Royal Palm Beach election: What you need to know about the race for mayor

ROYAL PALM BEACH — A newcomer to elected politics is challenging Royal Palm Beach's longtime mayor in the upcoming March 19 election.

Steve Avila is running against incumbent Fred Pinto, who is seeking his fifth term in the village's top office.

Three of the five seats on the Royal Palm Beach Village Council are up for election this year, but only the mayor’s seat will be contested.

Incumbents Jeff Hamra and Selena Samios were unopposed for two-year terms on the council. In Royal Palm Beach, there are no term limits for the mayor and council members.

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 Fred Pinto

Village mayor Fred Pinto, 73, has lived in the village for 24 years.

• Background: Pinto holds a master's degree in strategic planning from Command and General Staff College from the U.S. Army. He worked as a project manager and director for technology companies and is currently the agency development manager for the Colonial Life insurance company.

• Public service: He has served on the village council and as chair of the Palm Beach County Transportation Planning Agency and on the advisory board for the Academy of Information Technology. He has been on the board of directors for the Palm Beach County American Cancer Society and was the president of the nonprofit Caribbean American for Community Involvement.

• Priorities: Completing the new Village Hall, overseeing the expansion of the village’s Recreation Center and for Royal Palm Beach to “stay the course of the good value proposition for young families and our senior community.”

• What he's saying: “I have provided leadership and good governance as a Councilman and Mayor. We are a safe, debt-free city and our biggest challenge as leaders is to sustain the level of excellence that our citizens are accustomed to."

• Campaign finances: Pinto has raised about $10,000 as of Feb. 23.

• Website: None.

Challenger Steve Avila

Steven “Steve” Avila, 34, was born in New Jersey to Honduran parents. The family moved to Royal Palm Beach over 20 years ago and he is pursuing his first run for office.

• Background: Avila has a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College in romance studies (French and Portuguese) with a minor in Spanish. He has worked as a college admissions consultant for the last seven years and now co-owns a consulting company.

• Public service: He is the president of the Log Cabin Republicans of Palm Beach County and vice-president of the Dartmouth club of the Palm Beaches. He is a committeeman for the Republican Executive Committee of Palm Beach County and on the board of directors of the Hispanic Vote of Palm Beach County.

• Priorities: Responsible development, lowering taxes, advocate for term limits at the municipal level, supporting schools, and investing in public safety.

• What he's saying: “My mission is to effect meaningful change and serve as a vocal advocate for those whose voices have long gone unnoticed. Royal Palm Beach has a long history of low voter turnout and uncontested elections, but my goal is to usher in a new era of engagement and representation.”

• Campaign finances: Avila has raised about $17,170 as of Feb. 23.

• Website: avilaformayor.com

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: Royal Palm Beach election: What you need to know about the race for mayor