Rodusky, Valuntas take council seats
One Royal Palm Beach Village Council incumbent cruised to victory Tuesday night, but a 29-year veteran councilman lost his seat by the narrowest of margins.
Incumbent Jan Rodusky easily defeated challenger Renatta Adan-Espinoza with all 24 precincts reporting, according to unofficial numbers.
Meanwhile, former councilman Richard Valuntas won by less than a percentage point against incumbent David Swift in the other.
Even if the race goes to a recount, Valuntas is convinced he will win.
“I’ve been confident the whole way through even though it’s closer than I would like,” he said.
Swift said he will most l i ke l y b e p u s h i n g f o r a recount, but if he comes up short, he’s happy that he will get to spend more time with his kids and enjoy his retirement.
“We fought a good fight, and it is what it is,” he said, adding that he is proud of his nearly three decades on council.
He h a s t r i e d t o make Royal Palm Beach a better place since he was first elected in the late 1980s, Swift said.
Va l u n t a s s e r v e d o n the council from 2010 to 2016 before being ousted in another close race last year by now-Councilwoman Selena Smith.
Each candidate focused o n g r o w t h a n d t r a f f i c around the village in the c ampaign. The western communities are growing at a rapid rate and Royal Palm Beach is starting to see increased traffic.
T h e c o u n c i l r e c e n t l y passed a law that outlines traffic calming — like speed bumps — installed on side streets.
R o d u s k y , w h o w a s a ppoi nt e d t o t he board last year filling the position vacated by now-Mayor Fred Pinto, appears she will be keeping her seat. She didn’t return a call for comment by press time Tuesday.
Adan-Espinoza was the lone new a newcomer to l oc a l pol i t i c s a nd i s t he principal at the Academy f or Posi t ive L e a r ni ng , a Palm Beach County charter school in Lake Worth.