Newly appointed Palm Beach Gardens Mayor Maria Marino delivered her "State of the City speech last week to business owners and among the information learned is how the city plans to spend its share of the money from the county's sales tax increase.
City Council Member Carl Woods reached out to us with more details:
"Palm Beach Gardens is going to get somewhere between $30 (million) to $35 million, but we secured a bond. There's no tax increase. There's no millage increase."
He says the bond will be paid back annually, using the money from the sales tax hike, which he wasn't in favor of.
"Personally, I did not vote for it. No."
Woods tells us that since the city must accept the money, they'll spend it in a few ways, including an expansion of City Hall, which he calls outdated and too small. He says now is the perfect time to get it done, without costing residents.
"What will the council of the future have to do in, say, 10 to 15 years when this City Hall will be really obsolete. What will we do then, raise taxes? Or what will they be forced to do?"
Woods says the money must be spent on infrastructure.
Some other plans for the money:
- A new soccer complex on 117th Court North
- Expansion of the city's baseball fields
Mayor Marino said last week that Palm Beach Gardens' property values have increased to $10.1 billion.
Image: City of Palm Beach Gardens