Sara Baxter and Jon Maples Highlight January Meeting

Our first meeting of the new year started with County Mayor Sara Baxter. Elected in 2022 in what was a D+7 district 6, her re-election chances look good with the district having improved to now R+1. She has drawn a primary challenger in Elizabeth Accomando though, as there is some angst among REC types that she does not always toe the party line. That comes with being independent – she supports things that are right for her constituents and the county, which are sometimes at odds with Republican orthodoxy (like supporting Democrat Ric Bradshaw for Sheriff).

Her priorities for the commission include achieving “roll-back rate” on the millage, and building and maintaining our infrastructure. She seeks solutions to our traffic problems but does not see Palm Tran as the answer, as the buses are never full and it costs a large amount of money. Giving every current bus user a ride-share voucher would be cheaper than what we have now.

Sara favors affordable housing, but not through high density construction that makes the traffic worse. Our roads need better timing of traffic lights and smart technology to manage growth. She praised our new County Administrator Joe Abruzzo for bringing accountability through performance reviews and merit raises instead of across the board COLA policies, and simplifying vender applications for county contracts.

Given the coming proposal for a “Transportation” sales tax surcharge, Sara urges us to vote NO!

The second speaker was Jon Maples who just won the House District 87 primary and will face a Democrat in the special election on March 24th. Jon talked about his priorities if elected and asked for support, and gave his personal view of an approach to limiting property taxes by providing insurance deductions. The current Legislative session is considering various ways to cut taxes at the local level. Regarding CFO Blaise Ingoglia’s claim of overspending in the county budget, Sara added that he is “running for election” and hasn’t provided any concrete examples of wasteful spending. If they want to “DOGE” the county, they need to get more specific.

Candidates who spoke at the end of the meeting included:

Jon Maples HD87
Boca Mayor Scott Singer running for CD23
Elizabeth Accomando (CC6)
Selena Samios (RPB Council)

CD22 candidate Deb Adeimy was also present but did not speak.

Commissioner Sara Baxter to Highlight January Meeting

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District 6 Commissioner Sara Baxter was born at Good Samaritan Hospital and is a second-generation local. She is happily married to Brian and a proud mother of three boys, Sara has always found her heart anchored in her faith. She now resides with her family in the Acreage.

In her early career, Sara worked as a Certified Retinal Angiographer at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. However, a new path opened up in 2011 when she and her husband, a BMW Master Technician, started an auto repair business. As she nurtured the growth of their business, Sara also pursued higher education, she graduated from Palm Beach State College with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. After more than a decade of dedication and hard work, the couple was able to purchase their own building and operates a successful business known as Foreign Auto Specialists.

The difficult process of establishing their business inspired Sara to run for office. Determined to streamline county procedures for other entrepreneurs, she also committed herself to actively support small businesses. She firmly believes that small businesses are the backbone of our economy and nurturing an environment that promotes their growth is essential for Palm Beach County’s future.

Since her tenure as a Commissioner, Sara has channeled her efforts into reducing red tape that stops people from realizing their full potential. She has actively worked on eliminating unnecessary regulations, staunchly supporting our law enforcement officers, enhancing road conditions, and fixing traffic issues in western Palm Beach County. As a small business owner herself, Sara prioritizes empowering her community members with the tools they need to succeed. She’s committed to fostering an environment that encourages personal and economic growth, making Palm Beach County a place where everyone can thrive.​