Delray Beach Mayor Rita Ellis won't seek re-election

By Maria Herrera | South Florida Sun-Sentinel

December 3, 2008

Delray Beach - Mayor Rita Ellis announced Tuesday she will not seek re-election to a second term in March.

Ellis, 58, said at a City Commission meeting that health issues she's had to face since she broke her right foot during an April luncheon for municipal employees have challenged her to meet her duties as mayor.

"The commitments facing me regarding my health, business and family have filled my plate," she said, reading a statement. "I will always be forever grateful to my fellow commissioners."

Ellis, a diabetic for more than 30 years, suffered complications from her fall. She underwent surgery, followed by a stay at Bethesda Memorial Hospital in Boynton Beach. She also has been in a wheelchair on and off since April.

In her statement, Ellis said she will have to have additional reconstructive surgery.

"I'm not going to get the full use of my foot without the surgery," she said after the meeting. "I don't want to be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life.

"I didn't have any other choice," she said about ending the public service part of her life. "The past six months have been hard enough."

Ellis was the first woman to be elected mayor in Delray Beach. In 1954, Catherine Strong, a pioneer and fierce opponent of racial segregation, was appointed mayor for one year.

An accomplished businesswoman, Ellis runs a mechanical service company that repairs home appliances, air conditioners and generators.

She first became involved in civic affairs in the late 1990s, serving on the city's Chamber of Commerce board of irectors and Downtown Development Authority board. She eventually served as chairwoman for both boards.

She was first elected to the City Commission in 2005 and then as mayor in 2007.

Asked what she will miss, "Being mayor," she said. "It was a dream, and to have done it ... I'm really proud of what we have accomplished."

Maria Herrera can be reached at meherrera@SunSentinel.com or 561-243-6544.