Two members of the current Royal Palm Beach Village Council are among the three candidates vying in a mayoral election next month. Mayor Jeff Hmara and Vice Mayor Selena Samios are joined by political newcomer Justin Plaza on the Tuesday, March 11 ballot.
The winner of the election will serve out the remaining year of late Mayor Fred Pinto’s term. Hmara was appointed mayor after Pinto’s death last September.
Also on the ballot is a three-way race for the Group 3 seat on the council, featuring Steve Avila, Donielle Pinto and Sylvia Sharps (see related story here).
Jeff Hmara — First elected to the council in 2012, Hmara is a retired colonel in the U.S. Army and held senior management positions in Washington, D.C.
“My background is being involved in organizations that can actually get things done through relationships,” Hmara said. “Those are organizations like the Western Communities Council, the Palm Beach County League of Cities, the Florida League of Cities, the Transportation Planning Agency. Most substantially, I have been in leadership positions in each of those organizations.”
Through these organizations, he has built relationships with key leaders at the local, county and state levels. He is currently president of the Florida Regional Councils Association.
“I have a position of trust that is pretty well established. Together, we influence getting things done at all those levels,” Hmara said. “This benefits Royal Palm Beach and all the communities in the area and differentiates me from my opponents.”
Hmara decided to run for mayor to complete some of the initiatives that he has started, including his work regionally to relieve traffic congestion and provide transportation choices that don’t exist right now through a new countywide initiative.
“For the very first time, we will have a big picture that will show all of the independent efforts to deal with traffic,” he explained.
He also wants to help all local schools become “A” rated, complete the planned expansion of the Royal Palm Beach Recreation Center and work to improve the maintenance of village parks.
Hmara noted that he is the council’s liaison to the Education Advisory Board.
“We need to empower them and give them more responsibilities,” he said. “We need more school engagement, like showing up in the classroom, and taking a look at putting together a grant program for schools,” said Hmara, who also wants to set up a youth council in the village.
He plans to help local seniors through the expansion of the recreation center and wants to help small businesses by working with the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce by “setting up a roundtable for our small businesses. It would be useful for them to hear from other small businesses and for village staff to hear from them.”
Regarding the future, Hmara wants Royal Palm Beach to remain a vibrant, family-oriented small town. “We will remain vibrant as long as we take care of the needs of our current residents and anticipate the needs and desires of the next generation,” he said.
On growth issues, Hmara said the village needs “comprehensive, thoughtful, rigorous planning.” This includes the strategic planning process that the village goes through every year.
“About two years ago, we hired Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council staff to do a study on the State Road 7 corridor, which has older commercial areas ripe for redevelopment,” he said, explaining that some of those shopping areas could possibly be redeveloped into mixed-use neighborhoods with a better environment around a walkable community. “It’s about having a good plan and getting people involved in executing that plan.”
When it comes to parks and recreation, Hmara said that he is open to new ideas, events and activities. “I want to continue that outside-the-box approach. There is always something that can be done better,” he said.
He would like to see better maintenance of fields and parks, and he thinks the village should consider artificial turf on some sports fields.
He noted that doubling the space at the recreation center will add more gym space and space for senior programs. “I don’t think people fully understand the positive impact that will have,” Hmara said.
He believes that the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is doing an excellent job keeping the village safe.
“I love the emphasis that our captain puts on a variety of things, such as neighborhood watch programs, which enable our police to be more effective,” Hmara said. “We have added resources, such as license plate readers and more cameras.”
He is proud of the sense of community and belonging in the Village of Royal Palm Beach, including “a willingness to participate in activities that are both enjoyable and meaningful to one another.”
Hmara was particularly proud of the weekly Feeding South Florida initiative during the pandemic. “That is how you build a community — community service and coming together around an important activity or initiative,” he said.
For these reasons, Hmara believes that he is the best choice for voters.
“I bring experience, I bring relationships, and I bring knowledge that none of my opponents have,” he said. “I bring a sense of purpose and vision.”
Learn more about Hmara at www.votejeffhmara.com.
Justin Plaza — An entrepreneur, this is Plaza’s first run for public office. He has been a Royal Palm Beach resident since 2016 and lives in the Madison Green neighborhood.
“I started a company when I was 19 and grew it into a multi-million-dollar company,” Plaza said. “I am not foreign to project management and managing a business and managing people.”
Plaza explained that he decided to run for mayor to help slow down the pace of development.
“I was becoming frustrated in having all of our green spaces being run over,” he said, adding that his daughter suggested he run for mayor to stop developers from taking down forests and putting up homes.
His campaign is also focused on the village having more direct communication with residents using an online platform he developed called 60|40.
“It is time for something new. When they knock down a green space, the question is why. We all know why. I am working to put out a platform to allow residents to be notified, rather than people not showing up for a council meeting and being upset after the fact,” Plaza said. “We need to change how this happens. If we continue to let this happen, there won’t be any green spaces.”
Plaza has described his vision as giving residents “a vote after the vote.” His platform is designed to “engage the community. Their vote will be my vote.”
This aligns with his top priorities once elected.
“My top priority is to put a hold on any construction projects until everyone in our town is notified of them and are voted on by our residents,” Plaza said. “We need reengagement to let everyone know that the mayor is here and allow them to vote for their top priorities.”
He added that the 60|40 Platform will not only help residents participate more fully in their community, but it will allow them to put forward what they want to see happen.
“The 60|40 Platform is to reengage everyone and have the best ideas come out of that,” Plaza said.
One of the projects that spurred him to action was the Madison Green golf lodge proposal.
“The way it was presented was that it was a done deal, and there was nothing we could do about it,” Plaza said. “We all attended the meeting at the Marbar Grille. The owner was rather belligerent — either he be allowed to do it, or he’ll sell the property.”
He noted that Royal Palm Beach controls what can and cannot happen there and said that the owner should work to make the current golf course more enjoyable for the residents, maintain it better and reengage the neighbors.
“If you can’t make money on a golf course in Florida, I think you are doing something wrong,” Plaza said.
He does see room for improvement when it comes to working with the village’s business community, explaining that there is “too much red tape for small business owners.”
As for traffic issues, that will only get better by slowing down or stopping development.
“The more cars that are here, the more traffic there will be,” Plaza said, adding that better staggering school schedules could help with morning commutes. “If we talk it out as a community, we will find a solution.”
He believes that the parks and recreation department does a great job.
“We could add more resources, whether for kids, adults or seniors, but overall, the department does a great job for the community,” he said, adding that he plans to donate his mayoral salary to Royal Palm Beach recreational sports.
He lauded the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office for being extremely responsive.
“I have the utmost respect for them. I do not hear any complaints regarding the sheriff’s office,” Plaza said.
Plaza said that he is very proud of being a Royal Palm Beach resident.
“When I moved to Royal Palm Beach, I did like the small-town feel, and I am hoping to keep it that way,” Plaza said. “I am offering a platform that allows residents to engage with the council and the community and the stakeholders.”
Learn more about Plaza at www.rpbmayor.com.
Selena Samios — With a background in marketing, public relations, nonprofits and sports entertainment, Samios was first elected to the council in 2016.
“When I was first elected, I made a commitment to work on our senior residents, government transparency and local businesses,” she said. “I am proud of the work we have done within the village to make progress on these issues. I am proud to say that I have voted against overdevelopment and continue to work on solving traffic concerns.”
Samios chose to run for mayor to keep Royal Palm Beach moving forward.
“After the unfortunate passing of our mayor, the village is in a position to work toward the future,” she said. “We need a leader who is going to continue to make tough decisions and continue to keep the village a desirable community with amenities while monitoring traffic and growth.”
As mayor, Samios will continue to monitor growth in the area while remaining fiscally responsible.
“I am the best candidate for the position because I have continued to listen to residents’ concerns and provide solutions. I am a person of action, not talk,” Samios said. “My vision is to continue to be a safe, thriving, family-oriented municipality where residents are proud of the community they live in.”
While on the council, she is proud of the many small projects she has done, working directly with residents.
“I worked with several of our residents to eliminate pet stores that sell from puppy mills, as well as bringing Little Free Libraries to the village,” Samios explained. “I got a grant to purchase the libraries and a donation for books, and I then helped the resident with our parks and recreation department to put them up.”
She also worked with an Eagle Scout to put a flag retirement box at Veterans Park.
As mayor, Samios said that she will examine all of the projects that come before the council and not “rubber stamp everything.”
“We have to monitor the exterior growth in addition to interior growth and make sure we are vocal about our concerns and not be afraid to say no,” she said, adding that she voted against rezoning single-family homes to multifamily and smaller unit square footage in the now-delayed Tuttle Royale project.
On the topic of traffic and road safety, Samios said that she would continue to work with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office on speeding.
“They are very responsive when residents have expressed concerns regarding speeding,” she said. “I fought against adding a sixth light on Okeechobee between Ponce De Leon and State Road 7, which would slow traffic down even further going east.”
She is not in favor of widening Okeechobee Blvd. west of the village.
“Anything bringing more traffic to Okeechobee would make it more difficult for Royal Palm Beach residents,” Samios said.
She is also supportive of the PBSO when it comes to other topics.
“Royal Palm Beach is one of the safest municipalities in the county,” Samios said. “We will continue to assist the sheriff’s office with the tools they need to be successful, such as license plate readers, additional security cameras and the ability to have body cameras.”
As the council’s liaison to the Recreation Advisory Board, she loves the work being done by the parks and recreation department.
“We have tremendous amenities; 23 parks in 12 square miles is almost unheard of,” Samios said. “We are in the process of upgrading many amenities in some of our parks, and we will continue to bring free, family-friendly events throughout the year.”
She also looks forward to the completion of the expanded recreation center.
“I am most proud of the safe, family-friendly community that supports our schools, local businesses, and the work that the staff and council have done,” Samios said.
She aims to continue all of that as mayor.
“Royal Palm Beach residents should vote for me for mayor because I have kept my word, continue to fight to keep our millage rate low, have been a problem solver and will continue to work with anyone to do business with the village,” Samios said. “I am honored to have served the residents of Royal Palm Beach since being elected, and I look forward to continuing to be their voice on the council.”
Learn more about Samios at www.selenaformayor.com.
