Boynton Beach Vice Mayor Thomas Turkin, an experienced businessman and veteran of the United States Navy, brings the same sense of duty to Boynton Beach that he did to his country. “I decided to run for office because I didn’t like what was going on in my town,” Turkin explains. “I didn’t like the indecisiveness, and I didn’t like the same roads being dilapidated.”
Since his first term began, Turkin has taken on one of Boynton Beach’s most pressing issues: public safety. “When I ran the first time, I had someone walk by my house with an AR-15 and just started blasting rounds off,” he recalls. “We were so inadequately staffed for so long.” Determined to reverse that trend, he prioritized hiring more officers, improving morale, and investing in up-to-date technology. “We have the most staffed police department now that we’ve had in the city’s history,” he says. Durin Turkin’s tenure, violent crime rates have shrunk, traffic accidents have dropped by as much as 20 percent, and the largest drug bust in county history saw over 44 kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine taken off the streets.
Turkin draws on his business experience, managing veterinary operations with multi-million dollar budgets, in navigating city finances and negotiations.
“Coming from a business background, I look at it as the taxpayers are our customers. They’re providing us with their taxes, and it is our duty as a city commission to provide the best level of service and make sure that we are operating efficiently and effectively.”
~Vice Mayor Thomas Turkin
Since Turkin took office, over 900 new businesses have opened in Boynton, bringing nearly $1 billion in investment. Turkin envisions a Boynton Beach that continues to attract commerce and jobs while preserving neighborhood charm and reducing traffic headaches. During his first term, he lowered building height limits from 150 feet to 85 feet and reduced density from 100 units an acre to 60.
Turkin is also campaigning on improving public spaces. He points to the revitalization of Jaycee Park—once “somewhere you wouldn’t really want to go at night”—now home to a popular dog park and family-friendly green space. “We transformed that area,” he says.
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Looking ahead, Turkin wants to streamline the city’s permit process, calling it one of the most consistent complaints he hears from residents. He proposes “a complete code overhaul” to eliminate outdated rules and make home improvements faster and simpler.
“If I’m a homeowner and want to improve my property, the city should make it easier for me”
~Vice Mayor Thomas Turkin
Turkin promises to keep Boynton Beach on a fiscally responsible path. He has helped lower the property tax millage rate and supported additional homestead exemptions for seniors. Regarding affordable housing, Turkin says that Boynton has “done its fair share” and stresses that the focus of the city commission “should be on the residents that live here now, that are paying taxes now…making things more affordable for them.” Speaking on his love for the Boynton community, Turkin sums up his mission: “I’m not here to serve any special interests or outside groups. I’m just here to deliver and execute on what the voters want, just like we did the last three years—and there’s still more to come.”
The Boynton Beach city commission election will take place on March 11. Turkin will face challenger Dominick Vargas.
To learn more about Thomas Turkin’s campaign for District 3 commissioner, visit his website.
Other stories you may want to read:
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- Chuck Millar Stands Out as Palm Beach Gardens’ Most Seasoned Leader - February 24, 2025
- Navy Vet Thomas Turkin Fights for a Better Boynton - February 10, 2025
- Rebecca Shelton’s Vision to Revitalize Boynton Beach - January 29, 2025