Page 21 - Boca ViewPointe - April '21

April 2021 Viewpointe, Page 21

Tax Talk

Each April marks the Plan? By signing up by April 30, your 2021 estimated is even a monthly calendar
end of property tax season taxes will be split into four payments with the first highlighting important
and one might think it is payment due by June 30 and subsequent installment dates and reminders
the conclusion of our busy payments due September 30, December 31 and March throughout the year. For
season. While true, that 31, 2022. If you’d like to take advantage of this payment instance, did you know that
property tax payments are plan, please visit our website at www.pbctax.com/ipp for you can renew your driver
a big part of our volume of details and to sign-up online. license or ID card online at
work and monies collected, www.pbctax.com up to 18
we still have plenty to do A Community of Caring months before it expires?
for our Palm Beach clients. You can pick up a
Real ID compliant driver Every two years, the employees of the Palm Beach complimentary copy at
licenses and ID cards County Tax Collector’s office select two local non- any of our service centers
continue to be processed as the October 1, 2021 deadline profit organizations to support through their own or download a copy at www.pbctax.com. If you would
nears; our business tax team is gearing up for the annual monetary and in-kind contributions. For 2019 & 2020, like extra guides for your organization or community,
mailing and processing of business tax receipts; the Families First and Living Hungry were the two charities please email us at ClientAdvocate@pbctax.com. Be sure
finance and budget department is preparing for the 2021- that were selected and supported by our employees. to include the name and address of your organization,
22 budget planning; our tax services team continues to Through tremendous generosity and caring, we were contact information and number of copies requested.
process volumes and volumes of mail each day and our able to contribute $35,461.59 over the past two years
HR team is quite busy screening and testing applicants to these organizations. “We are so proud of the work Welcome!
for a number of vacancies we need to fill with qualified and commitment our employees have demonstrated
applicants. I encourage you to check out our careers page in supporting these two charities and the individuals We have welcomed several
at www.pbctax.com/culture-and-careers for our latest and families they help each and every day,” said Anne new senior leaders to the tax
open positions. Gannon. collector’s office. Each brings
We are never too busy to assist with whatever you fresh thinking and new ideas and a
may need. We are always here to help you! commitment to provide unparalleled
Warm regards, service that inspires trust.
Anne M. Gannon, Steve Weiss, Chief Excellence
Constitutional Tax Collector, Officer joined our office last summer and leads the team
Serving Palm Beach County responsible for corrections to the tax roll, resolving
issues related to delinquent taxes, quality assurance,
Installment Payment Plan project management, managing strategic change and
the continuous improvement of processes, projects
Application Deadline is April 30 and performance. Steve came to us from the Clerk
& Comptroller’s office where he was the Director-
Did you know that if paying your real estate and Finance Services and Investment Compliance Officer.
tangible property taxes in one lump sum each year is too He describes the work in the tax collector’s office as
burdensome, you can apply to have your taxes paid in interesting and challenging and the people that make up
4 quarterly payments through our Installment Payment the organization are outstanding.
2021 Tax Planner & Services General Counsel, Hampton Peterson joined our
Guide Now Available office from the Clerk & Comptroller’s office as well and
brings with him 39 years of legal experience. His team is
responsible for Bankruptcy cases, Tax Deed Applications,
The 2021 edition of our Tax Planner & Services Guide Contracts, Litigation, Business Tax Receipt enforcement,
was recently published and provides information on the and other legal issues. Hampton is thrilled to be working
variety of services our office provides to the residents of in the Palm Beach County Tax Collector’s office and is
Palm Beach County. It includes tips on how to use our
online services, such as Pay Smart. Pay Online. There Tax Talk on page 22
From The Desk Of Vice Mayor Weinroth

COVID-19 Vaccination Florida currently has 850 different variants of COVID-19, Once county officials receive the treasury department’s
Updated… the most of any state. Statewide, five people with the variant guidelines, the Board of County Commissioners will
Palm Beach County has have died. All were hospitalized and none had any travel collaborate with county staff to detail a comprehensive
been a statewide leader in history. As of this writing, three variants of COVID-19 are spending plan.
distributing vaccinations. present in Palm Beach County with 75 active variant cases. Unemployment Rates Dropping
The county recently Consequently, the mandatory facial covering order in The pandemic’s grip on our economy continues to loosen
released a color-coded Palm Beach County has been extended to mid-April, and the County’s unemployment rate that dipped to 4.8 percent,
county map displaying residents are still urged to continue avoiding closed spaces, compared to 6.8 percent nationally.
vaccination rates by ZIP crowded places, and confined spaces. Even if you receive a Palm Beach County witnessed jobs in Professional and
code. vaccine, please take the necessary precautions. Business Services grow faster than statewide at +3 percent.
Some areas show more To receive up-to-date information from our office on Consequently, two-thirds of our region’s jobs have been
than 85 percent of people age vaccines locations/maps, age eligibility and other important recovered since the height of the economic shutdown last year.
65+ have been vaccinated. information, please send me an email at rweinroth@pbcgov. CareerSource Palm Beach County, a local nonprofit leading
It also shows that a vast majority of South County seniors org and we will add you to the list. county workforce development, has amassed over 2,000 area
have been fully vaccinated. American Rescue Plan job openings and is actively recruiting for applicants through
Nowhere in the county is the vaccination rate lower than Palm Beach County will receive over $290 million from virtual job fairs.
25 percent. the American Rescue Plan. The county will prioritize small At the same time, the county’s Business Development
The Palm Beach County Health Care District is businesses, food relief, testing, vaccinations, broadband Board will soon be able to announce several new projects
scheduling online appointments at https://www.hcdpbc. infrastructure and grants for nonprofits, and other industries that will open thousands of new good paying employment
org/. Seniors without internet access can call 561-804-4115 impacted by the pandemic. opportunities to our residents.
to schedule. These federal funds will also help to address shortfalls If you need any assistance, please contact our office at
The Florida Division of Emergency Management has a in revenue-related government services such as water and (561) 355-2204 and/or email me at rweinroth@pbcgov.org.
program to administer vaccinations for homebound seniors. sewer. Stay safe and healthy. 
To book an appointment, email HomeboundVaccine@ Unlike the CARES Act, our larger municipalities such as
em.myflorida.com. At this time, no phone calls for West Palm Beach, Boca Raton and Delray Beach will receive
appointments are being accepted. separate federal allocations.