Page 8 - Boca Club News - January '20

Page 8, Boca Club News
Government

From the Desk of Palm Beach County

Commissioner Robert S. Weinroth: Annual Recap

Robert Weinroth, a former member and hospitality (1,900), construction (1,800) and government Hurricane Dorian. With a Category 5 storm heading right
of the Boca Raton City Council, was (1,500). toward us, we were extremely lucky at the last minute, and a
elected as a Palm Beach County Additionally, wages in Palm Beach County are up 3.1 major disaster was avoided. However, the county was ready.
Commissioner to replace Steven percent, eclipsing the national wage growth of 2.8 percent. The Emergency Operations Center was fully activated and
Abrams, who retired due to term limits The county ranks fourth in the state in per capita income at your county commissioners worked with emergency officials
requirements. $74,754 compared to the statewide average of $47,600. as efforts were coordinated with local, state and federal
As we usher in 2020, I would like The county is also experiencing a diversity shift in such agencies to disseminate critical information.
to take this opportunity to highlight area industries as aviation, aerospace and engineering, All nine shelters were open and provided housing for
the many positive things that are corporate headquarters, business and finance, IT/ over 3,000 residents, including those with special needs and
happening in Palm Beach County. telecommunications, logistics/distribution, life science and pets. Over 8,000 calls were handled by emergency workers
Palm Beach County boasts the third largest population in healthcare, green energy and manufacturing. and hundreds of social media posts were made and shared
the state with over 1.4 million residents. More than 20,000 In South County, Boca Raton remains one of the continuously. Palm Beach County is proud of its dedicated
new residents are calling our county home every year; county’s top growth areas, receiving more than $642,000 emergency professionals who play significant roles during
property values and home sales are up, and unemployment in incentives from the county for expansions creating over emergencies. The dedication of our county employees is
is down. 1,000 jobs with salaries ranging from $53,000 to $77,000. essential to ensuring the safety of our residents.
The national unemployment rate remains at a 50-year These businesses include ORBCOMM, MobileHelp and Everyone should be extremely proud of the outpouring
low and the news in Palm Beach County is equally positive Modernizing Medicine. They also received state and city of support for our neighbors in the Bahamas who sustained
with unemployment now at 3.7 percent (slightly down from incentives of over $5 million. horrendous damage with a direct hit. The collaboration of
the same time last year 3.8 percent). There are actually more As a former Boca Raton elected official, I understand resources countywide was incredible and kudos to all who
countywide job openings than applicants! the importance of working closely with local municipalities. responded. I cannot stress the importance of preparedness
Tourism remains one of the county’s most important During my first few months in office, I visited each of the and urge everyone to take future storms very seriously. It
industries with a $7.5 billion economic impact, creating district’s twelve municipalities to formally introduce myself can make the difference between life and death.
94,000 jobs and generating over $54 million in bed- and provide my support as their county representative. I have Challenges Moving Forward. The county is facing
tax revenue. Area hotels are booking at record levels. also held meetings with the district mayors and managers some significant challenges, such as homelessness and the
Additionally, agriculture, biotechnology and transportation to address any concerns and provide county updates on lack of affordable workforce housing. In June, the Board
continue to drive our economic engine. numerous issues. authorized a project to establish a second county homeless
Over the past twelve months, 34 companies relocated Working on the county’s $5.2 billion budget is a resource center. It will be built on a five-acre parcel on Lake
or expanded in Palm Beach County creating over 2,700 considerable responsibility for all the commissioners. Worth Road next door to the Mid-County Senior Center. This
new jobs while occupying over a million square feet of This significant budget reflects the enormity of the center will be in addition to the services offered at the Senator
office/commercial space with over $12 million in capital county’s operations that include solid waste disposal, Philip D. Lewis Resource Center in West Palm Beach.
investment. public transportation, three airports including PBIA, water Since opening in 2012, the Lewis Center has provided
Local job gains were led by the manufacturing sector treatment plants, 3,500 miles of roads and 214 bridges, 8,000 guidance and the needed services to over 17,000 individuals
with an increase of 5.5 percent, nearly double the statewide acres of parks and so much more. and families, sheltered approximately 6,000 people, and
rate. The county also had the fastest statewide growth rate Additionally, there are over a half-million residents placed more than 2,100 clients into permanent housing.
in the financial services sector. Other job growth sectors living in unincorporated Palm Beach County who are served The new homeless resource center will be a 74-bed,
include education/health services (3,800), professional and by the county. We were successful as a board this year in 19,000-square-foot facility and will include a sheriff’s
business services (3,400), financial activities (2,100), leisure maintaining the current tax rate which has not been increased substation. The projected cost of the center is $8 million. The
in nine years. Saving taxpayers’ money will remain a priority funding breakdown will include $7 million from the one-
for me. cent infrastructure surtax and $1 million from ad valorem
Keeping our roads and bridges in good repair and filling revenue.
potholes are also top priorities! The county successfully Meeting the housing needs of our workforce is also a
completed major repairs on the Camino Real Bridge this past county priority. In September, the median sale price of a
year (after several unexpected delays). Among the hundreds single-family home in the county was $355,000, which is up
of road miles that were resurfaced in 2019 included Jog 3 percent from the year before. The median sales price of a
Road/Clint Moore Rd. and Palmetto Circle North and South/ townhouse or condo was $188,500, up nearly 8 percent from
Powerline Road. Expect to see road crews in South County a year ago. Renting isn’t inexpensive either, with a median
throughout 2020 working on Old Dixie Hwy and Yamato rental rate of approximately $2,100 per month.
Road, just to name a few.
No annual recap would be complete without mentioning From the Desk of on page 9

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