By Mary Thurwachter
South Palm Beach residents can expect the budget for FY 2025 to look much like this year’s with the same — or possibly slightly lower — tax rate. So said Town Manager Jamie Titcomb, who discussed the proposed budget during a workshop on Aug. 12.
While all the numbers were not yet ready to be plugged into the document, Titcomb said he was proposing to keep the same rate as this year — $3.40 per $1,000 of taxable value.
The current valuation of the town is up 10% over last year and using the $3.40 rate, based on usual calculations, would generate an additional $192,722 in revenue.
Any extra money, the town manager suggested, would go in a contingency fund to take care of transitional expenses connected to building a new Town Hall.
In July, the council signed a design contract for the new governmental center with CPZ Architects of Fort Lauderdale.
During a special meeting with staff and the architect’s representative on Aug. 29, the council unanimously voted to adopt the proposed first phase of the architectural program.
“Starting the following week and into the coming weeks, we will begin implementation of scheduled one-on-one meetings with council members for their input and priorities with the architects and their team,” Titcomb said. “We are anticipating scheduling of community input meetings to follow shortly thereafter. We will also begin to initiate ancillary site studies, surveys, and geotechnical phases necessary for design conditions affected by site configuration requirements.”
Update reports will be given at most every Town Council meeting going forward, Titcomb said. “Everyone is excited and motivated to get the project started and progressing efficiently.”
The new building will cost about $4 million, but the town won’t have to borrow or raise money for it.
“You guys collectively with previous councils have been very prudent and conservative and had foresight to put away money over time, which is in our investment accounts,” Titcomb told the council.
One of the largest expenses in the $2.7 million budget is the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office contract, which is increasing 2% for an additional cost of $22,279. The total cost for the contract will be $1,136,223.
Budget hearings are set for 5:01 p.m. Sept. 9 and Sept. 16 and the town could lower the property tax rate as late as the second hearing.
But at least one council member, Vice Mayor Monte Berendes, said that while lowering the rate sounds “wonderful,” it may not be the best idea this year. It was a switch for
Berendes, who in July had said it might be “a good year to give the residents a break” on their taxes.
“With the building going up and our expenses, I don’t think we can afford doing that,” he said at the August meeting. “I don’t think lowering it would make that much of a differ-ence.”
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