2022 elections: Races set in North Palm, Lake Park while Palm Beach Gardens cancels election

Katherine Kokal, Palm Beach Post
·5 min read

PALM BEACH GARDENS — Voters in Palm Beach Gardens won't cast a ballot in March, but two existing city council members will keep their seats.

Incumbents Marcie Tinsley and Carl Woods ran unopposed for the Group 2 and Group 4 council seats, respectively.

Although Woods originally had a challenger in Eric Bruns, Bruns withdrew from the election ahead of the filing deadline on Nov. 30, citing a personal medical concern.

At issue in Palm Beach Gardens' election is how north county's top commercial center will grow, how the city will bring mass transit opportunities to the area and how to resolve the city's disagreement with Palm Beach County over assessing mobility fees to builders.

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Nearby, the village of North Palm Beach will hold elections for three open seats on its village council. Each incumbent will face a challenger.

The council faces decisions on new building standards that have frustrated some developers and property owners in the village.

In Lake Park, voters will cast ballots for four seats open on the town commission. Mayor Michael O'Rourke is the only member guaranteed to return to the dias, as he was elected in 2020.

The commission will face a desire for more development along the east edge of the town along U.S. 1 and in the Park Avenue area.

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Here's what to know about the March 8 elections in Palm Beach Gardens, North Palm Beach and Lake Park:

Palm Beach Gardens

Palm Beach Gardens has canceled its March 2022 election because no candidates filed to run against the incumbents, according to the city.

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Marcie Tinsley and Carl Woods will serve three-year terms. Palm Beach Gardens voters approved term limits in 2018 that limit council members to two consecutive three-year terms. After that, they must leave office for three years before they can run again.

All candidates are elected at-large in Palm Beach Gardens.

Council member-elects

  • Group 2: Marcie Tinsley, a property and construction manager, was elected to serve the remainder of County Commissioner Maria Marino's term in April. Tinsley previously served on the city council from 2010 until 2017.

  • Group 4: Carl Woods, a former police officer who has served on the council since 2016. His first term started four months late due to a lawsuit that knocked his opponent out of the running, which City Attorney R. Max Lohman decided last summer qualifies Woods to run again in 2022.

Marcie Tinsley and Carl Woods, city council member-elects in Palm Beach Gardens who won their seats because no candidates filed to oppose them in the March 2022 election.
Marcie Tinsley and Carl Woods, city council member-elects in Palm Beach Gardens who won their seats because no candidates filed to oppose them in the March 2022 election.

North Palm Beach

North Palm Beach's Village Council has three seats up for election.

All three incumbents are running again and facing challengers as the council attempts to overhaul its building code and handle development that some say is out of character with its appearance.

Two challengers, Robert Silvani and Shawn Woods, are on the committee rewriting the building codes.

North Palm Beach's candidate qualifying period closed Nov. 23. Nonpartisan candidates are elected at-large and serve two-year terms. Voters can find polling place information on the Palm Beach County Election Supervisor's website.

Group 1 candidates

  • Deborah Searcy: A faculty member in the management department at Florida Atlantic University, Searcy has served on the council since 2018 and is the vice mayor.

  • Robert Silvani: A retired financial advisor, Silvani is serving on the village's ad-hoc committee for building standards.

Group 3 candidates

  • Darryl Aubrey: A retired Exxon executive and former professor, Aubrey has served on the council in various positions since 2006.

  • Orlando Puyol: A professional engineer, general contractor, and owner of a Christian preschool, Puyol sits on the village's golf advisory board.

Group 5 candidates

Lake Park

Four seats on the Lake Park town commission are up for re-election in 2022.

Those elected will shepherd in a new era of development in the town. The 24-story Nautilus 220 project is planned for U.S. 1 and the town is also considering changes to the zoning around Park Avenue to encourage growth.

Lake Park's candidate qualifying period closed Nov. 23. Candidates are elected at large and serve for three-year terms.

Voters can find polling place information on the Town of Lake Park's website.

Candidates (listed alphabetically):

  • Erin Flaherty: A small business owner, Flaherty has been on the commission since 2013.

  • Kimberly Glas-Castro: A land planning consultant, Glas-Castro has been on the commission since 2013 and serves as the vice mayor.

  • John Linden: Retired from the automotive industry, Linden has served on the commission since 2019.

  • Roger Michaud: A supervisor with the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser's Office, Michaud has served on the commission since 2017.

  • Mary Beth Taylor: A retired Palm Beach County teacher, Taylor taught special education and English. She worked at Lake Park Elementary School from 1989 until 2000.

  • Judith Thomas: Thomas is the chair of the town's planning and zoning board.

Voting in Lake Park: All residents of Lake Park cast one vote in the election for each of the open commission seats.

The candidates with the top four highest votes win the seats.

kkokal@pbpost.com

@katikokal

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: North Palm Beach, Lake Park elections: What to know before casting your vote