The penny sales tax in Palm Beach County could be extended for as much as another 10 years as a county ballot approaches in August, but many commissioners are against a renewal.
The Palm Beach County Commission met with the county’s League of Cities and mayors from several county municipalities on Tuesday to discuss a potential continuance of the tax.
It was first approved by voters in 2016 and is used to fund infrastructure repairs, restorations and replacements, and maintain current levels of service, according to the county’s website. Currently, 50% of the revenue goes to the School Board, 30% goes to the county and 20% goes to municipalities.
The tax, known as the infrastructure surtax, collects an extra penny on every $1 spent on taxable sales in the county. Since its inception, the tax has raised millions of dollars every year, with 2023 bringing in more than $400 million.
A February report from the county describes projects funded by the tax, including the Ocean Inlet Park and Marina renovation in Boynton Beach, a new county sheriff’s office evidence building, fixing countywide street lighting and canal replacements.
The tax is expected to expire on Dec. 31, 2025, after bringing in more than $2.7 billion.
The commission must decide if the tax renewal should appear on the county ballot for the election on Nov. 5. But most of the commissioners expressed hesitancy in pursuing an extension.
“I believe we need to give our residents a break,” Commissioner Mack Bernard said during the meeting.
Four of the seven total commissioners — Commissioners Maria Marino, Gregg Weiss, Michael Barnett and Sarah Baxter — agreed with him.
“My district has a lot of infrastructure needs, but at the same time, our residents are hurting,” Baxter said. “They’re struggling already to pay for just basics.”
But some of the mayors in smaller municipalities within the county argued they require the tax to support their jurisdiction’s needs.
Belle Glade Mayor Steve Wilson, who is also a former county League of Cities president, said while residents may be getting a break by no longer paying the tax in the future, he worries about cities in dire need of improvements.
“What happens to these cities that are falling apart? That need capital improvement?” he said. “Where are you guys going to find the money to help these cities that need the help when they come to you?”
In a survey of interest conducted by the county to all municipalities within it, 27 out of the 39 total indicated support for a continuance of the tax.
Commissioner Marci Woodward said she does not want “small cities to feel left out.”
“We get complaints from people all the time, ‘My road is not what it should be, maintenance is not what it should be,'” she said. “(Residents) don’t care if it’s a city, county or state road. They want it to function, they want it to work, and that’s our responsibility to come together and make sure that happens.”
The consensus from Tuesday’s meeting was not to move forward with the tax, so it is unlikely for voters to see it on the ballot.
