Palm Beach County Commissioner Sara Baxter’s effort to defund the Homeless Coalition fizzled Sept. 30, as even she agreed with her fellow commissioners who said the nonprofit provides a valuable service.
The Department of Community Services, in response to Baxter’s recent criticism of the coalition, presented a report that detailed how the coalition has helped homeless people transition out of shelters into stable housing since its founding in 1986. The report appeared to contradict Baxter’s claim that the agency has not been helping as many homeless people as the county thought.
The county presentation was prompted by Baxter’s call for its funding to be eliminated at two separate budget hearings in September. Commissioners refused to do so but called on their staff to return with a presentation describing what the Homeless Coalition does.
Community Services Director James Green reported that the coalition has coordinated a number of programs to combat homelessness and raise awareness of the problem. It has been involved in the Parks2Work program, which provides jobs for homeless people to clean county parks. It also has been involved in programs to help pay the first and last month’s rent for homeless people looking to transition out of shelters.
“We are trying to make sure that everyone in this county has a roof over their head,” said Melissa McKinlay, president of the coalition. She served two terms on the county commission, preceding Baxter as the representative for the county’s western communities. The coalition obtains grants to pay for programs operated by partner agencies. Baxter had an issue with the county paying for agency salaries, but McKinlay said county funding ($150,000) can only be used for salaries; the agency is prohibited from providing direct services.
Where does Sara Baxter’s effort to have the Mayors’ Ball at Mar-a-Lago stand?
There was no discussion of Baxter’s attempt to convince the Homeless Coalition to hold its annual Mayors’ Ball at President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago mansion in Palm Beach and Baxter also never made another request to withhold funding from the agency. It was as if she never had brought up the subject. The Palm Beach Post reported in September that Baxter, a Republican and a Trump supporter, began questioning the agency’s funding after a deadline had passed for the coalition to commit to hosting the event at Mar-a-Lago.
The Mayors’ Ball is the Homeless Coalition’s primary fundraising event. It has withheld making any decision on its site for the Mayors’ Ball while its funding was being debated. Having the 11-year-old event at Mar-a-Lago could cost attendees as much as $1,000. It would have cost nearly $328,000, more than double the cost ($173,000) from the 2025 event at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens.
Commissioner Joel Flores called the $150,000 the county gives to the coalition “a small investment for what county taxpayers are getting in return.” According to its tax return, the coaltion raised $2.7 million in 2024. It helped to pay for Vita Nova’s Homeless Youth Transitional Housing Program. Jeff DeMario, Vita Nova’s executive director, said the program ensures that its young clients are getting jobs, paying taxes and contributing to society instead of being burdens. Other partners benefiting from coalition assistance include the Lord’s Place and Gulfstream Goodwill.
“We need more partnerships like this,” said Flores, a Democrat who represents parts of central Palm Beach County. Continuing to fund the program, he said, “is a slam dunk.”
McKinlay said in a September interview that the $150,000 appropriation represents less than 1% of the overall budget, and saves the county money it would have to spend if it had to hire staff members to do the administrative work the coalition does. The Homeless Coalition is the entity that organizes the Mayors’ Ball. The county mayor usually presides over the event. It is unclear whether that will occur next year. Baxter is expected to become the county mayor in November.
Baxter called on the coalition to return to deliver its own presentation of what it does. Other commissioners supported the request. The coalition’s new executive director, Alexandria Ayala, a former member of the county school board, said she would be pleased to return.
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: Commissioner Sara Baxter’s effort to defund County Homeless Coalition goes nowhere
Reporting by Mike Diamond, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
