Elect Bob Margolis to Wellington Seat 1 in Tuesday’s runoff

The March 19 municipal elections are over but the results in the Wellington Seat 1 race have yet to be determined. On Tuesday, voters in the village will choose between two candidates vying for the seat in a runoff.

The Palm Beach Post endorsed John “Jay” Webber in the March 19 municipal elections, largely due to his community background and the promise of new vision. However, Webber failed to win enough votes to make it to the runoff, much less win the Seat 1 contest outright. In the current contest between former mayor Robert “Bob” Margolis and Amanda Silvestri, the Post recommends Margolis. His experience gives him the edge.

Growth and development has come to Wellington. The Village Council recently approved a controversial project to build a new horse mega-center on land that had been preserved. Questions remain about the future development of Wellington Mall and its surrounding area. The 70-acre K-Park site is slated to become a new downtown under the development by the Related Companies, and voters also approved an annexation of land north of Southern Boulevard, expanding the village’s boundaries and ultimately services.

Margolis, 73, has faced similar challenges before. A longtime volunteer on several village advisory boards, Margolis was first elected to the council in 2003. He went on to serve as mayor from 2012 to 2016. Quality of life issues, such as safe neighborhoods, maintaining village parks and green space and ensuring Wellington remains a place for quality schools, are his priorities. He’d also work to see where opportunities might exist in the village for more affordable housing, and he’d help mitigate any changes resulting from the development of the equestrian center.

The other candidate in the Seat 1 runoff is Amanda Silvestri, 39, a 14-year resident who owns an insurance firm with her husband. She is a member of the Wellington Landings Middle School advisory council and has run unsuccessfully for a seat on the Palm Beach County School Board. Margolis is the better choice.