Palm Beach County, Group 1: Michelle Sylvester

Of all of the items on the Nov. 6 general election ballot, few decisions perplex voters more than the contests for county Soil & Water Conservation Districts. Both Broward and Palm Beach counties have them. So do 56 other Florida counties. In an age of far-reaching state and federal environmental protection agencies, some critics wonder why.

According to its own website, the Broward Soil & Water Conservation District was formed in 1950 by state statute to promote and encourage “the wise use, management and general conservation of the county’s soil, water and related natural resources. The district is committed to preserving and enhancing the quality of life in Broward County through conservation of its natural resources.”

The district, which has one open seat, works with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resource Conservation Service, the site says, “to create ways to conserve water, prevent soil erosion, convert irrigation systems and inform the public about conservation problems.”

The mission is similar at the Palm Beach County Soil and Water Conservation District, which has two seats open in the Nov.

6 general election.

The elected positions in both districts don’t offer any salaries, expense reimbursements or benefits, leading some political observers to conclude that the offices are little more than stepping stones to more visible and influential political offices. Neither has any taxing power. Instead, each relies on a variety of grants to fund their conservation programs.

But although they are nearly equally obscure, both districts could not be more disparate in their activities.

Broward’s is flat broke, lacks offices of its own, and its five board members, known as supervisors, often dig into their own pockets to help fund education initiatives for students interested in conservation projects. In its latest annual financial report to the state, the district reported no income and no expenses. Thanks to the generosity of the city of Pompano Beach, members conduct their monthly meetings in a conference room of the Emma Lou Olson Civic Center.

The Palm Beach County district is at the opposite end of the spectrum, reporting a

2018-19 budget of more than $297,000, fueled by grants designed to manage programs such as a mobile irrigation project and the expansive county Ag Reserve. The district offers education programs about wetlands and other conservation initiatives.

Stakeholders in both district dispel the notion that the districts have outlived their usefulness and should be laid to rest.

David DeMaio, manager for the irrigation project, said the districts “definitely fill a niche that would go unfulfilled” by other agencies.

And Fred Segal, at six years the longest serving supervisor with the Broward district, said the loss of the district would negate potential funding for conservation projects in the county.

Broward County, Seat 2: Richard Leys

Two Republicans are facing off for the sole opening on the district board.

Richard Leys, the incumbent, is a Pennsylvania native who moved to South Florida with his wife in 1992 after being transferred from Philadelphia by his employer, AT&T. He has served on the board since

2013. He also serves on the Pompano Beach Recreation and Nuisance & Abatement Advisory boards and is on the board of the Pompano Beach Chamber of Commerce. He speaks like a man who deserves a chance to finish something he started.

“There were a lot of struggles on the board,” he said. “One of the reasons I started attending meetings was someone asked me. It is past history now. The first two years, little was being done with the district. We started to do some additional programs in 2015 and 2016. From mid-2016 through 2017, we finally started accomplishing something.”

For example, there is an education series for students, and the district has assisted with beach cleanups. He said he’d like to devote a lot of his efforts toward educating the area’s youth about conservation. He is involved with a local Key Club International program, a service organization for students.

“I have a relationship with the school system from elementary school through college,” he said. “I’d like to continue on what we’re accomplishing now. We’re able to apply for grants now.”

Challenger Richard DiNapoli is an attorney who has been active in local GOP politics. He is a past chairman of Broward County Republican Executives. He lost a

2016 race for a district post to Segal. He wants another shot at helping jump-start the agency’s activities.

A native of Hollywood, DiNapoli is corporate counsel for the Coral Gables Trust Company, a wealth management firm. He specializes in real estate, financial and estate planning. Active in Republican Party politics, he also served as chair and as a member of the Florida Real Estate Commission. He holds a law degree from Fordham University in New York.

“We have massive congestion problems,” he said. “Wildlife has been pushed farther and farther out. The Everglades is a body of water that is the rock bed for so many species. It’s just something we need to preserve. It’s all part of one eco-system. I think it’s time for a change.”

“I don’t see a lot of action,” he said of the district. “It’s hard to get information. They still haven’t raised any money.”

He said he could lead the charge to apply for federal and state grants and “try to do some other types of fundraising from the community.”

DiNapoli said he is familiar with environmental mitigation issues through his representation of a client in Central Florida.

Still, we think there is merit in backing Leys, a candidate who has ridden out the district’s troubles and wants to continue working to educate young people about conservation — provided, of course, that he can help restock the district’s bank account with grant money.

Two of the three candidates reached by the editorial board expressed a preference for better protection of the Ag Reserve and expanding the district’s reach into combating red tides and algae blooms, and being more aggressive in discussing how to deal with sea-level rise. Terms last four years. Voters countywide vote in both districts.

David Legg, 68, of Boynton Beach, spent a 36-year career with the national resource conservation service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Later, he spent three years as a consultant for the nursery industry.

“I would like to see more educational movement toward the preservation of the Ag Reserve,” he said. “I don’t think the general public understands the importance of this agricultural area,” which is a major food source for the Eastern Seaboard.

Michelle Sylvester of Lantana owns a pathology lab with her brother-in-law and characterizes herself as a lifelong environmentalist. The race is her first time seeking elective office. A lifelong Floridian, she said she has been endorsed by the Sierra Club and Human Rights Campaign.

“I have seen what the red tide is doing. We have a limited resource called water,” she said. “We have beaches north of us closed as we speak. From an economic standpoint, we can’t allow that.”

She is also concerned that not enough is being done to combat sea-level rise. “It’s a reality. We need to tackle that if we are to survive as a peninsula.”

While she acknowledged that the district has no taxing or legislative authority to combat rising seas, board members can use “their good looks and their mouth” to get the attention of legislators. “Everybody is kicking the can down the road,” she said, “and that has to stop.”

A third candidate, Ian Matthew Wellinghurst of Tequesta, did not respond to a phone message.

All in all, we like Sylvester’s passion and universal view toward conservation and preservation. Voters should cast their ballots in her favor.