Page 8 - Boca Club News - September '19

Page 8, Boca Club News
From the Desk of Palm Beach County Commissioner Robert S.

Weinroth: Caring for Mental Illness...Keeping Our Taxes Low

Robert Weinroth, a former member Highland Beach: $17.76 mounds. A midden is a trash heap that ancient residents lived
of the Boca Raton City Council, was West Palm Beach: $22.18 on or near. While such an idea may seem strange to us today,
elected as a Palm Beach County Pahokee: $24.30 this was very common and practiced around the world. In the
Commissioner to replace Steven Boca Raton, which covers 30 square miles, is the largest Near East (Turkey, Lebanon, and Israel), middens are called
Abrams, who retired due to term limits contributor toward the county’s tax role at approximately tels. The most famous of these is located under modern day
requirements. $25 billon--up 5 percent from last year. In comparison, Palm Tel Aviv.
National Alliance on Mental Beach, which covers 10.4 square miles, contributed $24.27 Also at the Boca Raton Inlet Complex, three different
Illness of Palm Beach County. billion last year. types of prehistoric pottery (St. John’s Check Stamped, Belle
Mental illness has garnered increased Local County Inhabitants Date Back 2,000 Years. Glade Plain and Sand Tempered Plain) were recovered and
attention and resources in recent years. The National Alliance Reportedly, people have been living in southern Palm Beach are believed to have been deposited between 1200 and 1763
on Mental Illness of Palm Beach County (NAMI) is one of the County for the last 2,500 years (and you thought we needed A.D.
nonprofit mental health organizations in our county dedicated air conditioning to attract residents)! In 2002, an FAU student excavated the Gumbo Limbo
to improving the quality of life and protecting the rights and Archaeologically, Palm Beach County has a rich history site, which was another black-earth midden site. The ceramics
interests of people affected by mental illness. With one in that includes some extraordinary prehistoric Native American from that site confirmed the occupation of the Boca Inlet
five Floridians experiencing mental health disorders by age sites. The oldest site is the Hungryland Slough in central Complex occurred between 500 B.C. and 1200 A.D.
25, the repercussions for a person afflicted, as well as those western Palm Beach County, which dates back 6,000 years, The Spanish River Complex (located in Highland Beach)
with whom they interact, are far-reaching. approximately 2,000 years before the pyramids in Egypt. was one of the largest aboriginal localities in South Florida.
Mental illness is a recognized medical condition that Delray Beach, Highland Beach and Boca Raton have Experts believe it contained eight sites: four burial mounds,
diminishes an individual’s capacity to cope with the ordinary some interesting archaeological sites. Two complexes in and four midden sites. Based on the types of ceramics found
demands of life. People impacted consist of a broad group, not these areas are the Boca Raton Inlet Complex and Spanish at the sites, archeologists have inferred the sites date back to
related to a specific gender, class, or ethnicity. Some serious River Complex. between 750 A.D. and 1763 A.D.
forms of mental illness include depression, schizophrenia, The Boca Raton Inlet Complex consists of three shell
bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and black-earth middens and at least one or two sand burial
panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and
Most importantly, there are treatments available for Memo from County Tax Collector
personality disorders.

people enduring these medical conditions. NAMI is striving
the goals of empowerment, social inclusion and recovery. Anne M. Gannon: How to Avoid
to eliminate the stigma attached to mental illness to achieve

NAMI has over 1,000 offices nationwide, including 27 in
County, there are three Mobile Crisis Units available 24/7, Internet Fraud, Scams, and More!
Florida offering a full spectrum of services. In Palm Beach
ready to provide emergency intervention, de-escalation,
screening and assessments. NAMI also has a full array of By Anne M. Gannon, Constitutional Tax Palm Beach County’s amended Tourist Development
nationally recognized, evidence-based programs available Collector serving Palm Beach County. Ordinance provides new requirements for online hosting
free of charge. For more information, visit www.nami.org. You can reach her office by Email: platforms and hosts offering short term rentals. The
I am committed to continue to work with county staff ClientAdvocate@taxcollectorpbc.com. requirements include:
and local mental health professionals and organizations to Phone: (561) 355-4271. Online hosting platforms...
ensure that programs are available to our residents who are I want to remind you that two □ Must provide all hosts with information on local requirements
suffering from mental illness, removing the stigma of this important payments are due Sept. regulating short term rentals;
serious medical disorder (often going undiagnosed as the 30th: the second payment of our 2019 □ Must also verify each property has a valid TDT account
patient suffers in silence). Installment Payment Plan, and local and local Business Tax Receipt; (BTR) before the property is
School Zone Safety Tips. School is open, so please stay business tax receipt renewals. Both may be paid securely advertised (use our online TDT Registry at www.pbctax.com/
vigilant when driving in school zones! In Palm Beach County, online at www.pbctax.com. tdt to verify accounts)
20 mph is the maximum speed for all school zones, and all are Speaking of online security… my agency is committed □ Must return TDT collected to the host for remittance to the
preceded by numerous warning signs and/or flashing lights. to helping you avoid internet fraud, scams, phishing and Tax Collector’s Office.
The county is currently in the process of installing flashers cybercrime. Quickly find out if a website is authentic Hosts...
at all school zones as recently mandated by a change in state using this free online tool: whois.icann.org. The website □ Must obtain a TDT and BTR before renting property on a
regulation. disinfoportal.org tracks false information circulating on short-term basis;
In addition to the fines (with civil penalties up to $1,000 the web. Browsing social media? Easily verify if a Twitter □ Must file a monthly tax return and remit all taxes
possible) drivers are subject to remedial driver’s education if account is a real person or a bot with Botcheck.me. electronically to the Tax Collector’s Office
cited for violation within a school zone. Also, be aware that Property and Business Owners: Important Tax For TDT support, visit www.pbctax.com/tdt or call our
the recent “no texting while driving” law which went into Payments Due. Are you a Palm Beach County property TDT Hotline at (561) 355-3547.
effect on July 1st, subjects a driver using any mobile device owner participating in our 2019 Installment Payment Plan? Tax Collector’s Office Shines at Radiance Awards. The
in a school zone to a ticket. Don’t be a distracted driver. The second quarterly payment is due Sept. 30th. View and Tax Collector’s Office was recently honored with two 2019
No Increase in County Taxes Projected. The Palm pay your installment bill at www.pbctax.com. Radiance Awards. This is the highest possible achievement
Beach County Property Appraisers office recently mailed Sept. 30th is also the last day for Palm Beach County in communications excellence, among state public relations
real estate owners, countywide, annual TRIM notices with business owners to renew their local business tax receipt professionals. The Public Relations Society of America
preliminary estimates of property values and tax rates. without a penalty. There is usually no need to visit an office. Sunshine District recognized the agency at its annual awards
The Board of County Commissioners, during its budget Simply pay local business tax online at www.pbctax.com. ceremony in July.
workshop in July, unanimously agreed to maintain the current New Short-Term Rental Requirements. Palm Beach The Tax Collector’s Office earned a Radiance Award for its
2018/19 tax rate of $16.84 per $1,000 of the property’s County’s tourism industry provides billions of dollars in 2019 Tax Planner & Services Guide. This award recognized
taxable value. While appraisals may increase a property’s visitor spending and creates thousands of local jobs. Tourist the many design and readability improvements made to this
value, the tax rate will remain constant. This will be the Development Tax (TDT), also called “bed tax,” strengthens the popular publication.
ninth year the county has maintained the tax millage rate. It local economy by supporting the County’s tourism industry. The agency took home a second Radiance Award for Tax
is noteworthy that the county millage is the lowest among Anyone who offers accommodations for short-term rental Talk with Anne Gannon. The monthly newsletter educates
all the municipalities with Palm Beach County. (six months or less) in Palm Beach County must collect and clients about tax collector services, important tax deadlines
Some examples of local municipal rates are: remit 13 percent in total taxes from renters. Of these taxes, and other agency news. The Tax Collector’s Office has
Boca Raton: $18.58 TDT is 6 percent. It is an add-on tax and paid by the renter in earned multiple local, state and national awards this year for
Gulf Stream: 17.57 addition to state sales tax. communications and marketing excellence.

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