First property tax-rate hike in 12 years for Palm Beach County?
by George Bennett | June 28th, 2009Palm Beach County commissioners haven’t approved an increase in the general county property tax rate since 1997.
That’s hardly a badge of fiscal discipline. Thanks to a booming real estate market, commissioners over the last 12 years have routinely held the rate steady or lowered it — and still collected massive revenue increases that exceeded inflation or population growth.
Now that property values have cratered, maintaining the current countywide tax rate of $3.78 per $1,000 of appraised value would force commissioners to find about $70 million in cuts for the budget year that begins Oct. 1.
They’ll grapple with the 2009-10 budget again Monday.
Read more about it here.
Where's the money? Use The Post's interactive database of who wants and who's getting federal dollars.
Use these interactive graphics to find and contact Palm Beach County and Treasure Coast legislators.
June 28th, 2009 at 8:02 am
gutless,rate should have gone up each year at least to off set inflation rate.
June 28th, 2009 at 8:18 am
The county needs to cut the costs, no more million dollar swat trucks for the sheriff, no more brand new useless tactical firetrucks. Reduce the health costs by making the employees shoulder some like all the rest of us. The boom was a travesty that ruined the entire county, no ore neighborhood feeling but so called investors trying to make a buck. Next is thge save our homes not there as well. Investors need to go away, county needs to cut their own fat.
June 28th, 2009 at 8:21 am
I suspect that it is a forlorn hope, but I should like to think that when county commissioners approach a new budget with lower revenue prospects, they’ll take the supremely logical road and just cut pay across the board about 5%. I deplore this business of threatening to cut services on the theory that taxpayers will panic and give them all the money they want.
THEY CAN MAINTAIN SERVICES AND CUT THE BUDGET if they will just cut pay across the board. Public employees should be thankful they still have jobs–even with less pay.
Let’s both employees and commissioners get realistic.
June 28th, 2009 at 8:30 am
Yes. The boom was greed.
Now we pay the price.
This county was lead by corrupt leaders and consultants like Boose and Masilotti for maybe 20 years are more.
The fat and waste is insane and now they feel entitled to it.
No tax raise.
Cut people.
Change the culture.
No more corrupt political entitlements.
June 28th, 2009 at 9:17 am
They waste- I don’t pay. Just wait and see how bad it’s going to get. Small business are getting crushed in this county and our elected officals are doing nothing for them. More Wal-Marts please! Raise taxes….There NUCKING FUTS!
June 28th, 2009 at 9:22 am
HURRICANE SCAM ALERT!!!
Here’s how it works. You suffer damage to your property. Your insurance company refuses to pay the full amount that it will take to repair your property. Someone recommends a Public Adjuster Claim Service to you. The salesman (who works on commission) states that his company is the best in the business, guarantees that he will get you the additional money that you need to fully repair the damage and will do all of this quickly. All of this is offered for a fee of 20% of the additional money you get when the claim is settled. Out of financial and emotional desperation, you sign their contract. You are now officially scammed.
Be advised that a Public Adjuster Claim Service is nothing more than a licensed insurance salesman. He has no more influence over your insurance company than you do.
Before you sign a Public Adjuster Claim Service contract (they are all from the same “boilerplate”), know that this contract can NEVER be cancelled (after the three-day right to rescind has passed), does not have a termination or expiration date, does not specify what will be specifically provided or delivered, lives on until the claim is settled, cannot be terminated for failure to deliver (breach of contract) and the Public Adjuster Claim Service is legally entitled to receive his fee (because of the contract wording) even if he has nothing to do with the settlement. In fact, he doesn’t have to do a thing to collect his full fee!
In my case, after I signed his contract, it was filed away waiting for someone to settle the claim. It is guaranteed money to the Public Adjuster Claim Service.
The Public Adjuster Claim Service that I contracted with did nothing for seven months – not even call me. I fired them – I thought. I hired an attorney who settled the case/claim 15 months later. Because of the Public Adjuster Claim Service contract, I was still obligated to pay his $19,000 fee.
If this sounds like sour grapes, call the State of Florida Consumer Protection Agency (877-693-5236) and ask them to verify my statements and the reputation of the Public Adjuster Claim Service. The only way to stop this cheating scam is to change the law. Better yet, don’t sign a Public Adjuster Claim Service contract.
Hire an attorney if you need to and don’t let them charge you more than a 20% fee. And a reputable contractor will provide a free quote to repair your damage that can be given to your attorney to forward to your insurance company.
BEWARE. DON’T HIRE A PUBLIC ADJUSTER CLAIM SERVICE. You will be scammed like me.
June 28th, 2009 at 9:25 am
Mordy- We’ve been through this before. Learn how to manage your life and money. You dumbass
June 28th, 2009 at 9:35 am
Everyone must remember one thing. During the boom the extra money went to fatten the pockets of a few. The land scam that Masilotti was involved in is just one example. Our Gov’t. received very little of the extra money. Now that the economy has slowed down, the working people must pay the price.
If you really dig deep you will see the slow shift in taxes to the working class people. This is what it is all about.
June 28th, 2009 at 9:35 am
County wide 5% pay cut. Go find another job if 5% is too much. Good Luck.
June 28th, 2009 at 9:41 am
Most County employees would agree with a 5% cut. The problem is the majority of cuts are in the 25k to 30k bracket. Sorry, but it is going to take a lot of these folks to achieve their goal.
The County needs to look at any person making 90K and over and evauluate the need for those positions.
The County needs a private firm or board to make the decissions on cuts. Leaving cuts up to Dept. heads, well we know the “good old boy” choices will always be the small person.
Maybe it’s time the PB Post prints out everyone salaries and positions of those who make 90K and over and let the public comment on that. I’m sure we’ll be amazed.
The bottom line the fat cats will still be working and the small person will still be out.
The old saying “you can’t fight city hall”
June 28th, 2009 at 10:23 am
Here’s a new twist. Don’t blame the commissioners or the bureaucrats for higher taxes and greed.
I work with a Congregation Based Community Organzation called PEACE. We have 20 multi-faith churches and synagogues who actually do something about issues like crime, affordable housing, and health care. The real problem is apathy. Except for the media, Palm Beach County does not hold our public offiials accountable. It is like pulling teeth to get people to show up at public meetings and stand up for social justice. Most of the people who do show up have a financial vested interest in the issues. We have no one to blame but ourselves! The real culprit is APATHY. Everyone needs to ask themselves, what are you personally doing to hold our public officials accountable? In most cases people just complain to their friends, but do nothing.
June 28th, 2009 at 11:14 am
Why would anyone raise Property Taxes now in this environment? When we had the
money it was squandered away and nothing
was left for a rainy day. Well folks-here’s our rainy day and guess who has
their hands out-those lovely commissioners from Palm Beach. They are
a real worthy bunch. I guess we can’t
blame them when we vote them in over and
over again-we get what we vote for. Let
them stop telling us to BUDGET-they should learn to and soon. They should sit down and find creative ways to plug
the hole. We the TAX PAYER have had enough. You can’t get blood from a stone.
June 28th, 2009 at 11:25 am
For all you idiots who voted for the property tax cut…this is for you. Now you will be paying head and shoulders above what you were paying just because you thought you would save a COUPLE of HUNDRED. You want to talk about greed!!! Thanks to you who voted yes for the tax cut…we will all be paying MANY HUNDREDS more!!!
June 28th, 2009 at 11:26 am
Treat the Police, Firemen, and municipal workers like the teachers are treated — no more 20 and out … no extreme double or triple time .. if you want and expect the best for your kids – why treat the teachers differently from other public employees. Get everyone on a level playing field then maybe we can start to get the budget under control too.
And teachers have college degrees while police and firemen usually only have high school diplomas!
June 28th, 2009 at 11:33 am
This all sounds pretty scary, everyone is talking about more hikes, FPL, water dept, gas prices, now this? In this economic environment? I kind of feel like a tube of toothpaste being squeezed dried. I think the county needs to really look into making cuts, just like everybody else. Keep in mind, that prices keep going up, but everyone’s salary is either being cut or remaining the same. Have some mercy and cut excessive spending, freeze salary increases, etc.
June 28th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Eliminate waste and corruption and get rid of beaurocrats and corrupt politicians.
We must vote the current commisioners out!
June 28th, 2009 at 11:49 am
Governmental budgets need to be handled like the private sector. When you have less revenue than expenses you make cuts until you balance the budget. Palm Beach County; start cutting.
June 28th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
how about letting the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes…stop allowing money that’s made here in the USA…be transfered to those ‘off-shore’ accounts. You make it here, you keep it here, like the rest of us regular people.
June 28th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
and as for the headline first RE tax increase in 12 years? where was that dumbell living 3 years ago when because of the outrages spike in real estate prices, many of our homes were greatly overvalued and my tax was triple what it was last year….there must be a better system.
June 28th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Sticking it to those of us that reside part time in PBC and use few if any public services. How can the owner of a $75K condo pay more in taxes than a $750K residence in Washington, DC? And DC is by no means inexpensive. But full time residents are getting a ride on the back of “snow birds”.
June 28th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Are the commissioners aware of what is going on? Increase taxes on people who have lost their jobs, increase taxes on businesses that are just barely keeping their heads above water, tax everything, it’s time that programs be cut back as well, the commissioners, just like every American who has had to cut back, have to cut back. What good is the increase if all it does is cause businesses to close and for people to lose their homes because they can’t afford it! Shame on all of you for even thinking of this. You don’t seem willing to cut back, we should start with a 10% reduction in your pay, just like I have had to do to keep what is already a low paying job. WAKE UP!!!!
June 28th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
WHY ARE THE COPS AND FIREMEN TO BLAME? ARE YOU AWARE THAT 60% OF OFFICERS DIE 5 YEARS AFTER THEY RETIRE? LOOK IT UP, STATS DONT LIE. IN ADDITION ANYONE CAN BECOME A POLICE OFFICER OR A FIRE FIGHTER, AND SINCE YOU CAN DIE WHILE DOING YOUR JOB IS IT A SIN TO HAVE A HALF WAY DECENT RETIREMENT PLAN. REMEMBER THIS, WHEN YOU ARE RUNNING AWAY FROM A CRITICAL INCIDENT, THE COPS ARE RUNNING TO IT. DO NOT EVER COMPARE A TEACHERS JOB TO A POLICE OFFICERS JOB, TEACHERS DESERVE MUCH MORE, BUT DONT ROB PETER TO PAY PAUL. OFFICERS AND FIRE FIGHTERS WORK EVERY HOLIDAY, AND EVERY NIGHT, WHILE WE SLEEP. TEACHERS WORK HARD, BUT ONLY TWO HUNDRED SOMETHING DAYS A YEAR. WE NEED TO JOIN TOGETHER, AND QUIT TRYING TO BLAME THE PEACE KEEPERS!
June 28th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
DO NOT vote for any public officer that raises tax or do not cut tax. We cannot live in a place where governments are getting bigger and private sector getting smaller-it is a disaster waiting to happen.
VOTE THEM OUT OF OFFICE if they do not CUT expenses!
It’s that simple!!!
June 28th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
The federal government is finding new ways to soak us (green energy, cap & trade, hidden tax increases on us and businesses among other tricks). Local government is raising the cost of everything from property tax to dog tags & everything in between. Because of the feds & local governments, small & large business alike have no recourse but to raise prices. It all comes down to the consumer/tax payer…it always does. This President says he wants to tax the rich & help the poor. All he is doing is driving businesses to close & making the poor, poorer!! When are we going to say enough is enough & rebel?? Where are the “Tax Parties” & why aren’t we ALL out there fighting for our survival?!! Come on people!!
June 28th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Weisman refuses to see his litte empire start crumbling. He is a master at manipulating the commissioners with the mantra that “County government is lean and mean”. Mean, maybe, lean: absolutely not. In fact, each County Department is an independent republic. Each department has its own administration, IT, contracts management, public affairs, procurement section, and above all the always present but inefficient and useless swarms of “assistants and coordinators”. Commissioners Marcus and Aaronson touched the topic of duplication and inefficiencies during the last budget workshop. Ms. Marcus clearly directed Weisman and the Department directors to look into increasing efficiency to reduce costs. But what happens? These topics are completely ignored by Weisman and the Budget Director in the agenda for the next workshop. This is a serious problem: the need to cut is more imperative now than ever. Just go to the Vista Center and observe the dozens of county employees doing nothing but talking to each other. Abuse of the county vehicles is almost criminal. And what about the scam of the “10-hour days”: it is pathetic to observe employees on that schedule doing nothing during the extra 2 hours they are “working”. In fact, many get late to work but leave as soon as their supervisors are gone; at best they only work 6 or 7 hours out of the 10 they are supposed to. Mr. Weisman needs to wake up and realize the inefficiency of the county departments. The solution is to cut from the top, make the employees pay for at least part of their health benefits, cut their pensions a little, and dispose of those who are not needed. Perhaps those who are laid off could go to work in the private sector, which is the excuse for the exorbitant salaries and benefits, according to Weisman: “if we don’t pay well our employees will quit and go to to private business”. It brings to min Bevin Baudet who went to work for a private company some years ago. The poor man, however, could not endure the harsh working conditions and the low salary so he was brought back to the County (Water Utilities) after a few months by his buddy Mr. Weisman. And Vince Bonvento: is he so indispensable that he needs to triple dip in the government trough?
June 28th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Palm Beach County needs to make the cuts.
They were happy all those years collecting more and more property taxes and spending like no tomorrow. Cut services and stop acting like irresponsible brats.
June 28th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
SICKNTIRED must not know how to type without screaming in all caps. He must know someone who is a cop. Someone who gets paid double time to sit in an A/C car at a construction site. He must think that every day a cop puts his life in harms way when most likely they call for backup, have a gun and the power of arrest! How about we give that same cop( after much more mandatory qualifying education) a job as a teacher WITHOUT gun and arrest and radio back up and ask him to break up a school fight while being at risk of being arrested for using physical force on some young darling. How many of you know a cop or firemen that is already retired at age 45? Then they get another job, all the while collecting disability from previous career! Many municipal employees have higher job qualifications than do police but few get better benefits- all of which are paid for by the citizens of the county. Honestly, how many of you know a cop who flashes a badge to get into a game or a concert or get a deal on something as if society owes him something extra special? If anyone in public service deserves a perk its firemen! Sure we all need to get along but Detroit is being ruined by excessive auto worker contracts and municipal employees are killing the budget with their special deals. Why not make one deal for all employees since we all should get along and nobody is more equal than another? Group all municipal employees into the same contract and insurance/ benefits plans – then we might finally really treat everyone fairly. Insurance plans and payroll/budgets might be considerable lower and taxpayer costs will decline when the police, firemen, teachers, and municipal workers all are treated as one equal work force contributing to the well being of the community.
June 28th, 2009 at 6:12 pm
This tax increase is a disaster. Two of the three in my family have been unemployed for the past year. So we have already had a 2/3rds cut back. THE COUNTY CAN DO THE SAME!!! The county budget is bloated and could easily be cut. What about permits and inspectors with no new homes being built. There are so many areas the County Commissioners could stop their spending. The same for the County Administrator. Please vote for term limits. Those left on the County Commission don’t know what it is like. When they were elected they were paid very little as it was a part time job, now they are over $100,000 salary plus all the benefits a year AND a whopping retirement. THEY can certainly take a 10% cut back along with all the overpaid county employees. AFTER ALL the County Budget is THE TAXPAYERS MONEY!!! Cut everything back 10% instead of asking for more $$$$$. PULL THE BELT IN, NO TRIP, NO EXPENSE ACCOUNTS, NO FREE CAR, NO DISCRETIONARY SPENDING. THE PEOPLE ARE TOO WEAK TO FIGHT BACK, MAKE THEM STOP SPENDING OUR MONEY ON FRIVIOUSLY EXPENSES. ALSO TO FIRE LIFEGUARD IS IRRESPONSIBLE, THEIR SALARIES ARE A PITANCE IN THE BUDGET. PAYING TO UPGRADE OR GO GREEN IS WASTEFUL FOR THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO. TO THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: USE WHAT IS AVAILABLE INSTEAD OF SPENDING.
June 29th, 2009 at 8:57 am
There is simply no fiscal responsibility in all forms of government. Why is it we as individuals my excersize limits but the government is free to spend more than they collect? This is a form of theft. Yet, we think the government will solve our problems. Wow.
June 29th, 2009 at 8:58 am
A sales tax increase should be used instead of property taxes. That way everyone living in the county shares the burden rather than just people who have purchased property. Renters use the schools, police & fire services too. Plus a sales taxes forces illegal immigrants to pay into the the system as well and share the burden.
June 29th, 2009 at 9:56 am
I agree with many of the responses posted on this site. Many of us have family members who have lost their homes and income thus resulting in multi-family residences. Loss of homes leaves many property taxes unpaid. I suggest that we enforce collection on the property taxes which are not in foreclosure and that have not been paid by putting liens them, especially those whom are in the highest property values that have chosen not to pay.
Also, I would like to comment on Bobs input. I think Bob should run for county commissioner as his plan seems more likely to work on behalf of taxpayers and employees. Bob had a great idea of combining all Palm Beach employees and congress on one insurance plan and under one pay plan. It is not as ridiculous as the raising the taxes on these empty foreclosed homes!!
I cannot afford any higher taxes due to my income being near poverty level and the raises given to FPL, water hikes, hurricane insurance companies, and the outrageous purchase of the sugar land by Governor Christ that our tax dollars are being misused for.
And I also agree with Kenneth Arfa. How about if the meetings were more interactive with today’s technology? I would be glad to go to the meetings if they were posted in advance with what was on the agenda and if they were during hours that did not conflict with my working hours. We need to demand that our politicians be scrutinized by the federal government.
June 29th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
Ok…so now in addition to the Loxahatchee River District wantint $12,000 out of pocket next year for a sewer system that is not necessary right now…the county will raise taxes, too…i think the plan is to drive is to lien every property in palm beach county by 2011. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! There’s nothing left to cut out of my budget except food and shelter.
June 30th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Whether it be county, state or federal wastefulness, it is running rampant. I see a beautiful new rest stop on I95 by Hobe Sound… How much did that cost and why did we need it? My guess is that was some deal struck to benefit the politicians and their building cronies when the boom was booming. How is it that we dont have enough money for essential services but that multi- million dollar thing still went up? And next time you are in the post office check out the stupid stickers that the USPS must have wasted many hundreds of thousands of dollars on. They are on machines and they say, “Hi, my name is so and so.” Whose brilliant idea was that? Come on lawmakers, get some wits about you. Who expects postal machines to have names? And lets keep track of this stuff that is still being built when we are no longer growing. Do we still need 10 lanes of highways north of Palm Beach on I95? Oh, that’s right… must have been a contract signed in the boom years. Has anyone ever seen the huge ugly ant sculpture at PBI? What the heck is that? Who paid for that? Why would someone pay for that?