In the municipal election held March 13, Wellington, Fla., voters supported former city councilman Bob Margolis with 58 percent of the vote, winning him a seat as mayor and ousting incumbent Darell Bowen, who had been mayor since 2008.

The campaign trail was strung with attack ads with a focus on the proposed Equestrian Village on the area previously occupied by Wellington’s original polo stadium. The Wellington Equestrian Partners with Mark Bellisimo wanted to build a condo/hotel and retail shopping center to draw more events to the Wellington equestrian scene. Additionally, several million dollars have already been spent on a dressage facility in the old polo arena.

Margolis opposes the Equestrian Village project with support from the Wellington Equestrian Preservation Alliance, which wants to “protect the local equestrian economy from over-development, rampant real estate speculation and shortsighted economic planning” according to its website.

Margolis was also supported by the Jacobs family, whose home sits near the proposed development.

In opposition, Bellisimo supported Bowen’s bid for re-election along with the appointment of Shauna Hostetler and Al Paglia, both of whom earned seats on the council.

This election had the biggest turnout for a municipal election in Wellington history. The proposed Equestrian Village project, which was sent to the state for a required review after the council’s initial votes, must undergo several additional votes by the new Wellington council before it could be built.

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