Boca Raton: Beach and Park taxes get a 22% boost

By Steve Plunkett

Gone this budget season were irate taxpayers, angry City Council members and robocalls ginning up opposition to a double-digit tax increase.
Instead, the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District on Sept. 27 approved a 22% tax hike for fiscal 2022 with no one speaking against it. The increase means an extra $95 in property taxes on a $500,000 home.
“All righty, the final (Truth in Millage) compliance hearing is now adjourned,” District Chair Susan Vogelgesang said to end the 8½-minute session spent mostly reciting a budget summary and two resolutions.
The adopted rate of $1.05 per $1,000 of taxable value will fund a $53.3 million budget that includes $5 million for whatever commissioners decide to build at the old Boca Teeca/Ocean Breeze golf course, $445,000 to add ADA access and renovate restrooms at the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, and $300,000 to finish the first phase of Ocean Strand park.
The district will give the city $22 million to operate and maintain Red Reef Park, that park’s golf course, Mizner Bark dog park and DeHoernle Park as well as $5.7 million for other capital improvements. Money for maintenance facilities at city-owned DeHoernle and Spanish River Park was placed in reserves.
The city will also receive $1.6 million as this year’s repayment for the Ocean Breeze land purchase and $1.8 million for its Community Redevelopment Agency.
The lack of opposition was in marked contrast to the scenes two years ago when commissioners proposed a 19.4% tax increase. Opponents outspoke supporters 45-19 in 2019’s two budget hearings, the City Council passed a resolution condemning it, and then-Deputy Mayor Jeremy Rodgers spent $400 of his own money for robocalls urging taxpayers to fight the measure.
District commissioners ultimately adopted the same rate as the year before. Still stinging from the criticism, last year they adopted the rollback rate, keeping tax revenues level.

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