Page 10 - Boca Exposure - January '20

Page 10, Boca Exposure
From The Desk Of Palm Beach County

Commissioner Robert S. Weinroth: Annual Recap

Robert Weinroth, a former Additionally, agriculture, biotechnology and transportation Keeping our roads and bridges in good repair and filling
member of the Boca Raton continue to drive our economic engine. potholes are also top priorities! The county successfully
City Council, was elected Over the past 12 months, 34 companies relocated or completed major repairs on the Camino Real Bridge this
as a Palm Beach County expanded in Palm Beach County creating over 2,700 past year (after several unexpected delays). Among the
Commissioner to replace new jobs while occupying over a million square feet of hundreds of road miles that were resurfaced in 2019 included
Steven Abrams, who office/commercial space with over $12 million in capital Jog Road/Clint Moore Road and Palmetto Circle North and
retired due to term limits investment. South/Powerline Road. Expect to see road crews in South
requirements. Local job gains were led by the manufacturing sector County throughout 2020 working on Old Dixie Highway
As we usher in 2020, with an increase of 5.5 percent, nearly double the statewide and Yamato Road, just to name a few.
I would like to take this rate. The county also had the fastest statewide growth rate No annual recap would be complete without mentioning
opportunity to highlight the in the financial services sector. Other job growth sectors Hurricane Dorian. With a Category 5 storm heading right
many positive things that are include education/health services (3,800), professional and toward us, we were extremely lucky at the last minute, and a
happening in Palm Beach County. business services (3,400), financial activities (2,100), leisure major disaster was avoided. However, the county was ready.
Palm Beach County boasts the third largest population in and hospitality (1,900), construction (1,800) and government The Emergency Operations Center was fully activated and
the state with over 1.4 million residents. More than 20,000 (1,500). your county commissioners worked with emergency officials
new residents are calling our county home every year; Additionally, wages in Palm Beach County are up 3.1 as efforts were coordinated with local, state and federal
property values and home sales are up, and unemployment percent, eclipsing the national wage growth of 2.8 percent. agencies to disseminate critical information.
is down. The county ranks fourth in the state in per capita income at All nine shelters were open and provided housing for
The national unemployment rate remains at a 50-year $74,754 compared to the statewide average of $47,600. over 3,000 residents, including those with special needs and
low and the news in Palm Beach County is equally positive The county is also experiencing a diversity shift pets. Over 8,000 calls were handled by emergency workers
with unemployment now at 3.7 percent (slightly down from in such area industries as aviation, aerospace and and hundreds of social media posts were made and shared
the same time last year 3.8 percent). There are actually more engineering, corporate headquarters, business and finance, continuously. Palm Beach County is proud of its dedicated
countywide job openings than applicants! IT/telecommunications, logistics/distribution, life science emergency professionals who play significant roles during
Tourism remains one of the county’s most important and healthcare, green energy and manufacturing. emergencies. The dedication of our county employees is
industries with a $7.5 billion economic impact, creating In South County, Boca Raton remains one of the essential to ensuring the safety of our residents.
94,000 jobs and generating over $54 million in bed- county’s top growth areas, receiving more than $642,000 Everyone should be extremely proud of the outpouring
tax revenue. Area hotels are booking at record levels. in incentives from the county for expansions creating over of support for our neighbors in the Bahamas who sustained
1,000 jobs with salaries ranging from $53,000 to $77,000. horrendous damage with a direct hit. The collaboration of
learn bridge in a day! These businesses include ORBCOMM, MobileHelp and resources countywide was incredible and kudos to all who
Modernizing Medicine. They also received state and city
responded. I cannot stress the importance of preparedness
Wednesday, February 26, 2020 incentives of over $5 million. and urge everyone to take future storms very seriously. It
can make the difference between life and death.
As a former Boca Raton elected official, I understand

10:00 aM - 4:00 PM the importance of working closely with local municipalities. Challenges Moving Forward. The county is facing
$100/person, includes lunch During my first few months in office, I visited each of the some significant challenges, such as homelessness and the
district’s 12 municipalities to formally introduce myself and
lack of affordable workforce housing. In June, the Board
The workshop is designed to give new players, provide my support as their county representative. I have authorized a project to establish a second county homeless
as well as people who have played in the past, also held meetings with the district mayors and managers resource center. It will be built on a five-acre parcel on Lake
to address any concerns and provide county updates on
Worth Road next door to the Mid-County Senior Center. This
an introduction to playing bridge in the modern numerous issues. center will be in addition to the services offered at the Senator
era. The goal of this seminar is to give them Working on the county’s $5.2 billion budget is a Philip D. Lewis Resource Center in West Palm Beach.
enough confidence to jump into duplicate! considerable responsibility for all the commissioners. Since opening in 2012, the Lewis Center has provided
This significant budget reflects the enormity of the guidance and the needed services to over 17,000 individuals
boca raton duplicate bridge Club county’s operations that include solid waste disposal, and families, sheltered approximately 6,000 people, and
located at Saint Mark Greek Orthodox Church public transportation, three airports including PBIA, water placed more than 2,100 clients into permanent housing.
2100 Yamato Road treatment plants, 3,500 miles of roads and 214 bridges, 8,000 The new homeless resource center will be a 74-bed,
acres of parks and so much more. 19,000-square-foot facility and will include a sheriff’s
For information please call Additionally, there are over a half-million residents substation. The projected cost of the center is $8 million. The
Joanne Weingold living in unincorporated Palm Beach County who are served funding breakdown will include $7 million from the one-
561-504-7010 or by the county. We were successful as a board this year in cent infrastructure surtax and $1 million from ad valorem
Corey Krantz maintaining the current tax rate which has not been increased revenue.
610-304-9790 in nine years. Saving taxpayers’ money will remain a priority
for me. From The Desk Of on page 11

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