Board of Supervisors Elections

South Indian River Water Control District was established as a Special District in 1923. The District is organized and exists pursuant to Chapter 298, Florida Statutes, as amended and supplemented, and other applicable provisions of law, including a number of special acts of the Florida Legislature relating to the District, particularly Chapter 2001-313, Laws of Florida.

 

The District is governed by a five-member Board of Supervisors who serve three-year terms. Supervisors are elected by a vote of the landowners based on parcel acreage. All Supervisors must reside in Palm Beach County and must own land in the District. Current rules dictate that at least three Supervisors must reside in the District, with at least one Supervisor residing in the area east of the C-18 Canal and at least one residing in the area west of the C-18 Canal. One Supervisor must not be a resident of the District.

 

Ballots for the seats up for election are mailed out to landowners in early to mid-August each year and are due back to the District office by the third Thursday in September. A return envelope is included in the mailing. Landowners may also cast their ballot at the Annual Landowners Meeting, which also is held the third Thursday in September. Landowners whose District assessments are delinquent are not entitled to vote.

 

As specified in the District's Special Act, the ballots are counted and verified by the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections, who will certify the results.

 

2024 Board of Supervisors Election

Two Supervisors were to be elected for a term of three years in the 2024 South Indian River Water Control District election. Five candidates indicated their intent to seek the positions. At the time the election was held, at least one of the Supervisors to be elected had to reside in the District. Candidates had to own land in the District and be residents of Palm Beach County.

 

John Meyer and Susan Kennedy were up for re-election. Mr. Meyer has served on the Board since 2015, and Ms. Kennedy, since 2021, and both are residents of Jupiter Farms. In addition, Robert Berman and Kenneth Trapasso of Palm Beach Country Estates, and Gene Colwell of Jupiter Farms were running for the open seats. Mr. Berman previously served on the Board from 1999-2010. All candidates were required to sign the Oath of Candidate, which states they will resign from office within 30 days if their residency changes and causes the District’s Board of Supervisors to no longer be in compliance with Chapter 2001-313, Laws of Florida.

 

Official ballots were sent out August 16, 2024 and had to be returned by September 19, 2024.

 

2024 Election Results

The District received the 2024 Board of Supervisors’ certified election results from Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections, Wendy Sartory Link, on November 6, 2024.

The results are as follows:

Susan A. Kennedy (West Side) – 1,536

John Meyer (West Side) – 1,287

Gene Colwell (West Side) – 602

Bob Berman (East Side) – 802

Kenneth Trapasso (East Side) – 672

 

The Board of Supervisors ratified the 2024 election results at their December 5, 2024, Board Meeting. John Meyer and Susan Kennedy, who were re-elected, were sworn in by District Attorney Seth Behn for three-year terms.

 

Michael Howard was re-elected as President, Tom Powell as Vice-President, and Jane Woodard as Secretary. Committee assignments include Mr. Howard and Mr. Meyer – Policies and Procedures, Mr. Powell and Ms. McElroy – Budget, and Ms. Kennedy – Communications.

 

In addition, due to the untimely passing of Supervisor John Jones, Beth McElroy, a resident of Palm Beach Country Estates, was appointed to fill the reminder of his term through September 2025. She was sworn in by Mr. Behn. Ms. McElroy has been a District landowner for 30 years and has a vested interest in the sustainability and resilience of the District’s drainage system. She has a Master’s of Public Administration degree and over 30 years of government experience, including a background in water management with South Florida Water Management District as Director of Emergency Management and Safety.

Replacement, Lost or Damaged Ballots

Extra blank ballots are printed and numbered and kept locked at the District’s office for replacement purposes.

 

If a ballot envelope is returned by the Post Office, the District makes every effort to re-mail those ballots to the current owner by using information provided on the Property Appraiser’s website. If the website shows a new owner from that on the original mailing list, the new information is typed onto a blank ballot and mailed. A log of new owners is kept and sent to the Supervisor of Elections. All other envelopes are filed alphabetically and stored in a locked cabinet.

 

When a landowner calls to request a ballot due to it being misplaced, lost or never received, we verify ownership (Property Appraiser’s website), then we check the box of returned ballots, and if not found, we ask the owner to bring photographic identification to the District office to pick up a replacement ballot. If the owner has recently purchased the property and the Property Appraiser's website has not been updated, we ask the owner to bring proof of ownership as well (deed or tax bill). The District keeps a log of all replacement ballots given. Landowners who request a replacement ballot are notified that the first ballot received in their name is the ballot that is counted and that all further inquiries should be directed to the District office or attorney – not to the Supervisor of Elections.