PALM BEACH GARDENS — The city’s “lack of transparency” in handling issues like a proposed ice rink has led one resident to challenge an incumbent council member in the March 11 election.
Scott Gilow is challenging Marcie Tinsley in her bid for re-election to a three-year term on the Palm Beach Gardens City Council. He said the city’s interest in building the rink at Plant Drive Park, one of the city’s oldest facilities, drove him to run.
“It’s time for a change,” said Gilow, 50, who works for Palm Beach County Information Systems Services and owns a bike shop in Jupiter’s Abacoa neighborhood. “Our council doesn’t seem to want to do the job. . . . If they don’t want to do the job, I will.”
Tinsley has yet to comment on the rink, recusing herself from a past vote because of a conflict of interest with its developer. She says the conflict is no longer in play and that she will vote on it the next time it comes before the council.
The other city council seat on the March ballot also will be contested, with John Kemp, a Palm Beach County Fire Rescue firefighter-paramedic, facing Chuck Millar, the city Planning and Zoning Board chairman. Council member Carl Woods is leaving office because of term limits.
Explore Palm Beach Gardens: A guide to dining, shopping, and adventure
Jupiter, Lake Park also to have local elections on March 11
Only two other north county towns will have elections in the spring.
Lake Park will see six people compete for three-year terms on its town commission. Two of them used to hold town office: former Mayor Michael O’Rourke and former commission member John Linden.
In Jupiter, Mayor Jim Kuretski faces a challenge in his bid for re-election from council member Cameron May. Incumbent council member Malise Sundstrom faces challenges for her seat from Linda McDermott and Willie Puz, and Phyllis Choy, Teri Grooms and Andy Weston will vie for the other.
With the window to declare a run for office now closed, several candidates in other communities are unopposed for re-election:
-
North Beach Beach Mayor Susan Bickel and council member Kristin Garrison.
-
Tequesta Mayor Molly Young and council member Patrick Painter.
-
Juno Beach council member Diana Davis.
-
Jupiter Inlet Colony council members Mark Ciarfella and William Muir. Jupiter Inlet Colony Mayor Ed Hocevar is not running for re-election, so his seat will go to David Shula, who is running unopposed.
Hurricane Milton: In tornado’s aftermath, Avenir awash with blue tarps, broken windows, anxious homeowners
Palm Beach Gardens ice rink plan upset some area residents, prompting protests at council
In April, Palm Beach Gardens decided to allow a nonprofit to build the ice-rink complex at Plant Drive Park, near Palm Beach Gardens High School and in one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods. It features a softball diamond, basketball courts and the city’s only skateboard park.
The move has spurred many area residents to wear matching teal T-shirts at council meetings to voice their opposition to the plan.
Gilow opposes the ice rink project because he wants to keep free park facilities and thinks it will create traffic problems in the neighborhood.
He said he doesn’t plan to focus too much of his campaign on the issue because he may not be able to stop the project after taking office. He said it’s an example of how the city needs to do a better job listening to residents.
‘Now, I want it all’: Charter captain burned in explosion back on his feet, buys new boat
Tinsley, 55, said she is running again to finish what she has started. She said she values fiscal responsibility, putting communities first, and “a thoughtful approach to development.”
She recused herself from the first vote on the ice rink project because her husband worked for an engineering company that did its surveying. He is now retired, so she will vote on its site plan when it comes up. She said she is not sure how she will vote at this time and wants to do more research beforehand.
In the other race, Kemp said he generally supports the rink plan, although he wouldn’t rank it as a driving priority for the city. Millar said he is reserving taking a side on the project because it remains before city officials and he might have to vote on it.
Juno Beach to let seat sit vacant until March 2026
A Juno Beach Town Council seat that became vacant when Jacob Rosengarten resigned last month will remain so until the 2026 election. The council deadlocked 2-2 Friday on whether to have an election to fill it.
Council members DD Halpern and Diana Davis voted to hold an election, while Mayor Peggy Wheeler and council member Marianne Hosta voted to appoint someone.
Wheeler cited high costs of staging a special election, which she estimated to be between $20,000 to $30,000.
Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at mwashburn@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Election 2025: Skating rink may be key issue in Gardens council race