First of all, I would like to congratulate Bob Margolis, John Greene and my opponent Matt Willhite on finally being determined winners of our March 13 election.
When I embarked on this journey last September and filed for a council seat, I never envisioned the election campaign would have been what it has been the past seven months.
I wanted to draw a contrast to Matt’s voting record and where I would have voted on the same issues, and offer the voters a choice, as Matt was unopposed for his re-election bid. I never doubted Matt’s integrity or dedication as a public servant. He has performed his job as an elected official admirably and with respect.
I assumed that when March 13 finally arrived, each of us were confident that we would emerge as a winner. When the results were posted on the Supervisor of Elections web site late that evening that I had won by 212 votes, I was overwhelmed with excitement. However, a mere five days later, after learning the audit [found that] a computer error certified the wrong results and had me a loser by 900 votes, I was astonished and shocked.
Lawsuits have been filed by all parties urging the courts to correct the situation, and our canvassing board ordered a hand count to verify the second set of numbers. This was conducted on March 31 and re-certified.
Let us all put this issue to rest and behind us and accept the new winners and welcome them to the challenges that lie ahead. Let’s ask them to reach across the aisle in a spirit of cooperation and work with our wonderful management team for the overall good of all of us.
Congratulations to the new certified winners. Now let’s all work together to continue to build our town as the best place to live in Florida.
Lastly, thank you to all the residents who supported me during the campaign. You made it all worthwhile.
Al Paglia, Wellington
Editor’s note: Mr. Paglia was a candidate for Seat 4 on the Wellington Village Council.
