Chard, Johnson win seats easily
The Delray Beach Cit y Commission will welcome two newcomers after Tuesday’s municipal elections. Jim Chard and Shirley Johnson beat their opponents handily, according to unofficial results from the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office.
Both Chard and Johnson, with all precincts reporting, appeared to have the majority vote in a citywide election that requires only a pluralit y to win. They’ll join the five-person commission that will be responsible for approving or denying major developments, hiring high-ranking city staff and regulating the city’s sober home industry.
Chard, a retired business executive, defeated Kelly Barrette for Seat 2. Barrette is owner and founder of TakeBackDelrayBeach, an advocacy Facebook page. Two other candidates in the race, Richard Alteus and Anneze Barthelemy, didn’t come close to those two. Alteus is a Monroe County sheriff ’s deputy and Barthelemy is a chaplain and social worker.
Johnson, a retired business administrator, beat Josh Smith, a retired educator.
More than 6,000 votes were counted.
B o t h C h a rd a n d Jo h n - son said during the c am- paign that they want to promote development in areas that could use an economic boost, such as the Congress Avenue Corridor and areas along Atlantic Avenue west of Swinton Avenue.
They both also support the current commission’s effort to tighten restrictions on sober homes.
Barrette and Smith ran with the endorsements of sitting Commissioners Shelly Petrolia and Mitch Katz, who typically formed the minority vote on divisive city issues, such as proposed developments.
The pair, who ran on lowgrowth and resident-oriented platforms, had hoped to win seats and shift the power dynamic of the city commission. “The majority of people on Delray seem to want a more urban vision for the city,” Barrette said shortly after the results came in. “I have to accept that.”
S h e p l a n s t o r e m a i n involved in city politics.
C h a r d a n d J o h n s o n couldn’t be reached for comment by publication time.