By Rich Pollack
Highland Beach commissioners gave final approval to a 2027 fiscal year budget that once again will keep the tax rate at the same level it has been for the previous four years.
Meeting on Sept. 24, town commissioners voted unanimously, 4-0, to approve the $30.5 million total budget and to keep the town’s tax rate of $3.58 per $1,000 of taxable value.
That is the same tax rate the town has had since 2023 — and once again means a tax increase for most property owners.
The new rate will generate $14.7 million in property taxes, about $662,000 more than for the previous year, or just shy of a 5% increase. Those tax revenues cover about 73% of the town’s $20.1 million general fund budget.
While the town’s tax rate remains the same, taxes are up because the town saw a 4.1% increase in total property values.
Town Manager Marshall Labadie said the town’s new budget emphasizes safety and quality of life in the town, whose motto is “Three Miles of Paradise.”
“The budget prioritizes public safety, employee retention, infrastructure maintenance and long-term financial sustainability,” he wrote in his budget message. “Public safety, including police and fire rescue, represent about 67% of the general fund expenditures, reflecting the town’s continued commitment to resident safety and emergency services. The town continues to keep a mindful eye on the increasing costs of providing public safety services.”
Labadie said the budget was designed to ensure the town could continue to provide quality services while at the same time keeping an eye on the future.
“The budget reflects a balanced and conservative financial approach focused on maintaining service levels, preserving reserves and preparing for potential legislative changes that may impact municipal revenues in future years,” he wrote in his monthly communication with residents.
He also pointed out that a large portion of the town’s overall costs go toward staffing and maintaining the police and fire departments.
The 2027 budget, which took effect Oct. 1, shows a slight decrease in Police Department spending and a 7% increase in the fire rescue budget.
The town staff, in preparing the budget, kept in mind the possibility of revenues falling in the beginning of the 2028 fiscal year should a proposed increase in the homestead exemption get 60% statewide voter approval this November.
In his budget message to residents, Labadie said if that constitutional amendment — Amendment 3 — is approved, the town would lose about $1 million in 2028 and $1.5 million beginning in 2029. The legislation would increase the homestead exemption — currently at a little more than $50,000 of a property’s assessed value— to $150,000 in the 2028 fiscal year budget and $250,000 in 2029.
He said the town’s “strong reserves, conservative budgeting practices and five-year financial forecast place the town in an excellent position to adapt to these changes while continuing to protect the quality of life our residents enjoy.”
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