His platform has gained broad support across Palm Beach County, earning endorsements from business leaders, public safety organizations, and local advocacy groups. The Board of Realtors, the Economic Council of Palm Beach County, Hispanic Vote of Palm Beach County, Conservative Watch USA, and the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council have all backed his campaign—a reflection, Millar believes, of the confidence the community has in his leadership. Five former mayors of Palm Beach Gardens and incumbent Mayor Chelsea Reed have also thrown their support behind Millar.
The Palm Beach Gardens city council election will take place on March 11.
To learn more about Chuck Millar’s campaign for the Group 4 seat, visit his website.
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Chuck Millar: Turning Pain into Power: A Message to My Supporters
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- Rebecca Shelton’s Vision to Revitalize Boynton Beach - January 29, 2025