increase - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-28T22:31:14Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/increaseHighland Beach: New trash-pickup contract gets OK despite steep rise in bills at the starthttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/highland-beach-new-trash-pickup-contract-gets-ok-despite-steep-ri2023-05-31T15:31:27.000Z2023-05-31T15:31:27.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><strong>By Rich Pollack</strong></p>
<p>Highland Beach residents, who have enjoyed low rates for garbage pickup for at least 10 years, will see a huge jump in their bills this month.</p>
<p>In May, town commissioners reluctantly signed off on a new five-year contract with Waste Management Inc. of Florida that will boost rates for single-family and small multifamily homes by 82% and for individual condo owners by 69%.</p>
<p>Single-family homes and multifamily homes with under four units will see the rate go from close to $16 a month to just less than $30.</p>
<p>Condo rates will increase from $10.30 per month to $17.46. </p>
<p>The large bump, said Town Manager Marshall Labadie, is the result of the relatively low rate that residents have paid under a favorable 2014 contract that increased only 3% a year since 2019. </p>
<p>“What we had was a bit of a sweetheart deal,” Labadie said.</p>
<p>To help reduce the financial impact, Highland Beach cut its administrative fee — which covers the cost of billing and revenue collection — from 12% to 5%.</p>
<p>“Because the increase was so high, we did everything we could to mitigate costs to residents,” Labadie said. </p>
<p>One of the sticking points in the new contract, for at least one member of the Town Commission, was the annual increases it includes. </p>
<p>Under the new contact, the cost of garbage pickup will increase 7% a year for the next five years with a two-year optional renewal. That means the bill for single-family and small multifamily homes will grow by 2027 to $38.19 and for condos to $22.87.</p>
<p>That portion of the contract drew some pushback from Vice Mayor David Stern, who thinks the agreement doesn’t reflect a potential drop in the cost of living from the current high rate. </p>
<p>Stern said he would have liked to see the agreement stay at 7% for the first two years and then drop back to the cost of living for the remainder of the period. <br />He also expressed concern about the large initial increase, saying he thought it would have been better to spread that over the term of the contract. </p>
<p>“My concern is that we have a jump in price that in my opinion is excessive,” he said. “Highland Beach had a very good arrangement, and what they did is put us at a par with others in one shot.” </p>
<p>Stern praised the town for its efforts to negotiate a deal that would be more favorable to residents and recognized that there was little room for give and take. The town had put its garbage contract out for bid and got only two responses, with the one from Waste Management being the more reasonable.<br />Speaking to the commission in April, Barbara Herrera of Waste Management’s government affairs team said that much of the price increase was due to labor issues and supply-chain concerns. </p>
<p>“It’s very difficult to hire individuals who want to work on a rear-load truck,” she said, adding that many applicants would rather drive the truck and remain in the air-conditioned cab than work in the heat. </p>
<p>With that in mind, she said, the company has increased wages and benefits including college tuition assistance for employees and some family members. </p>
<p>She said maintenance costs have also increased, with the company having to pay more for qualified mechanics.</p>
<p>The collection schedule will stay the same under the agreement. Waste Management will collect solid waste twice a week from single-family homes and twice a week from condo and small multifamily units, with the condo trash collection expanding to three times a week from Nov. 1 to May 31. </p>
<p>The company will also pick up yard trash and bulk trash twice a week from single-family, small multifamily homes and condos. Recyclables will be collected twice a week from condos and once a week from single-family homes and small multifamily units.</p></div>Boca Raton: City manager recommends unchanged tax rate for 15% rise in paymentshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boca-raton-city-manager-recommends-unchanged-tax-rate-for-15-rise2022-08-03T15:13:51.000Z2022-08-03T15:13:51.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><strong>By Mary Hladky</strong></p>
<p>Boca Raton’s tax rate likely will remain unchanged for the coming fiscal year — though that translates into a 15% tax increase.<br />The 2022-23 tax rate, presented to the City Council on July 26 by City Manager Leif Ahnell, is the same as the current rate of $3.68 per $1,000 of taxable property value.<br />The city has long prided itself on its low tax rate that has kept steady for many years, which is possible because Boca Raton has the strongest tax base of any municipality in the county.<br />Even so, property owners will see higher tax bills because of soaring property values fueled by an exceptionally strong real estate market. The city would have to lower the millage rate to $3.20 per $1,000 of taxable value to bring in the same amount of tax revenue as the previous year. <br />Taxable property values surged by 14.5% this year, up from last year’s 3.8%. But homeowners whose properties are homesteaded will not feel the brunt of that increase because state law caps the taxable value increase at 3%. Non-homesteaded properties are capped at 10%.<br />The amount that homeowners will pay for fire protection services will rise to $155 in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, up from last year’s $145. The hike is the result of the increased cost of providing fire protection, the city said.<br />The increase in the annual assessment for commercial and industrial properties is based on the class and size of the buildings.<br />Boca’s tax rate will not be finalized until September. City Council members cannot raise the tax rate above what Ahnell submitted, but they do have leeway to lower it.<br />A public hearing on the tax rate and proposed 2022-23 budget will be held at 6 p.m. Sept. 12 in the auditorium of a city-owned building at 6500 Congress Avenue.<br />Mayor Scott Singer acknowledges that tax bills will rise, but notes that many residents are protected by homestead exemptions.<br />Boca, like all cities, is facing rising costs for materials, equipment and building projects due to price increases and supply chain issues, he said. The growing city also needs to hire more employees to keep service standards high and retain existing employees who have other job opportunities in the current strong labor market.<br />“We want to make sure we are balancing (the tax rate) appropriately because the costs of some of the basic functions we depend on every day are rising rapidly,” he said.<br /><strong>In other business:</strong><br />• The city is set to approve a proposed cultural arts complex in Mizner Park at an Aug. 22 special meeting.<br />The Center for Arts and Innovation, the complex’s new name, is an ambitious $130 million project to be built on city-owned land and will include a performing arts center, completely renovated amphitheater, jewel box theater, rooftop terrace and outdoor performing arts spaces.<br />The City Council must approve two agreements that have been negotiated by city staff and the cultural center’s team. The pre-construction and development agreement includes specifics on the center’s and city’s obligations. The agreement to lease city land to the center has a 74-year term with two 10-year renewals for a total of 94 years.<br />Negotiations are largely concluded, but a few matters were unresolved as of the end of July.<br />• Deputy City Manager Mike Woika gave his farewell to City Council members during a July 25 meeting, marking the end of his 22-year career with the city.<br />Woika was the city’s jokester-in-chief. In true form, his speech was in verse, recalling highlights and lowlights of his tenure.<br />Andy Lukasik, a former North Palm Beach village manager and Jupiter town manager, has replaced Woika.<br />Council members thanked Woika and offered best wishes.<br />“We will miss your service,” Singer said. “We will miss some of your jokes.”<br />• Council members filled Gordon Gilbert’s seat on the city’s advisory Parks and Recreation Board after he declined to seek reappointment and moved out of the state. Gilbert, 91, a former Boca Raton High School biology teacher, sat on the board for 48 years. He conceived the idea for and was the first director of the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center. He also was a Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District commissioner for 20 years. <br />“I just want to thank him for his many, many decades of service to our city,” council member Monica Mayotte said. </p></div>Boynton Beach: Boating pass to jump to $200 instead of $350https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boynton-beach-boating-pass-to-jump-to-200-instead-of-3502020-09-28T20:30:00.000Z2020-09-28T20:30:00.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Jane Smith</strong></p>
<p>Boynton Beach boaters were able to persuade the City Commission to raise the $50 annual parking pass at Harvey Oyer Jr. Park to just $200 instead of a proposed $350.</p>
<p>The decision was made at the city’s Sept. 22 final budget hearing. The new rate takes effect on Oct. 1.</p>
<p>“The $350 rate is causing quite an uproar,” said Boynton Beach resident Sven Mautner. “They are basing it on $1 a day.”</p>
<p>But he said the annual parking pass cost just $50 in the financial year that ends Sept. 30.</p>
<p>“I have a 21-foot boat with a single motor,” said Mautner, who first read about the proposed increase in <em>The Coastal Star</em>. “I use it to go snorkeling with my wife.”</p>
<p>Resident Clifton J. Bell emailed Commissioner Christina Romelus and Public Works Director Andrew Mack with this subject line: “City Resident Boat Decal 700% Increase is EXTREME.”</p>
<p>He objected to residents having to pay the higher cost of the permit when Boynton Beach plans to install metered kiosks that will operate 24/7, seven days a week. “Our taxes already go towards funding of city parks,” he wrote.</p>
<p>The city will charge any vehicle that uses the long boat spaces $1.50 per hour, payable at the two parking kiosks. The maximum charge is $10 on weekdays and $25 on weekends.</p>
<p>Boynton Beach will offer boat owners an annual parking pass at $200 for Florida residents and $350 for non-residents.</p>
<p>At the final budget hearing, Mack explained that the city is using penny sales tax money and a Florida Inland Navigation District grant to replace the Oyer Park boat ramp, on the Intracoastal Waterway. Requests for proposals will go out before the end of the year, he said. Construction will start in late spring or early summer.</p>
<p>Because of the construction, Commissioner Justin Katz proposed a $100 annual parking pass. “Boaters might not be able to use the ramp,” he said.</p>
<p>But Mayor Steven Grant wanted to keep the parking pass at $200.</p>
<p>“If you use the boat ramp eight times during the weekends or 20 times during the week, the pass will pay for itself,” he said. “People abuse the boat ramp and leave their trailers there.”</p>
<p>The idea of charging for parking is to allow more boaters to use the park, said Colin Groff, assistant city manager. “Ten shorter spots will be free. But if you park in the longer spaces, you will have to pay,” he said.</p>
<p>Reducing the pass cost by $150 will mean about $50,000 less in revenue to the city, Groff said. “But the city could sell more passes at the lower rate. We just don’t know where the numbers will be,” he said.</p>
<p>City commissioners narrowly approved the $200 annual parking pass rate, with Vice Mayor Ty Penserga and Katz voting no. Penserga had said at the first budget hearing that the pandemic was not the time to be raising rates.</p></div>Manalapan: Slight tax rate increase appears probablehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/manalapan-slight-tax-rate-increase-appears-probable2020-09-02T15:38:44.000Z2020-09-02T15:38:44.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><strong>By Dan Moffett</strong><br /> <br />Manalapan’s high property values likely won’t be enough to insulate the town from a modest increase in the tax rate for the next fiscal year.<br /> Like all Florida munici-palities, Manalapan faces a reduction in state and county revenue streams because of economic damage done by the COVID-19 pandemic.<br /> But the biggest hit to the town’s budget comes from its neighbor to the north.<br /> This year South Palm Beach’s property values shot up 22% because of the opening of the $70 million 3550 South Ocean building and its 30 luxury condos. While South Palm had the county’s highest valuation increase, Manalapan had the lowest at a mere 1.23%.<br /> The impact of the South Palm condo opening on Manalapan is a significant increase in the cost of paying for fire rescue services from Palm Beach County. The town and South Palm Beach partner on the same contract with the county, and it has an annual price tag based on property values. So, next fiscal year, the two towns’ taxpayers will have to split evenly a bill for about $3 million from the county. For Manalapan, that $1.5 million represents a $274,402 increase over last year. “I have no control over the fire rescue cost,” Town Manager Linda Stumpf told commissioners during their July budget meeting. “There’s nothing I can do about reducing that number.”<br />To cover the fire rescue increase, the Town Commission is considering raising the current property tax rate of $3.03 per $1,000 of taxable value to about $3.17 and taking roughly $175,000 from reserves to balance the 2020-2021 budget.<br /> “My personal preference is not to raise the millage rate at all,” said Mayor Keith Waters. “I call that the September goal.”<br /> Waters and the commis-sioners grudgingly approved a tentative millage maximum rate of $3.30 per $1,000 of valuation and set the first public budget hearing for Sept. 18 at 5:01 p.m. The commission held no meeting in August.<br /> Stumpf anticipates Manalapan’s final rate to come in significantly lower, probably at around $3.17. The rollback number, the rate that would hold taxes flat year-over-year, is $3.01. She expects the current budget year to end with a surplus of about $370,000, so there should be plenty of cash on hand to patch the holes in next year’s fiscal plan.<br /> The new proposed budget includes a 3% raise for town employees and covers the full staffing of the Police Department, which has undergone a major expansion over the last two years.<br /> <strong>In other business</strong>, commissioners unanimously approved an ordinance that revises the town’s rules on signs.<br /> The changes set new requirements for the size and placement of signs and satisfy constitutional concerns, said Town Attorney Keith Davis.<br /> “The main thrust of the ordinance is to deal with temporary signs,” Davis said.<br /> Commissioners wanted to complete the changes before the election season, when the placement and size of campaign signs have often raised complaints in previous years.</p></div>Briny Breezes: Town Hall to test longer business hourshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/briny-breezes-town-hall-to-test-longer-business-hours2019-07-31T15:28:43.000Z2019-07-31T15:28:43.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>By Dan Moffett</b></span></p>
<p class="p2">In an effort to improve accessibility for contractors, Briny Breezes council members agreed to expand the hours Town Hall is open for public business.</p>
<p class="p3">Beginning in August, the office will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The office used to close at noon on those days.</p>
<p class="p3">Donna Coates, Briny Breezes’ corporate park manager, told the council she has received complaints from contractors who tried to pick up building permits at Town Hall but found it closed.</p>
<p class="p3">Town Manager Dale Sugerman said he has heard no complaints from contractors and that typically, he and Town Clerk Maya Coffield lock the doors at noon but respond to anyone who knocks and needs assistance. Sugerman and Coffield do administrative work in the office after doors close to the public.</p>
<p class="p3">Sugerman said the town will track the impact of the new hours over the next 90 days to determine whether they should be made permanent.</p>
<p class="p3">In a related matter, the council, on a 2-1 vote at the July 25 town meeting, rejected a proposal to shift more control over building permit requests to the corporate office.</p>
<p class="p3">Alderwoman Kathy Gross had called for changes to the permit process in May, but she voted against the measure, saying it was unacceptable. Christina Adams also voted no, and Chick Behringer voted for it. Council President Sue Thaler and Alderman Bill Birch were absent for the vote.</p>
<p class="p3">Coates opposed the proposal, telling the council the changes would have made the process too cumbersome and burdened the corporate office.</p>
<p class="p3"><b>In other business:</b></p>
<p class="p3">• For the 11th consecutive year, Briny Breezes homeowners are likely to pay the maximum tax rate allowed by state statutes. The Town Council unanimously approved setting the millage rate limit at $10 for every $1,000 of taxable property value. The council scheduled Sept. 12 and Sept. 26 for final budget hearings and approval.</p>
<p class="p3">With property values up a healthy 8.8 percent over last year, homeowners will pay about 9.6 percent more in taxes, Sugerman said. The rollback rate that would keep tax bills flat year-over-year is $9.24 per $1,000.</p>
<p class="p3">Overall, property tax revenues are up 9.9 percent over last year as values in Briny Breezes climbed to $53.8 million.</p>
<p class="p3">• Town Attorney Keith Davis said, after reviewing decades-old property platting records, that it is still unclear exactly where the southern boundary of Briny Breezes is and whether the town owns part or all of Briny Breezes Boulevard.</p>
<p class="p3">Council members want to determine ownership of the 30-foot-wide right of way so they can consider traffic control options. Davis and Sugerman told the council they would do more research. <span class="s2">Ú</span></p></div>Gulf Stream: Police getting pay boost to keep up with neighborshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/gulf-stream-police-getting-pay-boost-to-keep-up-with-neighbors2019-07-31T15:25:33.000Z2019-07-31T15:25:33.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>By Steve Plunkett</b></span></p>
<p class="p2">Police patrol officers and sergeants will get a one-time $3,750 raise to bring their salaries more in line with comparable towns in Town Manager Greg Dunham’s proposed 2020 budget.</p>
<p class="p3">The increase will set Gulf Stream’s starting police pay at $51,250 — behind Ocean Ridge ($53,902) and Palm Beach ($52,274) but ahead of Manalapan ($51,200) and Highland Beach ($50,400). The figures were drawn from a Jan. 1 salary survey.</p>
<p class="p3">“That really puts us in the middle of the five cities up and down the coast here in Palm Beach County,” Dunham said.</p>
<p class="p3">Dunham also recommended that town commissioners set a tentative property tax rate of $3.86 per $1,000 of taxable value, which is the rollback rate and will bring in roughly the same $4.6 million as this year’s $4.05 rate did. A house with a taxable value of $1 million would be charged $3,860 in property taxes to the city under the proposed rate.</p>
<p class="p3">Gulf Stream property values rose 5.5 percent this year to almost $1.2 billion.</p>
<p class="p3">The biggest expense in Dunham’s proposed budget will be the first year of construction in Gulf Stream’s 10-year capital improvement plan.</p>
<p class="p3">The town will spend $2.5 million from its water fund and about $579,000 from the general fund to upgrade the State Road A1A water main from Golfview Drive to Sea Road, then the water main north on North County Road to Little Club Road and finally on Little Club Road to the Intracoastal. The project also includes road restoration or construction.</p>
<p class="p3">“The total budget for this year is around $10 million; last year it was $7 million. But that increase is primarily all due to the water project,” Dunham said.</p>
<p class="p3">The first public hearing on the budget will be at 5:01 p.m. Sept. 13.</p>
<p class="p3">Dunham said the Palm Beach County School Board’s decision to hire about 150 new school police officials put pressure on small towns to examine police pay.</p>
<p class="p3">Mayor Scott Morgan agreed. “We need to maintain a steady and competent police force. It’s getting more and more difficult to attract new officers,” Morgan said.</p>
<p class="p3">Coastal communities traditionally have hired experienced officers who have retired from other forces, Dunham said.</p>
<p class="p3">“Most of them are not really interested in going to Boca Raton, because Boca Raton’s salary is way up there, $66,000. They would be more interested in going to the School Board — you don’t work nights, you don’t work summertime — and so I think that’s what’s happening,” Dunham said.</p>
<p class="p3">Town Commissioner Paul Lyons said he was “totally in favor” of boosting police pay and that he hears only “very nice things about our officers.”</p>
<p class="p3">“The entire team is highly professional — and I mean it, I’m not making this up — and courteous,” Lyons said. “They’re well put together; they don’t look like they just rolled out of bed.”</p>
<p class="p3">In other personnel moves, Dunham proposed making executive administrative assistant Renee Basel the assistant town clerk and staff attorney Trey Nazzaro the assistant town attorney.</p>
<p class="p3">Receptionist Dena Gillion will take on some “internal control” duties such as accepting payments for water bills.</p>
<p class="p3">The three, along with Chief Financial Officer Rebecca Tew, will receive raises from 5.3 percent to 12.5 percent. Dunham, Police Chief Edward Allen and other town employees will get 3 percent salary increases.</p>
<p class="p3">“We have a very good staff. I’d like to try to keep them here,” Dunham said.</p>
<p class="p3">Besides Allen, Gulf Stream’s police force has eight patrol officers, two sergeants and one lieutenant.</p></div>Manalapan: Town considers slight tax increasehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/manalapan-town-considers-slight-tax-increase2019-07-31T15:00:00.000Z2019-07-31T15:00:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>By Stephen Moore</b></span></p>
<p class="p2">Manalapan Town Manager Linda Stumpf does not have all the figures to finalize the town’s 2019-2020 budget, but she does have enough information to propose increasing the tax rate for residents by up to 3.7 percent over last year’s rate.</p>
<p class="p3">The increase, which is scheduled to be finalized at the Sept. 18 Town Commission meeting, would place the tax rate at $3.1412 per $1,000 of taxable property value. Last year’s rate was $3.03, and the rollback rate that would keep tax revenues flat year over year is $3.02.</p>
<p class="p3">“There will be no raise at all” above the $3.1412 proposal, Mayor Keith Waters said at the July 15 workshop meeting. “We can go down but cannot go up. We try to set the millage rate so it absolutely covers everything, but we don’t know the final numbers yet.”</p>
<p class="p3">“The only thing we are waiting on is the cost of our health insurance,” Stumpf said.</p>
<p class="p3">In the June 26 budget workshop, Stumpf told the commissioners that the proposed budget was $5.5 million, which is $319,797 more than the previous year. Most of the increase comes from the police pension plan, additional police positions and other upgrades.</p>
<p class="p3">The commissioners discussed paying for the overage from the unassigned fund balance or increasing the tax rate. After the June meeting, Waters said, “I’d like for us not to raise the millage rate.”</p>
<p class="p3">It was a unanimous decision during the commission’s July 15 meeting to not use the reserves, or unassigned fund balance.</p>
<p class="p3">“We discussed it at the last meeting,” Stumpf said. “The commissioners did not want to use the unassigned fund balance. They wanted to use the millage rate and keep the millage rate down.”</p>
<p class="p3">Based on last year’s millage rate of $3.03, the town’s share of taxes on a $1 million house would increase from $3,030 to $3,141.</p>
<p class="p2"></p>
<p class="p3"><b>In other business:</b></p>
<p class="p3">• <span>Sandra Foschi, the owner of the former BB&T bank building at 131 S. Ocean Blvd., will have to hold off on renovations until the commission removes a construction moratorium for Plaza Del Mar, the town’s commercial district.</span></p>
<p class="p3"><span>Foschi wants to open a day spa in the building. Stumpf said she can continue to do landscaping maintenance on the property but cannot move forward on overhauling the structure. The commission is expected to lift the moratorium by October.</span></p>
<p class="p3">• <span>The building permit for the property at 1140 S. Ocean Blvd. expired July 10, and the permit extension request was denied. But the commission is giving the owner until Sept. 18 to bring the property up to the minimum standards of compliance by planting trees and shrubbery on the north side of the site. Commissioners want the homeowner to establish a buffer zone. Once that is done, the owner has to apply for another permit.</span></p>
<p class="p3"><span>“On the north and south sides of the property, the contractor came in and took out a lot of shrubbery,” Waters said, “and now there is nothing between the houses on the north and south of the permitted building. We are trying to be fair and what we don’t want to do is put the property in position of starting over. It’s been sitting there for two years. We just need to get them back up to speed. We need to get them to put the trees and shrubbery back.”</span></p>
<p class="p3">• The commission has decided not to meet in August. The next town meeting is scheduled for Sept. 5.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> </p></div>‘Slow, steady’ growth: Appraiser calls trend healthy, likely to continuehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/slow-steady-growth-appraiser-calls-trend-healthy-likely-to-contin2019-07-03T15:30:00.000Z2019-07-03T15:30:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="p1"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960877697,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960877697,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960877697?profile=original" /></a></p>
<p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><span class="s1" style="font-size:12pt;"><b>The numbers are in: <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/our-new-neighbors-refugees-from-high-tax-states" target="_blank">Census</a> | <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/technology-is-deterrent-security-devices-help-drive-down-burglari" target="_blank">Crime</a></b></span></p>
<p class="p1"></p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>By Mary Hladky</b></span></p>
<p class="p3">While the taxable value of Palm Beach County properties has risen for the eighth year in a row, the rate of growth continues to slow.</p>
<p class="p3">Countywide taxable property values increased 6.2 percent to $199 billion this year, down slightly from 6.5 percent last year, according to the 2019 preliminary tax roll that the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s Office has submitted to the state.</p>
<p class="p3">The total market value of countywide properties is now $277.6 billion, up from $264.7 billion last year.</p>
<p class="p3">Property Appraiser Dorothy Jacks, presenting preliminary data to county commissioners on June 18, described the increases as “positive, healthy growth.”</p>
<p class="p3">“The slow and steady increase of the last three years will probably continue next year,” she said.</p>
<p class="p3">Sales prices are rising along with taxable property values.</p>
<p class="p3">The county’s median sales price increased 3.1 percent to $364,900, $10,900 more than in May 2018, the Realtors of the Palm Beaches and Greater Fort Lauderdale announced in June.</p>
<p class="p3">“It is a healthy real estate market. It is a balanced real estate market,” said Realtors president Jeffrey Levine.</p>
<p class="p3">New apartment complexes are responsible for a significant part of the $2.6 billion of new construction added to the tax roll, including 20 last year and another 11 this year, Jacks said.</p>
<p class="p3">The hotel industry is seeing its best years since the 1960s, she said, with a dozen new hotels added to the tax roll this year and next. Warehousing also is strong.</p>
<p class="p3">“The downtown cores continue to do very well,” most notably in Boca Raton and Delray Beach, Jacks said.</p>
<p class="p3">Boca Raton’s taxable property value, at $25 billion, outpaces every other city and town in the county. By comparison, West Palm Beach’s taxable value is $13.6 billion.</p>
<p class="p3">In south Palm Beach County, Boynton Beach has vaulted over Delray Beach to claim the highest percentage increase in value. Boynton Beach jumped 7.4 percent from 2018 to 2019, while Delray Beach rose 6.6 percent, down from last year’s 8.6 percent.</p>
<p class="p3">Boca Raton values were up 4.9 percent, compared with 6.3 percent last year.</p>
<p class="p3">Boynton Beach Mayor Steven Grant views the percentage change as minor, since Delray Beach property values have increased more than those in his city.</p>
<p class="p3">But he noted that Boynton Beach this year exceeded its previous record-high 2009 property valuation and now has reached $6.2 billion.</p>
<p class="p3">“That is something I am very happy about,” Grant said. “It looks like we are growing at a reasonable rate. Based on actual property valuation numbers, we are not growing faster than we should be.”</p>
<p class="p3">The overall growth leader in south Palm Beach County last year was Manalapan, whose values jumped 10.5 percent to $1.36 billion. This year, its percentage growth dropped to 2 percent, although its taxable value rose slightly.</p>
<p class="p3">Town Manager Linda Stumpf could not explain the percentage rate drop but was not concerned about it. New construction added to the tax roll was $22 million, down only slightly from last year.</p>
<p class="p3">Briny Breezes’ taxable value increased 8.8 percent, down slightly from last year’s 10.2 percent. But the valuations were $53.8 million, up from last year’s $49.5 million.</p>
<p class="p3">“Our location is extremely attractive and I think the Property Appraiser’s Office recognized that,” said Town Manager Dale Sugerman.</p>
<p class="p3">The largest Boca Raton projects added to the tax roll were the 24-unit 327 Royal Palm condo at 327 E. Royal Palm Road, the 180-unit The Lumin Boca apartments at 5500 Broken Sound Blvd. NW, and the 90-unit Cade Boca Raton apartments at 950 Broken Sound Parkway NW.</p>
<p class="p3">Boynton Beach’s largest were the 341-unit 500 Ocean apartments at 101 S. Federal Highway, Santorini at Renaissance Commons apartments at 1645 Renaissance Commons Blvd., and a warehouse distribution center at 1400 SW 30th Ave.</p>
<p class="p3">Delray Beach’s biggest were the Symphony at Delray Beach assisted living facility at 4840 W. Atlantic Ave., South Florida Proton Therapy Institute on the Delray Medical Center campus, and the Rocco’s Tacos restaurant building at 110 E. Atlantic Ave.</p>
<p class="p3">Taxable values increased in all of the county’s cities and towns. Those with biggest percentage increases were Mangonia Park with 11 percent, Glenridge and Lake Worth with 10 percent, and Palm Beach Gardens with nearly 10 percent.</p>
<p class="p3">Local governments use the tax roll numbers to calculate how much property tax money they can expect in the coming year so they can set their annual budgets and 2019-2020 tax rates.</p>
<p class="p3">That process will end in about mid-September, before the Oct. 1 start of the new fiscal year.</p>
<p class="p3">An increase in taxable value means that the county, cities and towns will collect more money from property owners even if they keep their tax rates the same as last year.</p>
<p class="p3">Elected officials can increase tax rates even though property values have risen, but they typically don’t want to anger taxpayers by doing that. They often opt to decrease the rate a small amount so they can say they have lowered taxes even though their tax revenues will rise. </p></div>Along the Coast: Preliminary property valueshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-preliminary-property-values2019-05-29T15:23:27.000Z2019-05-29T15:23:27.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960874900,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960874900,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960874900?profile=original" /></a></p></div>Highland Beach: Tax rate rising slightlyhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/highland-beach-tax-rate-rising-slightly2018-10-03T14:38:23.000Z2018-10-03T14:38:23.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Rich Pollack</strong></p>
<p>Highland Beach residents are likely to see a slight increase in the taxes they pay for municipal services when they receive their tax bills this month. <br /> The Town Commission last month finalized an operating tax rate of $3.12 per $1,000 of assessed property value, slightly higher than last year’s rate of $3.07 per $1,000 of assessed value.<br /> Residents will also pay about 60 cents per $1,000 of assessed value to pay for debt service. <br /> This year’s budget for the general fund, used for day-to-day operations, is $12.3 million, down from $13.6 million last year. <br /> The tax rate increase and the use of close to $700,000 in reserve funds are due, commissioners have said, in part to a significant increase in the fee the town pays Delray Beach for fire service. <br />This year, Highland Beach has budgeted $4.28 million to pay for fire service from Delray Beach, up from an estimated $3.91 million last year.<br /> Residents can view the complete budget on the town’s website at <a href="http://www.highlandbeach.us">www.highlandbeach.us</a>, clicking on “Government” at the top of the home page and then clicking on “Finance Department.”</p></div>Highland Beach: Town adds nickel per $1,000 to proposed tax ratehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/highland-beach-town-adds-nickel-per-1-000-to-proposed-tax-rate2018-08-29T16:48:23.000Z2018-08-29T16:48:23.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Rich Pollack</strong></p>
<p>Residents in Highland Beach could soon be paying more in property taxes as town leaders, faced with increasing fire service costs, have tentatively agreed to a slight increase in the town’s operating tax rate. <br /> During budget meetings last month, commissioners set the operating tax rate for the 2018-2019 fiscal year at $3.12 per $1,000 of assessed property value.<br /> That’s slightly higher than the current rate of $3.07 per $1,000 of assessed property value, and marks the first time in four years the tax rate would not drop. <br /> The increase is needed because of a significant increase in the fee Highland Beach pays Delray Beach for fire service, according to commissioners. <br /> Highland Beach has budgeted $4.28 million to pay for fire service from Delray Beach plus maintenance costs next fiscal year. The fire service cost jumped to about $4.22 million, up roughly 8.6 percent from this year.<br /> “This number is out of control and it’s affecting the millage rate,” said Vice Mayor Alysen Africano Nila.<br /> In addition, the town’s Police Department budget for 2018-2019 will increase from $2.45 million to $2.54 million, making public safety account for just more than 56 percent of the town’s overall $12.1 million proposed budget. <br /> The proposed budget also includes funding for a new position, an assistant town manager/public information director, with a salary between $51,780 and $82,848.<br /> Also in the proposed budget is $100,000 for an environmental consultant and an additional $60,000 for legal fees, bringing the total budget for outside legal assistance to $200,000.<br /> To help keep from raising the tax rate even higher, commissioners agreed to take about $571,000 from their reserve fund, leaving about $4.5 million for emergency situations. <br /> Mayor Carl Feldman said he didn’t think it was wise to whittle away at reserves. <br /> “I’m not in agreement with robbing Peter to pay Paul,” he said.<br /> Commissioner Elyse Riesa said she thinks it is better to use reserves than to put a heavier burden on taxpayers. <br /> “If we have to raise our millage rate, let’s do it a little at a time,” she said. <br /> The Town Commission will hold special meetings this month, each with a public hearing on the budget. The public hearings, held in accordance with state law, will be Sept. 6 at 5:01 p.m. <br /> The final meeting on the tax rate will be held on a date to be determined.</p></div>Along the Coast: Property values hit new highshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-property-values-hit-new-highs2018-07-04T15:00:00.000Z2018-07-04T15:00:00.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960803061,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960803061,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="447" alt="7960803061?profile=original" /></a></strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Manalapan leads</strong></span> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>South County</strong></span> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>with 10.51% increase</strong></span></p>
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<p><br /> <strong>By Mary Hladky</strong></p>
<p>For the seventh year in a row, the taxable value of Palm Beach County properties has surged to a new high.<br /> After making up the losses last year from the Great Recession, countywide taxable property values jumped 6.53 percent to $187.8 billion this year, according to the county Property Appraiser’s Office. That’s well above the pre-recession taxable value record of $169.4 billion set in 2007.<br /> The total market value of countywide properties now is $264.7 billion, up from $251.9 billion last year.<br /> While property values continue their upward march, experts see no sign of a housing bubble. The $263,900 median value of a Palm Beach County home in April was 18.8 percent below the pre-recession peak of $325,100, according to the national real estate website Zillow. <br /> And while values keep rising, the rate of growth has decreased in recent years.<br /> “Continued modest, sustainable growth indicates a healthy and stable real estate market in Palm Beach County,” Property Appraiser Dorothy Jacks said in a video announcing the 2018 valuations.<br /> Speaking to the County Commission on June 19, Jacks said 16 new apartment complexes were added to the tax roll this year, and 20 will be added in 2019, with an average value of $50 million per project.<br /> Those complexes accounted for more than $800 million of the total $2.4 billion in new construction added to the tax roll, she said.<br /> “The biggest trend in Palm Beach County, apartment complexes have become the new condos,” Jacks said in the video.<br /> As it has for the past two years, Delray Beach outpaced other cities in south Palm Beach County with a taxable value increase of 8.62 percent.<br /> “People coming here find it to be a place they want to relocate to,” and the demand for homes pushes prices up, said Delray Beach Mayor Shelly Petrolia. “We have so much going on, an explosion almost, from single-family homes to townhomes to apartments to condos.”<br /> Boca Raton saw a 6.32 percent rise in taxable values, while Boynton Beach was up 7.12 percent.<br /> “Boca Raton’s unmatched quality of life makes us a great place to live and invest,” Mayor Scott Singer said in an email. “The increased valuations reflect how attractive we are.”<br /> The overall growth leader in south Palm Beach County was Manalapan, with values up 10.51 percent to $1.4 billion.<br /> Town Manager Linda Stumpf said the increase was due to the addition of several newly constructed high-end homes to the tax roll and the higher valuations of other homes that sold.<br /> Property values increased 10.26 percent in Briny Breezes, 8.02 percent in Gulf Stream, 3.63 percent in Highland Beach, 7.99 percent in Lantana, 5.95 percent in Ocean Ridge and 5.36 percent in South Palm Beach.<br /> All cities and towns in Palm Beach County saw taxable value gains. Those with the biggest jumps were tiny Cloud Lake with 16.45 percent, followed by Haverhill at 12.61 percent. The smallest increases were Highland Beach’s and 2.67 percent in the Village of Golf.<br /> The drivers of growth, beyond new apartment complexes, are downtown development in Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and Lake Worth, as well as the construction of new hotels, Jacks told the County Commission.<br /> “Values in the [downtown] cores are rising very quickly,” she said.<br /> Unlike Broward County, which is largely built out, land is available in Palm Beach County and there is a demand for new housing in the western parts of the county, Jacks said.<br /> New apartments set trend<br /> The largest additions to the tax roll in Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Boca Raton illustrate the trends.<br /> In Delray Beach, the top additions include the $80 million expansion of Delray Medical Center, the 248-apartment Delray Station at 1720 Depot Ave. and the 146-apartment Caspian Delray at 190 SE Fifth Ave. in the downtown, said Dino Maniotis, tax roll coordinator for the Property Appraiser’s Office.<br /> In Boynton Beach, the largest additions included the 80-apartment Quantum Lake Villas at 2700 Quantum Lakes Drive, the 350-apartment Cortina at the intersection of Congress Avenue and Old Boynton Road, and the 93-room Holiday Inn Express at 2001 W. Ocean Drive.<br /> In Boca Raton, the top four are the 378-apartment Palmetto Promenade at 333 E. Palmetto Park Road in the downtown, the 370-apartment Residences at Broken Sound at 5500 Broken Sound Blvd., and the 282-apartment Allure Boca Raton and 400-apartment Altis Boca Raton, both in the former Arvida Park of Commerce, now called The Park at Broken Sound.<br /> Local governments use the tax roll numbers to begin calculating how much property tax money they can expect in the coming year, so they can set their annual budgets and 2018-2019 tax rates.<br /> That process will end in mid- to late September, before the Oct. 1 start of the new fiscal year.<br /> An increase in taxable value means the county, cities and towns will collect more money from property owners in 2018-2019 even if they keep their tax rates the same as in 2017-2018.<br /> Elected officials can increase the tax rates even though property values have risen, but they typically don’t want to anger taxpayers by doing that. They often opt to decrease rates a small amount so they can say they have lowered taxes even though their tax revenues will rise.<br /> Officials contacted by <em>The Coastal Star</em> in June either did not comment or would not say whether they are considering keeping tax rates the same or lowering them because they had not finalized budgets for the new fiscal year.<br /> Petrolia said decision-making this year is complicated by a state constitutional amendment on the November ballot that would create another $25,000 homestead exemption, which is expected to pass and would cut city and county property tax revenues.<br /> “I will probably be more conservative this year,” Petrolia said.</p></div>Delray Beach: City boosts pay range in search for managerhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-city-boosts-pay-range-in-search-for-manager2017-02-01T17:32:58.000Z2017-02-01T17:32:58.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Jane Smith</strong><br /><br /> A corporate executive search firm will be used to recruit Delray Beach’s next city manager.<br /> “I’m not looking for someone on the learning curve or on their last stop,” Mayor Cary Glickstein said. “But someone with demonstrated measurable outcome where they were and who still has a lot of gas left.”<br /> City commissioners unanimously agreed in mid-January when they gave interim City Manager Neal de Jesus the authority to advertise for a recruiting firm and bring the selections back to the commission in early March. Then after the election, with the full commission of five members, the search process would begin, de Jesus said on Jan. 17.<br /> The commissioners also agreed to increase the salary range for the city manager by about $75,000. The current range is $127,000 to $203,000. The new range will be $200,000 to $275,000.<br /> “You get what you pay for,” Glickstein said. “The citizens of this town have paid dearly for having ineffective management for years.”<br /> He said the previous city manager, Don Cooper, was effective in doing triage, which the city needed. But he was not the change agent the city now needs, Glickstein said, adding “I hate having this conversation in public.”<br /> Other commissioners said they wanted the new city manager to be a leader. <br /> “The city needs a leader who can enhance the team of leaders we have,” Commissioner Mitch Katz said. “We need someone to hold them accountable and bring everyone up with them.”<br /> Vice Mayor Jordana Jarjura agreed. “I want someone who knows how to find the right people, put together a succession plan and rebuild a city that has had some changes and growing pains,” she said. <br /> “If the person has additional expertise in the finance world or the grant world or ran a capital improvements program, that’s all gravy to me.” <br /> Commissioner Shelly Petrolia pointed out that providing stability is a crucial attribute.<br /> “We were basically going around in circles, like a ship without a rudder,” she said. “Cooper righted the ship and set us in the right direction.”<br /> While interim city manager, de Jesus receives an annual salary of $159,000 with a $2,000 monthly housing allowance.<br /> In other city news, the Delray Beach Visitor Information Center, managed by the Downtown Development Authority and sitting at the corner of A1A and East Atlantic Avenue, will be closed until late March for renovations. During construction, a temporary center will be open at the Sandoway Discovery Center, 142 S. Ocean Blvd., from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, and noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays. <br /> When the center reopens, it will be tripled in size. Wi-Fi will be available for visitors to learn about shops, attractions, dining, entertainment and hotels. In addition, the renovated center will become Visit Florida’s Official South Palm Beach County Visitor Center.</p></div>Highland Beach: Slight boost in water rates recommendedhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/highland-beach-slight-boost-in-water-rates-recommended2016-02-03T20:14:03.000Z2016-02-03T20:14:03.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><strong>By Rich Pollack</strong><br /><br /> Highland Beach residents could see a slight increase in their water bills next fall if town commissioners follow the recommendation of a consultant hired to study the town’s water rates. <br /> During a meeting last month, Robert Ori, president of Public Resources Management Group, recommended the town consider raising rates a small amount every year, rather than burden residents with a hefty increase every few years. <br /> He recommended the town tie the rate increase to the Municipal Cost Index, essentially a government version of the Consumer Price Index. That index is projected to increase at a rate of about 2.4 percent annually. <br /> For a home using 6,000 gallons of water, the monthly increase would be about $1.13, according to the consultant. For a multifamily building using 32,000 gallons per month, the increase would be about $2.91.<br /> The last time rates were increased was in December 2009, when commissioners set a base charge of $30 per water customer every two months and then a graduated rate schedule based on water usage.<br /> Rates currently range from $2.15 to $4.60 per thousand gallons, depending on consumption. <br /> “This is a good investment in the town,” Vice Mayor Bill Weitz said.<br /> He said town leaders have known for some time that expenses incurred to provide water and sewage services were expected to surpass the revenue the town gets from water bills. <br /> “We’ve been advised that there is no money set aside for repairs and restorations,” Weitz said. <br /> In his presentation, Ori showed that water and sewage revenues in the current year were about $3.1 million while expenses were about $3.06 million. But expenses were projected to shoot up to about $3.4 million in 2017.<br /> Ori recommended the town create a repair and replacement fund to cover maintenance and replacement of equipment. He suggested the town use about $1 million from the $6 million in utility reserves to create the fund, then transfer 7 percent of the prior year’s revenue — about $238,000 — into the fund each year.<br /> A full discussion of raising rates won’t take place until commissioners begin the budgeting process this summer. Ú</p></div>Boca Raton: Suggesting economic optimism, council raises tax rate 8 percenthttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boca-raton-suggesting-economic-optimism-council-raises-tax-rate-82012-10-03T18:27:13.000Z2012-10-03T18:27:13.000ZDeborah Hartz-Seeleyhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/DeborahHartzSeeley<div><p><span><b>By Tim Pallesen</b></span></p>
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<p>Boca Raton property taxes will rise after the city council voted to increase the tax rate by 8 percent.</p>
<p>“This recognizes that all things in the economy will be moving up,” Councilman Michael Mullaugh said after the 3-2 vote at the city’s final budget hearing on Sept. 27. “We are in the position to offer the appropriate incentives to live in Boca Raton.”</p>
<p> Mayor Susan Whelchel and Commissioner Constance Scott joined Mullaugh to approve a property tax rate of $3.41 per $1,000 of taxable property. Deputy Mayor Susan Haynie and Councilman Anthony Majhess voted against it. </p>
<p>The increase over the current $3.15 rate will raise the tax bill by $130 for the owner of home with $500,000 in taxable value.</p>
<p>The spending increase comes after three years in which the city cut its operating budget by $21.9 million and eliminated 196 jobs because of falling property values.</p>
<p>The new budget includes $1 million in economic development incentives for new businesses that create new jobs in the city.</p>
<p>The tax increase drew one loud protest at the budget hearing.</p>
<p>“Talk to somebody who doesn’t have a government job. We’re taking big hits,” said Zon Reed, a Boca Raton real-estate broker. “Everyone has got to tighten their belts.”</p>
<p>The taxpayer group Boca Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility also kept up its pressure for the council to reduce spending by cutting police and fire pensions.</p>
<p>This year’s $1.6 million cost increase for fire and police pensions is the largest increase in the budget and is “slowly swallowing city resources,” group leader Elizabeth Grinnan said.</p>
<p>The council dipped into its emergency reserves to cover that cost increase.</p>
<p>“The city has no plan to deal with the unsustainable cost of public safety,” Grinnan told the council. “Show the leadership for which you were elected.”</p>
<p>Whelchel responded that the council has “been remiss in not being more open about what we have to address.” </p>
<p>City Manager Leif Ahnell is currently in pension talks with fire and police unions, promising proposed changes to the council early next year. Several council members said they want a task force of experts to assist him in negotiations. <span>Úp</span></p></div>Gulf Stream: Town bumps up tax rate for several reasonshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/gulf-stream-town-bumps-up-tax-rate-for-several-reasons2012-10-03T16:39:28.000Z2012-10-03T16:39:28.000ZDeborah Hartz-Seeleyhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/DeborahHartzSeeley<div><p><span><b>By Tim O’Meilia</b></span></p>
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<p>Gulf Stream homeowners will pay 7.1 percent more in town property taxes, on average, in the new budget year as commissioners try to replenish the town reserves.</p>
<p>The commission voted unanimously at public hearings in September to bump the tax rate to $3.10 for each $1,000 of taxable property value, up from the current rate of $2.93. That means the owner of a $1 million property after exemptions who paid $2,927 last year will pay $3,134 if his property rose the 1.1 percent average of all property in town.</p>
<p>“I think the people can understand we’re paying ourselves back. We hope to take a surplus to our reserves,” said Commissioner Bob Ganger.</p>
<p>Town reserves fell from $1.4 million to about $1 million this year because of expenses related to burying utility lines. </p>
<p>The budget will increase to $2.97 million from $2.61 million, a jump of 4.4 percent. Town Manager William Thrasher estimated that as much as $50,000 could go to reserves at the end of the coming budget year. </p>
<p>“I think the secret is holding the line on expenses,” said Commissioner Tom Stanley.</p>
<p>The new budget includes a 2 percent employee pay increase, $30,000 for the design of the westerly addition to Town Hall, $45,000 for two police SUVs, $20,000 in computer upgrades and $14,000 for a fire district study for the barrier islands, which may not occur.</p>
<p>The cost of a fire-rescue contract with Delray Beach will increase 35 percent to $428,000, much of it due to providing service to the county pocket annexed in March. The base contract increased 5 percent.</p>
<p>The annexation also boosted property tax revenue an extra $200,000.</p>
<p>Commissioners also approved a new five-year police and fire communications contract with Delray Beach that will cost $54,000 the first year and be adjusted annually based on the consumer price index.</p>
<p><b>In other business</b>, the commission asked Town Engineer Danny Brannon to calculate the cost of replacing the town’s 80 street lights with white light LED bulbs, compared with keeping the yellowish high-pressure sodium lights installed by FPL. </p>
<p>Brannon estimated that the LED lamps would cost about $320,000 to install and last 12 to 15 years and save money on energy. The sodium lamps last about four years. FPL charges little upfront for installation of new lights but about $14 per month per light. Commissioners also requested a comparison of various lamp styles. Commissioners approved borrowing $2.4 million to complete the utility-lines burial project. The 10-year loan will cost 2.09 percent. </p>
<p>Commissioner Stanley, appointed in August, was named vice mayor on a unanimous vote. No one else was nominated. </p>
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