Apparently, the annexation truce between Boynton Beach and Palm Beach County is over.
This time, county commissioners unanimously voted to reject the city’s request to annex 15 homes near Federal Highway, despite a staff recommendation urging approval. The 4.6-acre parcel is on the north side of Palmer Road and is part of the Bamboo Lane Enclave.
“This (the vote against annexation) was a real spit in the face,” said Dan Dugger, Boynton Beach city manager. “We worked with county staff to get this through, and the commissioners turned around and voted 7-0 to kill this.
“It was not right, and, one way or another, these properties will become part of Boynton Beach.”
At issue was Boynton Beach’s effort to annex the 15 homes without holding a vote to determine whether the residents there want to become part of the city. Fourteen of the homeowners wrote letters to the commission opposing the annexation.
Michael Slocum is one of the 14 homeowners opposed to the annexation bid. He said the annexation was “a money grab” by Boynton Beach to increase its property tax base.
“Please don’t sanction this,” Slocum pleaded with county commissioners during a public hearing on the city’s request to annex the homes. “As homeowners, there are no benefits. We would pay higher property taxes, and our property values would fall.”
Slocum’s arguments resonated with the commission.
Commissioner Marci Woodward said most residents at Bamboo Lane want to remain with the county and should be able to decide whether they want to leave its jurisdiction. Commissioner Maria Marino agreed, saying annexation should not be forced on homeowners.
What’s the next step for Boynton Beach?
In most annexation efforts, a municipality must hold a referendum to ensure that impacted residents want to be annexed. But Boynton Beach officials say referendums are not necessary since many of the affected developments, including Bamboo Lane, agreed when they were built that the city could annex them at some point in exchange for providing them with water and sewer service.
“One way or another, this (Bamboo Lane) is going to happen,” Dugger said. “We tried to work with the county. Staff, including County Administrator Joe Abruzzo, worked with us on this small annexation, and then the commission torpedoed all that work.”
The county and the city had declared an annexation truce while the county determines if it makes sense to buy out the city’s water and sewer system. The city has said that if the purchase occurs, it will abandon its annexation efforts, which initially called for bringing more than 30,000 people into Boynton Beach eventually because of the water and sewer agreements.
Bamboo Lane was such a small annexation that the city expected it to pass easily, especially since county staff concluded it was consistent with state law, said Dugger, noting now the city will have to reevaluate its position.
Slocum told county commissioners during the public hearing that he bought his property on Bamboo Lane about six years ago. He has invested about $15 million in building one home that he intends to sell and another that he intends to live in. He rebuilt a seawall to protect the two homes.
“When I bought, I did not buy in Boynton Beach, which has the fourth-highest millage rate in Palm Beach County,” he testified. “Their (Boynton Beach) initial proposal was to bring in 4,600 acres from the county into the city. Now it is down to four acres. Why us?”
The city’s millage rate is nearly 70% higher than the county’s, but city officials say other fees could go down if targeted communities are annexed into the city.
Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County rejects Boynton Beach bid to absorb 15 homes
Reporting by Mike Diamond, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
