Palm Beach Post Editorial Board: Endorsements for Wellington council races

The Village of Wellington appears to be a quiet, family-oriented suburb that boasts good schools, parks and recreation, ample green space and safe streets. It's all that, but a closer look also reveals a community grappling with growth and development, high-priced housing, traffic and maintaining the village's high-level equestrian amenities.

Three members of the village council — Mayor Anne Gerwig and Councilmembers Michael J. Napoleone and Michael Drahos — face term limits, giving voters on March 19 a chance to choose new leadership.

The Palm Beach Post Editorial Board recommends voters elect Michael Napoleone for mayor, John Carl Webber for Seat 1 on the council and Shelly L. Albright for Seat 4. We believe this mix of elected and community experience will help the village address its growing-pains in this central part of Palm Beach County.

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Elect Michael J. Napoleone for mayor

Councilman Michael J. Napoleone hopes to move up on the dais. He's the best prepared candidate for the village's top elected job, having served on the council for eight years and on the village's charter review task force before that. As a councilman, the 53-year-old attorney has worked on wider policy issues of early learning and transportation that have boosted the village's relations with other leaders throughout Palm Beach County.

He has prioritized public safety and worked to fashion a long-range vision for Wellington that addresses resident concerns while keeping an eye on the future. If elected, Napoleone will continue working to preserve Wellington's equestrian lifestyle, ensure excellent schools, mitigate traffic concerns, manage the budget and engage with residents, the latter a notion that other candidates acknowledge that village officials could do better.

Napoleone faces a challenger for the seat, Bart Novak. Novak didn't respond to our request for an interview to elaborate on his ideas and priorities for the city. So, the paper is not in a position to recommend him for the seat.

Elect John "Jay" Webber for Seat 1

John "Jay" Webber's community involvement in Wellington stems from chairing the village's education committee, participating in the Wellington Chamber of Commerce and coaching Wellington Little League teams. It's his interest in education and community recreational programs that has fueled his campaign.

Education in Wellington remains his biggest priority. The 53-year-old attorney would support continuing the village's Keely Spinelli Grants, which provide funding to local schools. During his eight-year tenure on the education committee, Webber has worked to make improvements at Wellington High School and Wellington Landings Middle Schools. He also opposed school boundary changes that would have sent village students to schools outside the village. In addition to education, Webber would support reducing the village tax rate and he backs efforts to strengthen neighborhood watch programs to address public safety needs.

There are three other candidates in this race: Bob Margolis, Marcella Montesinos and Amanda Silverstri. Margolis, 73, is a former mayor and village councilmember and Montesinos, 44, a Palm Beach State College director who has served on the village's education board and school advisory council. Silverstri didn't respond to our request for an interview to elaborate on their ideas and priorities for the city.

Elect Shelly Albright for Seat 4

A lifelong Floridian and longtime Wellington resident, Shelly Albright brings a wealth of community involvement that, if elected, should serve her and the village well. The 54-year-old director of children and youth ministries at St. Peter's United Methodist Church has worked with numerous boards and organizations, including the Wellington Education Committee and advisory board of the Neil S. Hirsch Boys and Girls Club of Wellington.

Albright sees protecting the village's sensitive environmental preserve as one of her top priorities. She opposes additional development within the preserve and believes that any development plan that comes before the dais should have a workforce housing component. She would push to reduce the village tax rate in future years and would continue to support village initiatives that keep schools within Wellington at their A-ratings.

There are four other candidates in this race. Maria Atuna, 67, chief executive officer of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Carol Coleman, 76, an equestrian judge and business owner. There's also Karen Morris Clarke, 61, an advocate for traffic improvements making her second bid for office, and Michael Partow, a 76-year-old retiree.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach Post Endorsement for Wellington Council races