County voters will decide in November whether to approve a $280 million bond issue to fund major improvements to the county park system. They include new parks, provide for beach access in Jupiter as well as to renovate and upgrade existing park facilities throughout the county.
County commissioners on Tuesday, May 19, authorized the Parks and Recreation Department to move forward with plans to place the measure on the November ballot.
Commissioner Joel Flores called the use of the funds “a good investment,” while Commissioner Marci Woodward noted that the funds would enable the county to obtain additional funding from the state and federal governments to provide more park access to residents.
Parks Director Jennifer Cirillo said the funds were needed for her department to respond to the county’s ever-growing population growth and to meet the needs identified in the department’s master plan. Last year, more than 22 million people visits to county parks, officials said.
“The great public support for our Parks contributes to what makes our community truly special. Protecting previous public investment is critical,” she said, noting that more than $1.2 billion in capital needs over the next 10 years have been identified. “This would be a great step forward toward meeting our needs if voters approve the referendum.”
List is expected to be finalized by early June
Some of the major projects listed in the presentation Tuesday include:
Cirillo said that the projects would have countywide benefits for residents and visitors. She noted they would positively impact the quality of life and the physical, mental, and social health of county residents.
Also benefiting from the referendum’s approval would be two tourism-related projects — a state-of-the-art indoor sports complex and a major sports and entertainment arena.
The indoor sports complex would host national and international youth tournaments year-round. And the sports and entertainment arena would host concerts, professional sports, and large-scale events.
Both projects are on the Tourism Development Council’s wish list. The bond issue would appropriate $12.5 million toward each of them. In return, public access would be permitted for county residents when special events are not held.
Commissioners instructed Cirillo to include $5 million for improvements to the Mounts Botanical Garden in West Palm Beach. And county commissioners pressed Cirillo to continue working with school district officials to develop mutual-use agreements that would allow residents to use school facilities during off-hours.
The Parks Department has received $300 million over the past 10 years from the Infrastructure Sales Tax to pay for park upgrades. But the tax ended Jan. 1, forcing the agency to push for a bond referendum.
Cirillo noted that the project list is subject to change. It will be presented to the county commission on June 9. It does not include land acquisition costs that could total more than $150 million.
She said the agency is advocating a bond issue to lessen reliance on property taxes to fund the park improvements.
Since 1978, county voters have approved five Parks Department bond issues: 1978, $35 million; 1987, $30 million; 1999, $25 million; 2002, $50 million; and 2006, $50 million. The $280 million bond issue this November would be more than the combined amount of those five bond issues.
Approval would result in a $25-per-year cost for a home with a taxable value of $500,000.
The park improvements could begin as early as sometime next summer. The improvements are expected to take five to 10 years to complete.
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 OKs $280M parks bond referendum for November ballot
Reporting by Mike Diamond, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
