Incumbent Corner

Maria Sachs, State Senator, District 30

Please click below for the Senator's lates news:

http://www.mariasachs.com

Burt Aaronson – Commissioner, District 5
PBC Board of County Commissioners

Ric Bradshaw, PBC Sheriff

I’d like to tell you about a gifted 11-year-old boy from one of the most depressed communities in our county.

Michael Guerrier is a boxing champion from Pahokee. He’s ranked third in the nation in his age group. From what I hear, he’s got a punch that could hurt an adult twice his size.

His interest in boxing grew out of his involvement with my agency’s Police Athletic League (PAL), a youth crime prevention program that uses educational and athletic activities to develop a trusting bond between patrol deputies and disadvantaged youths.

With guidance from caring deputies, Michael discovered his talent for boxing. He also realized the importance of doing well in school. In addition, he got a chance to see a world beyond the sugarcane fields of the Glades region and dream about making a better life for himself.

PAL has provided similar opportunities for thousands of other Palm Beach County youths who have come from struggling families.

The program is based on the idea that through playing sports with police officers, children -- even those steering toward delinquency -- can develop positive attitudes and go on to become productive citizens.

I have great admiration for the 50 or so deputies who give up so much of their personal time to becoming coaches, assistants and, in essence, life mentors to the roughly 1,000 children in the program from Boca Raton to Jupiter to the Glades.

Deputies don’t just play sports with the children. They help with homework, get involved in school issues, and monitor home life to make sure the children are safe. They take them on field trips to amusement parks as well as to professional football, baseball, and basketball games.

In return, the children befriend deputies. They trust them. They even help them solve crime.

In many tough neighborhoods, that doesn’t come easy.

Like many other police agencies, the Sheriff’s Office PAL program started in the 1980s and expanded through the years. Today, we offer children the chance to play all the major sports, for free, in exchange for keeping good grades and staying clear of drugs and tobacco products.

The program’s staffing and operating costs are covered by my agency, but it’s run by a nonprofit that raises additional funds through special events and sports tournaments.

Over the years, dozens of PAL youths have gone on to play college and professional sports. Thousands more have turned their lives around by focusing on the program’s mission.

Many of them were just like Michael Guerrier. They had tremendous athletic skills. But they also developed strong motivation to succeed. I’m glad our PAL deputies have been there to steer these children on the right path in life.

If you are interested in donating to the Sheriff’s Office PAL program, contact our office at 561-242-5816 or email us at pbcpal@pbso.org. Learn more about the program at pbso.org.

Gary Nikolits, CFA, PBC Property Appraiser

2011 ANNUAL REPORT

This 2011 Annual Report is designed to provide you with insight and data about the job performed by your Property Appraiser’s Office.

As Palm Beach County continues to grow, the job of Property Appraiser is always challenging and ever-changing. Keeping track of the owners, values and exemptions on 627, 790 properties valued at $166.9 billion, requires the efforts of a highly skilled staff of dedicated public employees who strive to reach the highest standards in public service. Implementing new laws adopted by the Legislature, or passed by voters, ensures one constant: Nothing is constant!

I am proud that since my first election in 1992, my office has achieved 18 consecutive tax roll approvals without defect. This is significant because it shows the policies and procedures within my office often exceed those required by the Florida Department of Revenue, the agency that oversees the operations of all Property Appraisers in the state.

Although often mistaken for the office that sets taxes, my office’s primary function is to report to the various taxing authorities the taxable value of property within their jurisdictions. It is these elected and sometimes appointed commissioners and council members who set the tax rates and decide how much each of us will pay in taxes.

It has been my honor to serve as your Property Appraiser and I pledge to continue to do my best to provide you, our customer, the highest quality of public service.

We are proud that 72% of our full-time employees have earned the professional Certified Florida Evaluator (CFE) designation, awarded by the Florida Department of Revenue. In addition, many staff members hold other professional designations, making the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s Office the most professionally staffed appraiser’s office in the state and in the United States.

Accomplishments for the tax year 2010

The Tax Roll was approved by the Florida Department of Revenue without defect for the 18th consecutive year, a mark of professional excellence maintained by our staff.

Opened a new South County locaton to combine valuation and exemption functions for more public service efficiency.

Restored $492,313 to the Tax Roll from Homestead fraud investigations.

Established scanning technology, which saves on copying,filing and archiving property documents.

Processed 15,718 new exemption applications, 5,105 E-Files and 1,587 new senior exemption applications.

Value appeals totaled just 1.5 % of all parcels and accounts, the lowest among the state's three most populous counties: Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach. These low numbers reflect the exacting professional standards that guide our deputy appraisers in performing their duties.

We Value Our Community

The Property Appraiser’s Office is committed to serving our community and we proudly display appreciation plaques presented to us for our community service. Our employees give their time and money to important local events and every year we participate in four major health-care walks. In April 2010, we raised $7,063 for the March of Dimes. In September 2010, we raised $2,025 for the Sickle Cell Foundation. In October 2010, we raised $3,376 for the American Heart Association and $4,096 for the American Cancer Society.

2011-2012 Key Dates for Property Owners

January 1 Property values and exemptions are established.

March 1 Deadline to apply for Homestead exemptions, Portability and Agriculture classifications.

April 1 Deadline to file completed Tangible Personal Property Tax Returns.

June 1 Estimated taxable property values for 2011 released to local taxing districts.

July 1 Denial notices for exemptions and Agriculture classifications are mailed.

July 1 Preliminary Tax Roll submitted to Florida Department of Revenue.

August 1 Deadline to file appeals of denied homestead exemptions and Agricultural classifications to the Value Adjustment Board.

August 23 On behalf of Palm Beach County taxing authorities, Notices of Proposed Property Taxes are mailed to property owners. The information includes tax rates, market, assessed and taxable values for the current and previous year, exemptions applied to your property, taxes as proposed by the various taxing authorities and public hearing dates for their budgets.

September 16 Deadline to appeal market values to the Value Adjustment Board. Deadline to appeal to the Value Adjustment Board for late

applications for homestead exemptions and Agricultural classifications. November 1 The Tax Collector’s Office mails annual tax bills.

2011 Goals

Prepare the 2011 Tax Roll without defect for the 19th consecutive year.

Continue to expedite the homestead application filing and review process through the use of new technology and online research tools.

Provide the public with increased real-time access to data through improvements to PAPA, our Award-winning website.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Personal Property taxed in Florida?

Household goods are not taxed. In business, tangible personal property is assessed annually at fair market value. Tangible personal property includes furniture, fixtures, machinery, equipment, appliances, tools, signs, supplies and leased equipment. The first $25,000 in value is exempt from taxation. An initial Tangible Personal Property Return must be filed to claim this exemption. In 2010, there were 58,242 tangible personal property accounts in Palm Beach County, with a total value of $9.4 billion.

How is farmland assessed?

Palm Beach County is Florida’s largest agricultural producer. Deputy appraisers estimate production, income, expense and acreage of agricultural property. The classified value of the land is based on income earned from the commercial sale of produce grown or livestock raised on the land. Net earnings are calculated from data supplied by the Florida and U.S. Departments of Agriculture, and the Institute of Food & Agricultural Sciences, as well as information provided by our local farming industry. There were 460, 140 acres devoted to farmland in 2010. Sugar cane was the largest crop, covering 390,663 acres in 2010. Row crops, such as corn, peppers and tomatoes, accounted for 32,732 acres. Pastureland for dairy and livestock use accounted for 19,244 acres. Citrus crops accounted for 1,929 acres. The remaining acres were plant nurseries, sod and other miscellaneous agricultural uses.

How do you keep track of properties?

Our Geographical Information System assists appraisers with detailed property ownership maps. In 2010, the staff processed 59,150 deeds. You can view an aerial photo of any parcel of land in the county on our website: pbcgov.com/PAPA. When you have selected the property record you wish to view, simply click “View Map.”

Additional information or copies of more specialized mapping data can be ordered at any of our Service Centers.

How do I qualify for Homestead Exemption?

A residential property may be eligible for Florida’s standard $25,000 Homestead Exemption tax benefit under certain circumstances, including:

You must be a permanent Florida resident and you must own and live in the residenc on

January 1 of the qualifying year.

You may apply at any time throughout the year, but the deadline to apply for all new exemptions is March 1 of the qualifying year.

You may file online for Homestead Exemption by visiting our website pbcgov.com/PAPA. You may also apply in person at any of our five convenient Service Centers.

An additional $25,000 Homestead Exemption benefit relates only to properties with an assessed value greater than $50,000. The additional exemption applies to all tax levies except school districts.

For the convenience of taxpayers, Property Appraiser Gary Nikolits has elected to automatically renew existing Homestead exemptions on January 1 each year.

What is the 3% Cap?

By Florida’s Constitution, the 3% cap, also known as Save Our Homes, limits the annual increase in the assessed value of a qualified Homestead property to the lesser of 3% or the percentage change in the prior year’s National Consumer Price Index (CPI). The 2010 cap was 2.7%. The cap for 2011 is 1.5% . If the assessed value of a homesteaded property in any given year is less than its market value, Florida law requires the Property Appraiser to increase the assessed value by the percentage change in the prior year’s CPI, even when the property’s market value decreases.

What is Portability?

Portability relates to Florida’s Save Our Homes 3% cap on a homesteaded property’s assessed value. With the Portability benefit, you can transfer up to $500,000 of your actual assessment cap savings to your new property. Keep in mind Portability applies only to homesteaded property. Of the 347,770 residential properties that qualified for homestead exemption in 2010, only 131,838 had an SOH benefit. For complete information on Portability, visit our website, pbcgov.com/PAPA.

How is property appraised?

Each property in Palm Beach County is inspected by a deputy appraiser at least once every five years. Between inspections, a property’s value is adjusted annually to reflect recent sales activity in the neighborhood. By Florida law, only sales transactions that occurred during the previous year can be used to establish values as of January 1 of the current year.

There are three approaches used to appraise property:

1) The cost approach estimates the cost to reproduce the building in its current condition.

2) The sales comparison approach compares sales of similar properties and adjusts for any differences.

3) The income approach capitalizes a commercial property’s income stream to estimate its value.

Each of these three approaches is considered when property is valued.

What are the duties of the Property Appraiser?

Florida’s Constitution mandates that all property must be assessed at its market value as of January 1 of each year. Market value is typically what a property would sell for in an open and competitive market.

The Property Appraiser has a legal duty to annually produce a “fair and equitable” tax roll and administer various property tax savings programs, the most common of which is Florida's Homestead Exemption.

The Property Appraiser also is charged with the responsibility of maintaining updated ownership records, including maps, for every property in Palm Beach County.

As always I invite your comments on any issues of interst to you. As you Property Appraiser I am here to help you. You may contact my office at (561) 355 4021.

Anne Gannon, PBC Tax Collector

click on link below for the Tax Collector's latest newsletter:

http://www.pbcgov.com/tax/taxtalk/taxtalk.html

Michael McAuliffe, State Attorney

State Attorney Michael McAuliffe and Sheriff Ric Bradshaw co-hosted the second Palm Beach County Pill Mill and Prescription Drug Trafficking Summit on May 26^th. Medical experts, community leaders and law enforcement (both prosecutors and investigators) from federal, state and local agencies gathered to highlight events of the past year. The discussions included a review of new legislation, ongoing enforcement actions and the causes of addiction. Also, on the prescription trafficking enforcement front, several defendants (including a physician and clinic employees from local pain clinics) were charged with prescription drug related violations and numerous search warrants executed.

The County Commission recently gave final approval of the code of ethics and the two enabling ordinances for the Office of Inspector General and the Ethics Commission which now apply to all municipalities as well as county government. The final vote came almost exactly two years after my office working with the grand jury produced a Grand Jury Report outlining specific, comprehensive ethics reforms locally and on a statewide basis. Many voices combined to create the chorus which carried the message that change was necessary. A public/private coalition was formed by several groups and individuals including the Voters’ Coalition, the Economic Council and Leadership Palm Beach County, which helped steer the debate and supported the proposed ethics reforms. Numerous elected and community leaders weighed in to add momentum to the process. Local print media championed these reforms with ongoing coverage and advocacy. The community can rightfully claim that Palm Beach County is living in an era of real and fundamental ethics reform.

In an important enforcement case, on June 2^nd, a jury convicted Kenakil Chuka of First Degree Murder With A Firearm, Conspiracy To Commit First Degree Murder With A Firearm and Solicitation To Commit First Degree Murder With A Firearm. The court immediately sentenced the defendant to Life in Prison Without Possibility of Parole plus 30 Years in the Department of Corrections. The evidence at trial showed that on November 26, 2007, the defendant Kenakil Gibson was scheduled to stand trial for a burglary in Palm Beach Gardens with his co-defendant Eddie Vincent Rutledge. George Mannarino, who was the chief state witness in that case, identified Eddie Vincent Rutledge and Kenakil Gibson as having come from the back of his neighbor’s residence which had been the subject of a burglary. On the evening of November 25, 2007, the day prior to the scheduled commencement of the burglary trial, George Mannarino was gunned down as he stood in his garage. Gibson and Rutledge killed Mannarino so he could not testify against them. Previously, co-defendant Rutledge was convicted of the murder after trial. These cases reflect my office’s ongoing and steadfast commitment to hold the most violent criminals accountable.

Sharon R. Bock, Esq., Clerk and Comptroller

Scammers Target Elderly with False Claims of Money Owed to Them

Palm Beach County residents need to be on alert for two potential scams that appear to be targeting senior citizens.

At least two callers to the Clerk & Comptroller’s office said they were contacted by someone named Jose Suarez, who directed them to send him $250 through Western Union. Suarez told them that they were entitled to probate case money that he would get for them, if they paid him the $250.

When the victims called the Clerk’s office with case numbers Suarez had given them, it was discovered that the case numbers were invalid.

In a separate incident, an out-of-state woman trying to sell her timeshare property was contacted by someone claiming to be a Palm Beach County courthouse employee. She was told to send $649 through Western Union to Jose Suarez, in exchange for $27,343 from an alleged timeshare victim’s fund.

Thankfully, in these cases, the victims called the Clerk’s office rather than sending the money. If you think you’ve been the victim of a scam, you should contact your local law enforcement agency.

It’s important to remember: No one who works for the Clerk’s office will call you and ask you to wire money to them. Please be wary of anyone who calls and says you’re owed money, then demands payment up front to help you get that money. Chances are it’s a fraud.

If you have questions, don’t hesitate to call my office at 561-355-2996 or e-mail me at clerkweb@mypalmbeachclerk.com. You also can get more information about services provided by the Clerk’s office at www.mypalmbeachclerk.com.