Greenacres election: What you need to know about the race for mayor, City Council
GREENACRES — Two longtime residents with years of experience in public service are vying to become the next mayor of Greenacres.
Former City Council and School Board member Charles "Chuck" Shaw and incumbent City Council member Jonathan Pearce are competing to replace Mayor Joel Flores, who is running for the Palm Beach County Commission.
Two other seats in the Greenacres City Council will be on the ballot on March 19. Residents will vote to keep incumbents John Tharp and Paula Bousquet or elect newcomers Edward Ayala and Fule Dogic, respectively.
The elected officials will be tasked with the challenge of bringing new housing and commercial projects to a mostly built-out city of 43,000 people and redeveloping vacant and aging shopping plazas.
In Greenacres, the mayor and council members serve four-year terms without limits.
Polling places across the county will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. that day, when Florida's presidential primary elections also will occur.
For more information about the March 19 vote, contact the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office at (561) 276-1226 or at votepalmbeach.gov.
Mayor: Chuck Shaw vs. Jonathan Pearce
Chuck Shaw, 71, has lived in Greenacres for over 35 years.
Background: Shaw holds a master's degree from Florida Atlantic University. He spent 57 years in the Palm Beach County schools as a teacher, principal and School Board member.
Public service: Shaw has served in the Greenacres City Council and on the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County board. He volunteered for the youth baseball programs in Palm Springs and Lake Worth Beach.
Priorities: Supporting first-responders, improving city services, encouraging economic growth and reaching agreements to use Palm Beach County School District facilities.
What he's saying: "I have extensive leadership and community service experience and have been active in the community for over 30 years. I am the mature voice of reason."
Campaign finances: Shaw has raised about $17,800 as of Feb. 23.
Website: chuckshawformayor.com
Jonathan Pearce, 65, was born in Niagara Falls, N.Y., and has lived in Greenacres since 1994.
Background: Pearce has a bachelor’s degree in physical education from Brockport State College and a masters in supervision and administration from Niagara University. He is the president and CEO of DMJ Holdings, a private equity company.
Public service: He has sat for two terms in the Greenacres City Council and served as deputy mayor in 2015 and 2016. He has been a board member for the Palm Beach County Transportation Planning Agency, the Florida League of Cities and Palm Beach County Water Resource Task Force.
Priorities: Building a third fire station in Greenacres, cutting business tax by 25 percent and pursuing economic development opportunities to redevelop sections of the city.
What he's saying: “I have 33 years of business experience, 11 years of government experience and 14 years of construction experience. I want to bring this to the City Council."
Campaign finances: Pearce has raised about $9,900 as of Feb. 23.
Website: votejonathanpearce.com
Endorsement: Post Editorial Board: Who should lead Greenacres: Charles “Chuck” Shaw, John Tharp, Paula Bousquet
Greenacres District 1: John Tharp vs. Edward Ayala
John Tharp, who is the sitting commission member for District 1 is seeking his second full term in office.
Background: Tharp graduated from Johnson and Wales University, and has a career in sales and project management for tech and real estate companies. He currently works as a is a tech support customer service executive for Lumitec, a manufacturer of LED lighting.
Public service: He has served on the City Council and in the Planning and Zoning Board.
Priorities: Complete a third fire station, bring new businesses to the city, support youth programs and continue the conversion to sewer from septic tanks.
What he's saying: "Having served the city for over 17 years, I have proven leadership skills, kept our ad valorem rates low, increased services, brought in new businesses, expanded our Youth Programs and began our Septic-to-Sewer conversion in the Original Section," Tharp wrote to The Palm Beach Post. "We need to ensure these efforts continue to stay a priority for the city."
Campaign finances: Tharp has raised about $6,560 as of Feb. 23.
Website: johntharp.com
Edward Ayala, a U.S. military veteran who grew up in New York City and Puerto Rico, has lived in Greenacres for 13 years and is pursuing his first run for office.
Background: Ayala served in the U.S. Army for 40 years as an instructor.
Public service: He has volunteered at Christ Fellowship Church.
Priorities: Public safety, keeping taxes low and training police, fund training for firefighters, police and paramedics, advocate for English classes for the community.
What he's saying: “As a homeowner and a parent, I want to keep this city a great place to live, raise a family, and prosper. I am now running for Greenacres City Council because I have experience in business management and sound decision-making skills.”
Campaign finances: Ayala has raised about $4,280 as of Feb. 26.
Website:edwardayalaforgreenacres.org
Greenacres District 5: Paula Bousquet vs. Fule Dogic
Incumbent Paula Bousquet, a New Jersey native, moved to Greenacres in 2004. She is seeking her third term in office in District 3.
Background: Bousquet studied finance at Kean College and Union College. She had a career as a credit analyst and worked for 16 years as the comptroller for Temple Beth Tikvah on Jog Road before retiring in 2021.
Public service: She has served on the City Council for a total of 13 years. Bousquet was secretary of the board of directors for the Kiwanis Club of Greenacres and the Greenacres Historical Society. She volunteers in animal rescue organizations.
Priorities: Investing in public safety with the construction of the city's third fire station and an emergency operations center; improving youth services, specifically support for the city's K-12 afterschool and camp programs; developing workforce housing; and improving sidewalks and bike paths.
What she's saying: "The city of Greenacres is in excellent financial health and we have worked hard to provide our residents with a great quality of life."
Campaign finances: Bousquet has raised about $11,300 as of Feb. 23.
Website:paulabousquet.com
Newcomer Fule Dogic was born in Serbia and lived in Los Angeles before moving to Greenacres almost two years ago.
Background: Dogic has a bachelor's degree in finance from Economy University in Serbia. He has worked in distribution operations for 19 years and as a security commander for private companies.
Public service: He has volunteered teaching martial arts for youth programs.
Priorities: Public safety, remediate blighted areas, lowering taxes and increasing the minimum wage.
What he's saying: "As a supervisor of customer service and commander of security, my professional duties were at the service of 21 communities. I've spoken in City Council meetings to give suggestions on what needs to be fixed."
Campaign finances: Dogic raised about $774 as of Feb. 23.
Website: None.
Valentina Palm covers Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Greenacres, Palm Springs and other western communities in Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post. Email her at vpalm@pbpost.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @ValenPalmB. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Greenacres election: What you need to know about the race for mayor, City Council
