Mary Kate Leming's Blog – September 2011 Archive (43)

Manalapan Budget

Manalapan Budget

324 taxable parcels

                                                         2010-2011    2011-2012

Tax Rate                                             $2.8000*        $2.7830*

General Fund Budget                         $3.4 million    $3.2 million

General Fund Reserves                       $1.98 million    $1.98 million

% of Budget                                               59%                   62%

Reserves used                    … Continue

Added by Mary Kate Leming on September 29, 2011 at 2:00pm — No Comments

Boca Raton Budget

Boca Raton Budget

42,431 taxable parcels



                                                            2010-2011        2011-2012

Tax Rate                                                      $3.02*            $3.15*

Operating Budget                            $161.3 million        $160.4 million

General Fund Reserves                    $22.6 million        $19.4 million

% of Budget                                                  14%           … Continue

Added by Mary Kate Leming on September 29, 2011 at 12:50pm — No Comments

Highland Beach Budget

Highland Beach Budget

4,196 taxable parcels



                  2010-2011    2011-2012

Tax Rate                                              $3.2542*        $3.407*

General Fund Budget                          $10.7 million    $10.1 million

General Fund Reserves                        $5.3 million    $4.5 million

% of Budget                                                 49.5%        44.6%

Reserves used   … Continue

Added by Mary Kate Leming on September 29, 2011 at 12:49pm — No Comments

Halloween Picks: Pumpkins and ghosts dominate October events

Say Boo! to Halloween with everything from ghostly hauntings to pumpkin-inspired meals and cocktails.

A not too scary place to start is at “Halloween in the Hammock” at The Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton on Oct. 22. Take a mysterious (but not frightening) stroll through the hammock where visitors have the… Continue

Added by Mary Kate Leming on September 28, 2011 at 6:00pm — No Comments

Coastal Stars: Police volunteers excel and have awards, coverage to prove it

Members of Delray Beach’s Volunteer Patrol Scott Westall (left) and John Goodman, write a ticket for a vehicle parked at an expired meter along A1A. Photo by Jerry Lower

By Liz Best

They are the unsung heroes of Delray Beach — a team of volunteers, some 400 strong, who last year alone donated a staggering 42,000… Continue

Added by Mary Kate Leming on September 28, 2011 at 5:33pm — 2 Comments

Manalapan: Economic downturn leads to uptick in home building

An oceanfront custom home is under construction at 1040 S. Ocean Blvd. in Manalapan. The home includes 23,795 square feet and a guest house. Photo by Jerry Lower

By Christine Davis

Waterfront building in Manalapan is booming, big time.

“Oh, my! We are so excited!” said…

Continue

Added by Mary Kate Leming on September 28, 2011 at 5:30pm — No Comments

Ocean Ridge/Briny Breezes: Trims to Boynton fire-rescue may slow island service

By Angie Francalancia



Starting Oct. 1, fire service — or ambulance service — will take longer to reach Ocean Ridge and Briny Breezes.

    That’s because Boynton Beach, which provides fire rescue services to both towns, will be removing from operation one of its two emergency vehicles now run out of the closest station.

    Earlier in the month, members of… Continue

Added by Mary Kate Leming on September 28, 2011 at 5:30pm — No Comments

Boynton Beach: Dive shop, city agree on details for move

By Angie Francalancia

On the verge of a trial and already having spent thousands on legal fees, the owners of Splashdown Divers and the Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency agreed late last month that their money would be better spent not paying lawyers.

The CRA agreed to a settlement that allows Splashdown to remain through the end of the year in… Continue

Added by Mary Kate Leming on September 28, 2011 at 5:27pm — 1 Comment

Briny Breezes: Town challenges Census count

By Tim O’Meilia



The U.S. Census Bureau says the seaside mobile home town of Briny Breezes has precisely 800 homes. Everyone in town knows that’s wrong by several hundred.

    Just walk down the street and count them: 484.

    The bureau was much closer to the actual number in 2000, when it declared 534 mobile homes were in town.

    So the Town Council has challenged the census count of housing. “We will be in touch with the University of Florida regarding the current… Continue

Added by Mary Kate Leming on September 28, 2011 at 5:24pm — No Comments

Briny Breezes Budget

Briny Breezes Budget

493 taxable parcels

                                                           2010-2011    2011-2012

Tax Rate                                            $10*                               $10*

General Fund Budget                        $525,293        $601,176

General Fund Reserves                        $85,189        $84,140

% of Budget                                                   16.2%        14%

Reserves used       … Continue

Added by Mary Kate Leming on September 28, 2011 at 5:23pm — No Comments

Ocean Ridge: Stalking allegation dismissed by state

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement dismissed 2009 allegations against former Ocean Ridge Police Officer David Cazzolli that he stalked his former girlfriend, according to FDLE spokeswoman Kristi Gordon.

The claim was one of two brought by the Ocean Ridge Police Department against Cazzolli, who was fired in July 2009 following an internal investigation.

The FDLE dismissed a second claim, offense against intellectual property. But it was replaced with an allegation of misuse… Continue

Added by Mary Kate Leming on September 28, 2011 at 5:22pm — No Comments

Gulf Stream: Regret tinges vote on demolition of historic home

By Steve Plunkett

No joy marked the advisory approval of what could become the town’s newest subdivision — six homes on the 6-acre-plus Spence estate.

“I would recommend with great sadness that we approve the demolition permit,’’ Architectural Review and Planning Board member Charles Frankel III said before the panel voted 3-0 to send the plat plan on to the Town Commission for final consideration.

“I hate to see the property go, to be honest with you. I wish that somebody… Continue

Added by Mary Kate Leming on September 28, 2011 at 5:19pm — No Comments

Gulf Stream: St. Andrews condos will benefit from utilities project

By Steve Plunkett

Residents of condos at the St. Andrews Club just north of town will benefit from Gulf Stream’s underground utilities project without spending a dime.

Town commissioners decided Sept. 15 to pull $450,000 from reserves to prepay Gulf Stream’s portion of the project, which includes assessments for six town-owned parcels and the share St. Andrews residents would pay if they lived inside town limits instead of in Boynton Beach.

The St. Andrews Club condos are… Continue

Added by Mary Kate Leming on September 28, 2011 at 5:18pm — No Comments

Lantana/Hypoluxo Island: Water rates to increase slightly in Lantana

Lantana residents will see a slight increase in water rates starting in October.

    A customer who uses 6,000 gallons of water/wastewater per month will see his bill increase by $1.23 or 1.8 percent. Someone who uses 10,000 gallons per month would see his bill go up by $1.65.

    The increase is expected to raise $40,000.

    According to town’s code of ordinances, all rates established by fees and charges are adjusted annually. At its Sept. 12 town meeting, most council members… Continue

Added by Mary Kate Leming on September 28, 2011 at 5:16pm — No Comments

Lantana Budget

Lantana Budget

4,407 taxable parcels

                                                                 2010-2011        2011-2012

Tax Rate                         $3.2395*        $3.2395*

General Fund Budget                               $9.1 million        $8.3 million

General Fund Reserves                            $5.5 million                 $5.1 million

% of Budget                                               … Continue

Added by Mary Kate Leming on September 28, 2011 at 5:15pm — No Comments

Gulf Stream insisting that county pay back taxes paid for annexed properties

By Steve Plunkett

Gulf Stream town officials are taking off the gloves in their quest to recover some of the tax money property owners in the annexed pocket paid Palm Beach County for 2011.

Mayor William Koch Jr. asked County Commissioner Steven Abrams in a Sept. 14 letter for more help getting $19,469 reimbursed by Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue for services from March 15, the date of the annexation, through Sept. 30. Koch wants $21,728 from the Sheriff’s Office for the… Continue

Added by Mary Kate Leming on September 28, 2011 at 5:13pm — No Comments

Gulf Stream budget

Gulf Stream Budget

538 taxable parcels

                                                2010-2011                        2011-2012

Tax Rate                                         $2.8655*                         $2.9265*

General Fund Budget                    $2.55 million                 $3.1 million

General Fund Reserves**            $1.3 million                     $0.8 million

% of Budget                                            51%                      … Continue

Added by Mary Kate Leming on September 28, 2011 at 5:12pm — No Comments

South Palm Beach: Shoreline protection study can start up again

By Tim O’Meilia

    The on-again, off-again breakwater project to protect South Palm Beach’s eroding shoreline is back on the drawing board six months after Palm Beach County officials had declared it so much scrap paper.

    “Finally, I have some good news,” Leanne Welch, a supervisor in the county’s environmental resources management department, told the Town Council Sept. 20. “We have the go-ahead to restart the environmental impact study.”

    The study was halted in March… Continue

Added by Mary Kate Leming on September 28, 2011 at 5:10pm — No Comments

South Palm Beach Budget

South Palm Beach Budget

1,868 taxable parcels

                                                                    2010-2011        2011-2012

Tax Rate                                                         $4.3174*        $4.3174*

General Fund Budget                                     $1.88 million                      $1.7 million

General Fund Reserves**                              $2 million                              $2 million

% of Budget                      … Continue

Added by Mary Kate Leming on September 28, 2011 at 5:09pm — No Comments

Lantana/Ocean Ridge: Changing health care brings big savings

By Margie Plunkett

and Mary Thurwachter

    Health-care insurance checkups are turning up substantial savings for at least two coastal municipalities as they near completion of this year’s budget process.

    Lantana saved $230,000 by switching employee health insurance from Blue Cross/Blue Shield to a comparable Aetna plan. And Ocean Ridge hopes to save $50,000.

    Insurance broker Dave Adams, a Hypoluxo Island resident, pitched both the towns, informing them he could… Continue

Added by Mary Kate Leming on September 28, 2011 at 5:07pm — No Comments