Candidate profiles compiled by Steven J. Smith
Four candidates vie for two open at-large seats, each with a two-year term. The top two vote getters will each win a seat.
Elvadianne Culbertson
(Incumbent)
Personal: Declined to give her age; B.S. in business administration from Pacific Western University and M.S. in environmental management from Chadwick University; full-time South Palm Beach resident for nearly 14 years. Married, two grown sons and one stepson, one grandchild, four step- grandchildren, three step-great-grandchildren.
Professional: Retired; was a documentation specialist/consultant for the Center of Naval Analyses.
Political experience: Has held a seat on the South Palm Beach Town Council for the last three years.
Positions on issues: Wants improved fiscal accountability; supports better transparency in town government; favors local government more effectively governing itself rather than the state doing it.
Quote: “I think the town is better off with a detail-oriented person such as myself. Having served the town by being on both the Community Activities Advisory Board and the Code Enforcement Board, as well as editing the town newsletter, I was unanimously appointed to serve on the Town Council. I won honorable mention for innovative participation in the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County’s ‘Read for the Record’ and take part in the Keep Florida Beautiful program that has removed 3 million pounds of debris from Florida roads and has planted 30,000 trees and plants.”
Personal: 58; no college; married, two children; resident of South Palm Beach for eight years.
Professional: Currently is property manager of Palm Sea Condominiums. Was self-employed for 35 years in his painting contracting business and ran a construction company with his wife.
Political experience: None.
Positions on issues: Opposes construction of a new town hall, but wants the old one restored; concerned about the slow speed at which projects, police officers and town officials get approved; concerned about delays on the town’s storm sewer needs; wants to see beach renourishment go forward.
Quote: “I’m for a restored town hall, but not a brand new, five-story one. We’ve been waiting about three years for that to happen. We’ve been through yet another town manager and now we have an interim one instead of a new one. Things just take forever to get resolved around here. It took six months to a year to get a new police chief. We still don’t have our storm sewers done. That’s been going on for 2-3 years. We budgeted for two new policemen, but never hired them. Beach renourishment is another issue. If we’re not going to get it passed, I believe we need to move on and come up with a Plan B or just forget about it. We talk about a lot of things, but we do nothing.”
Personal: 66; master’s in English from Bradley University; married, two children; resident of South Palm Beach for three and a half years.
Professional: Retired; was a real estate broker for 30 years.
Political experience: Has served one year on the South Palm Beach Town Council.
Positions on issues: Favors keeping local Police Department in place; wants better signage at the Town Hall; would like to see better management over traffic congestion.
Quote: “We have very few issues in our town. It’s a small town. We haven’t had any tax increases. We have a wonderful town and I’d like to see it stay a wonderful town. I don’t want any radical changes made to it. I want to preserve what we have here.”
Personal: 70; B.A. in administrative studies from Nova University and an A.A. in mortuary science from Miami-Dade Junior College; married, six children; resident of South Palm Beach for two and a half years.
Professional: Semi-retired; owned a funeral home in South Florida from 1973-1995, sold the business and stayed on for another 12 years as a consultant. Opened more funeral homes in Broward County in 2010 and sold those in 2014. Also has done consultant work for Delray Beach’s city cemetery.
Political experience: Former state legislator (2000-2002) and city commissioner of Parkland (1996-2000 and 2006-2016); served on the State League of Cities Environmental Committee; was vice chair of the Elder and Long Term Care Committee in the Florida House.
Positions on issues: Supports beach renourishment; favors maintaining first-class emergency medical services, police and fire protection teams; wants to keep millage rates and taxes low.
Quote: “My goal is to bring experience to the South Palm Beach Town Council, to protect the beauty and environment of South Palm Beach, as well as the safety and security of all residents in the city.”
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