Jeff Hmara, who has been serving as mayor of Royal Palm Beach since the unexpected passing of former Mayor Fred Pinto last September, was elected to the position by village voters Tuesday, March 11.
Hmara garnered 1,498 votes (58.33 percent), while Vice Mayor Selena Samios took 928 votes (36.14 percent). Candidate Justin Plaza got 142 votes (5.53 percent). Hmara claimed a one-year term to fill the unexpired portion of Pinto’s term.
“I am honored to be able to continue to serve as the mayor,” Hmara said after his election victory. “I am grateful not just for my supporters, but to all of the voters who came out to express their desires and opinions, so we can work together for the greater good of Royal Palm Beach.”
In the race for the Group 3 council seat, Sylvia Sharps narrowly claimed victory with 984 votes (40.31 percent), leading Steve Avila with 965 votes (39.53 percent) — a 19-vote margin of victory. Fred Pinto’s widow, Donielle Pinto, placed third with 492 votes (20.16 percent).
“Thank you for your trust in me, your belief in me and honoring me with your vote. I promised that I would be a representative of the people, and I will do just that,” Sharps said, inviting residents to call her if they need anything.
Hmara and Sharps were set to take the oath of office Thursday, March 20 during the village’s annual reorganizational meeting.
Hmara met with supporters after the polls closed at the Royal Palm Brewing Company. He said that it is now time to get to work.
“That is what I am doing,” he said. “We will have a new village council with two brand-new council members and a newly elected mayor. That is a substantial change, and an opportunity to continue those things that are really sound and making changes with fresh eyes and fresh leadership.”
Hmara believes that his many years of community service gave him the edge in the election.
“I think a lot of the voters know me and [my wife] Carolyn because we spend a tremendous amount of time out in the community listening to people,” he said. “We put forward a vision that makes sense to most community members and something we can actually achieve.”
This will require working with other people and other government entities. “It is always about relationships,” Hmara added. “I know the power of trust.”
His first goal is for the new council to “come together around a strategic planning activity and come to a common vision and direction.”
“I am excited about having the new members to bring us together in a new way,” Hmara said.
His priorities remain dealing with the village’s traffic woes through a coherent traffic master plan as a collaborative effort and doing more to support village schools.
“Our Education Advisory Board has done some great things in bringing together our schools with the village,” Hmara said. “We accept responsibility for that, even if we have limited ability to influence the school district.”
He aims to bring more educational initiatives and help all village schools improve their ratings.
Hmara is also looking forward to the upcoming expansion and refurbishment of the Royal Palm Beach Recreation Center.
“It has been in need of a facelift and makeover for a long time,” he said, adding that the expansion will allow for more senior programs, as well as programs for all residents.
Hmara noted that there are also challenges ahead.
“The penny sales tax will expire soon,” he said. “We have done a great job of creating a financially sound foundation for Royal Palm Beach. It will be a challenge moving forward without that revenue source, but we’ve gotten the majority of our capital improvement needs out of the way.”
Looking back on the election, Hmara is very pleased by the support he found across the community.
“What pleased me to no end was the visible support,” he said. “As busy as people are these days, that is pretty extraordinary.”
Sharps gathered with her supporters on election night at Duffy’s in the Crestwood Square shopping plaza. She was honored to be the top choice of voters in the three-way race.
“I believe that people see my sincerity, and they know and respect my background and what I have done,” Sharps said. “They have given me the opportunity to prove what I said I would do, which is to be a representative of the people.”
Within days of the election, Sharps has already met with village officials to begin to get herself up to speed.
“I have already been given my books to read,” she said. “First and foremost, I want to get to know my fellow representatives better and find out where their heads are at.”
She also wants to “get together with the group studying traffic issues and learn more about the recreation center project to see if it can be accelerated.”
Beyond that, Sharps wants to continue meeting with constituents and talk to the village’s volunteer committee members to find out more about what they want.
She will also be reviewing the village budget to “determine if anything is needed by the residents that is not there, or if I have any ideas that may make the budget more effective.”
Above all, she is humbled by the entire experience.
“I am here now, and I will do the best job that I possibly can,” Sharps said.
