All 3 Indian Trail elections head to November runoffs; incumbents advance in re-election bids

THE ACREAGE — The three races for seats on the Indian Trail Improvement District board of directors will be decided in the Nov. 8 general election.

Two candidates for each seat will face each other in runoff elections after none got 50% of the vote in Tuesday's primary. Each race drew three candidates.

The district covers a 110-square-mile area including The Acreage and parts of Loxahatchee. It is home to about 40,000 people and has a budget of $12.5 million for the 2022 year. It is tasked with providing drainage, road and recreation services to the rural, equestrian community.

The three candidates who secure a seat on the Board of Supervisors will decide how the district is governed for the next four years and might also consider petitions to incorporate the district into a city or town.

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Seat 1

Elizabeth Accomando and Jerrad Jablonski will be on the ballot Nov. 8, finishing ahead of the third candidate, Benjamin A. Beerman. The winner will take the seat left open by Jennifer Hager, who is leaving office after serving 12 years on the board.

Accomando, the founder of the nonprofit Barky Pines Animal Rescue & Sanctuary, drew more than 45% of the vote. She has lived in the district since 2013 and said she opposes incorporation because she wants to preserve the district's "rural, small-town feel.

If elected, she would focus on improving the district's roads and its water drainage system to avoid flooding of interior canals.

Jablonski, the owner of Jabrewski's Pizza Co., secured over 30% of the votes. He said he decided to run for the seat to "bring new ideas to the board."

He said he wants to propose an extension from State Road 7 to Northlake Boulevard and to see the district host more community events. He also said he opposes incorporation.

Seat 3

Incumbent Joni Martin, who is vying for a second term, will face Patricia “Patty” Farrell in the general election.

Martin, who got over 40% of the votes, said she would prioritize upgrading the district's drainage system and working with the county to establish add more traffic stops and establish speed limits.

She opposed the incorporation effort presented to the board last year, saying she didn't think the community was ready for it. She also said she wants to upgrade the district's parks by adding new playground equipment and shaded structures.

Farrell, an administrative assistant at The Dorchester condominiums in Palm Beach, secured 31% of the vote.

Farrell says the district is growing and if elected, she would work with developers to make sure the community can stay as rural as possible. She said she supports incorporation and that a community center for the district is overdue.

Grissel Ramos, the third candidate in the race, finished with about 24% of the vote.

Seat 5

District president Michael Johnson, got over 40% of the votes and will go against John Rivera in the general election

Johnson, plant manager for Belle Glade's TKM Bengard Farms, was first elected to the seat in 2018. He said another term in office would give him the chance to see through projects that started during his term, such as road upgrades on Seminole Pratt Whitney Road and Northlake and Orange boulevards.

Loxahatchee, he said, is "the epicenter of growth" in Palm Beach County's western communities.

He also wants to secure funding for the the Corbett levee, a key piece of flood control in the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area north of the district. He declined to comment on his stance on incorporation, saying the issue is up to district residents to decide.

Rivera, ​​owner and operator of Sunshine Safe and Lock, secured over 30% of the vote. This is his second run for office after he unsuccessfully challenged Johnson in 2018.

Rivera says he want to see more representation of the equestrian community on the board and that his main focus will be to unite the community.

He also declined to comment on whether the district should incorporate but said that if the issue arises again the board must outline pros and cons to the community.

Todd Wax, the third candidate for the seat, received about 26% of the vote.

Valentina Palm covers Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Loxahatchee and other western communities in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@pbpost.com and follow her on Twitter at @ValenPalmB.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: 2022 Primary Election Day results Palm Beach County: Indian Trail district