Palm Beach County Commission to Rule on Children Services Council Request for Referendum on November 2014 Ballot
At its February 4th meeting the Palm Beach County Board of Commissioners will rule on the Children’s Services Council request to get the reauthorization vote on this coming November ballot. This is a terrific opportunity for Palm Beach County voters and taxpayers to make an informed decision regarding the continuation of a special taxing district.
The Palm Beach Children’s Services Council (http://www.cscpbc.org/ ) is one of 8 special taxing districts in the state (Hillsborough, Broward, Martin, Miami-Dade, St. Lucie, Okeechobee, Pinellas are the others).The Palm Beach taxing district, which levies a tax directly on Palm Beach County real estate (2012 mil rate was .7459), was authorized by Florida Statute in 1986 and created by local referendum on November 4, 1986. For the current year, $80.2 million of an approximately $100 million budget is allocated through 66 grants to 38 organizations. Ten (10) organizations receive 80% of the funds.
The Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County, the recipient of more than a third of the taxing district’s revenue, runs a school readiness and voluntary pre-kindergarten program. Based on the 2012 Annual Report the total expenditures were $87 million with the Childrens Services Council contributing about 25% of that amount.
Taxing District Referendum To Be Set for Children’s Services Council
Voter / Taxpayer Opportunity Alert
Taxing District Referendum To Be Set for Children’s Services Council
The Palm Beach Children’s Services Council is one of 8 special taxing districts in the state (Hillsborough, Broward, Martin, Miami-Dade, St. Lucie, Okeechobee, Pinellas are the others ). The Palm Beach taxing district, which levies a tax directly on Palm Beach County real estate (2012 mil rate was .7459), was authorized by Florida Statute in 1986 and created by local referendum on November 4, 1986.
From the 2012 Annual report: ‘The purpose of the Council is to plan, develop, fund and evaluate programs and promote public policies which benefit Palm Beach County’s children and families”
Legislation passed in 2010 required that the Children’s Services Council go before the voters for reauthorization in 2016. Martin County and St. Lucie County go before the voters in those areas this coming November.
The CSC in early December of 2013 petitioned the Palm Beach County Commission to go on the ballot for reauthorization in 2014 … two years earlier than required by state law. The county commissioners have not said yet when they will take the matter up … but it is expected soon.
Palm Beach County Voters and Taxpayers may have a significant opportunity this fall to either reauthorize the existence of this 28 year old taxing district, or failing to do so, conserve and/or redirect public expenditures in a different direction.
Over the next few weeks we will publish facts, gleaned from public records and from the public statements of the CSC itself and its grantees regarding what the taxing district does, how it is managed and specifically where the tax funds are spent.
For the current year, $80.2 million of an approximately $100 million budget is allocated through 66 grants to 38 organizations. Below, in order of percent of total allocation, are the recipients.
| Agency | % total | Web Site |
|---|---|---|
| Early Learning Coalition of PBC | 36.56% | http://www.elcpalmbeach.org/ |
| Florida Dept of Health/Palm Beach County Health Department | 9.42% | http://pbchd.com/ |
| CP-CTO-Housing Partnership | 5.68% | http://www.cp-cto.org/housing-partnership |
| Prime Time | 5.64% | http://www.primetimepbc.org/ |
| Palm Beach State College | 4.94% | http://www.palmbeachstate.edu/ |
| Family Central | 4.26% | http://www.familycentral.org/ |
| Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County | 3.53% | http://pbcliteracy.org/ |
| Children’s Place at Home Safe | 3.48% | http://www.helphomesafe.org/ |
| Children’s Home Society of Florida | 3.13% | http://www.chsfl.org/Home |
| Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County | 3.02% | http://www.legalaidpbc.org/ |
| The Arc of Palm Beach County | 2.95% | http://www.arcpbc.org/ |
| Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies Coalition | 2.61% | http://www.hmhbpbc.org/ |
| United Way | 2.55% | http://www.unitedwaypbc.org/ |
| NonProfits First | 2.25% | http://www.nonprofitsfirst.org/ |
| Easter Seals | 1.97% | http://www.easterseals.com/ |
| School District of Palm Beach County | 1.95% | http://palmbeachschools.org/ |
| Families First of Palm Beach County | 1.58% | http://www.familiesfirstpbc.org/ |
| Friends of Community Services Inc. | 1.27% | http://www.friendspbc.org/index.php |
| Sickle Cell Foundation of Palm Beach County | 0.72% | http://www.sicklecellpalmbeach.org/ |
| Father Flanagan’s BoysTown of Florida | 0.71% | http://www.boystown.org/ |
| Palm Beach Board of County Commissioners | 0.63% | http://www.pbcgov.com/countycommissioners/ |
| Children’s Forum | 0.55% | http://www.fcforum.org/ |
| Children’s Services Council | 0.50% | http://www.cscpbc.org/ |
| Urban League of Palm Beach County | 0.37% | http://ulpbc.org/ |
| Center for Family Services | 0.30% | http://www.ctrfam.org/ |
| Esereh Youth and Family Center Inc. | 0.29% | http://esereh.org/ |
| Lutheran Services of Florida | 0.28% | http://lsfnet.org/Pages/LSF_Master.aspx |
| Palm Beach County Food Bank | 0.28% | http://www.pbcfoodbank.org/ |
| Nutritious Lifestyles Inc. | 0.27% | http://www.nutritiouslifestylesonline.com/index.php |
| Jerome Golden Center/Oakwood Center of Palm Beaches | 0.25% | http://jeromegoldencenter.org/ |
| Tomas Boiton | 0.23% | http://citizens4transit.org/ |
| Health Council of Southeast Florida Inc. | 0.21% | http://www.hcsef.org/navigate-pbc |
| Resource Depot | 0.12% | Organization Not Found |
| Florida Rural Legal Services Inc. | 0.10% | http://frls.org/ |
| Florida Department of Children and Families | 0.09% | http://www.myflorida.com/accessflorida/ |
| Palm Beach County Education Commission | 0.06% | http://pbceducation.com/ |
| Redlands Christian Migrant Association | 0.04% | http://rcma.org/ |