Stet NewsBack to the grind, Stetters! For you today, county commissioners grapple with the sheriff’s $1.2 billion budget, children in mental health crisis will stay here, big ideas in the county’s $1 million transportation plan, a soccer stadium scoop, what’s next for Project Tango and the play’s the thing in Jupiter.
👮🏼♂️ Outcast: Bradshaw budget faces the boot
Like a teenager who has outgrown his childhood bedroom, the $1.2 billion budget for the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office has gotten so big it may need to move out on its own.
County commissioners, frustrated by state officials claiming they squander property tax money while praising Sheriff Ric Bradshaw’s spending, are proposing a municipal service taxing unit, or MSTU, to separate the sheriff’s budget from everything else.
Why it matters: The move would sharply reduce the cost of the sheriff’s services for city residents, while increasing it for residents of unincorporated areas. It would force the sheriff to justify annual increases to residents who would see a direct impact on their pocketbooks.
What they’re saying: “It’s the county’s responsibility to fund the budget for law enforcement services,” Bradshaw said in a statement declaring no objection to the proposal. “It’s their decision which method they choose to accomplish this. I only oppose not getting properly funded.”
Zoom in: The county budget would still cover the sheriff’s costs to run jails, secure the courts and analyze crime data.
- Expenses for patrolling unincorporated portions of the county, which total hundreds of millions of dollars, would fall to the MSTU.
Residents of Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton and any other city with its own police force would pay for those universal services through the county tax but would get a lower county tax bill because they wouldn’t be part of the MSTU.
Those who live in the 12 cities, including Lake Worth Beach, Greenacres and Wellington, that have contracts with the sheriff’s office for law enforcement, also would not be part of the MSTU.
The bottom line: The switch could mean reducing the countywide tax rate by about $2 per $1,000 of taxable value while slapping a $4 tax rate on property owners in unincorporated areas, which make up about 45% of the county’s population.
Of note: A 1984 Florida Supreme Court decision could get in the way.
- “The sheriff of a county in Florida is the sheriff for all the people of the county,” said the opinion by Chief Justice Joseph Boyd. “The fact that municipalities may organize police forces to provide their residents with additional law enforcement services does not relieve municipal residents of the obligation of paying county taxes to finance the operation of the sheriff’s office.”
Read more about the reasons county commissioners are considering a sheriff’s MSTU at StetNews.org.
— Jane Musgrave
💚 Exclusive: A place for kids under 12 in mental health crisis
For the past 18 months, the youngest kids in psychiatric crisis have been sent as far away as Fort Pierce to get a mental health assessment under Florida’s Baker Act.
In August, in time for the first day of school, roughly 100 kids per year will remain home in Palm Beach County for treatment.
NeuroBehavioral Hospital North, with $450,000 from the Health Care District for renovations, will take 5- to 11-year-olds for psychiatric examination.
The hospital is converting 14 to 16 adult beds into six pediatric ones.
Why it matters: Some of the youngest, most vulnerable residents of Palm Beach County have had to travel out of the county up to 60 miles away for treatment.
What they’re saying: “This investment reflects the collaborative work of local partners who are committed to ensuring that children and families have access to timely, appropriate behavioral health care close to home,” said Ann Berner, president and CEO of Southeast Florida Behavioral Health Network, which distributes money for mental health treatment in five counties, including Palm Beach.
Catch up quick: HCA Florida JFK North is the only hospital receiving children under 18 for Baker Act examinations.
- The hospital decided suddenly in December 2024 to no longer take children under 12.
- It said in a statement quoted by The Palm Beach Post that it would focus on patients ages 12 to 17, “the largest population amongst youth needing this level of support.”
Context: Palm Beach County has been cited nationally for problems with children and Baker Acts.
- A 2021 report by the Southern Poverty Law Center castigated county schools for sending 1,200 kids to the hospital from 2016 to 2020.
- Nearly 20 percent came from elementary schools.
- Most were disabled or Black children.
- The center, along with Disability Rights Florida and some children and caregivers, sued the school district and won policy changes.
Read more about emergency psychiatric care for children at StetNews.org.
— Holly Baltz
🚦 Double-decking Okeechobee Boulevard
A long-ago abandoned idea to double-deck Okeechobee Boulevard is on the list of ways to reduce congestion while moving more people in Palm Beach County.
Consultants crafting the county’s first transportation master plan look to old standbys, such as commuter rail and road connections, while embracing new technologies that are changing the way people move, from driverless cars to vertical take-off vehicles.
Why it matters: The county is paying consultant WSP $1 million to build “a stronger, smarter transportation system,” creating best practices when it comes to the size and use of roadways, bike lanes and sidewalks. City and county planners are vetting the proposals, which are being presented to the public in four workshops, two last week and two this week.
Zoom in: Since existing plans call for highway-style interchanges along Okeechobee Boulevard, the consultants suggested building express lanes along a second deck above the surface road, a plan the county considered in 1991.
Other proposals:
- Create “flex” lanes that would change use during the day, such as bus-only in the morning, mixed-use in the afternoon or toll lanes during rush hour. Six roads to consider: PGA and Southern boulevards; Palmetto Park, Indiantown and Glades roads; and Military Trail.
- Build roundabouts to improve traffic flow on Southern and Forest Hill boulevards, Lake Worth Road, Wellington Trace and Northwest Fourth Avenue in Boca Raton.
- Analyze 21 corridors, including major segments of Military Trail; Lantana and Lake Worth roads; and Northlake, Okeechobee, PGA and Southern boulevards.
- Fill gaps in the road network, including the controversial extension of State Road 7 to Northlake Boulevard and the expansion of Okeechobee Boulevard west of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road.
- Elevate the road over the train tracks at Okeechobee, Linton and Northlake boulevards; Belvedere and Yamato roads; and Atlantic Avenue.
- Continue working to move Tri-Rail to the east coast tracks.
What’s next: The public can weigh in on WSP’s PowerPoint at sessions from 6 to 8 pm Wednesday at the Boynton Beach Arts & Cultural Center, 125 E. Ocean Ave., and from 6 to 8 pm Thursday at the Clayton E. Hutcheson Agricultural Services Center, 559 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach.
Read more about the consultant’s first report of its concepts for improving traffic flow at StetNews.org.
— Joel Engelhardt
⚽️ $50 million pro soccer stadium pitched for Palm Beach State College
A sports management company wants to build a $50 million soccer stadium at Palm Beach State College’s Lake Worth campus under a proposal before the college’s Board of Trustees.
The unsolicited proposal calls for Palm Beach Sports Management to build an 8,000-seat stadium on about 12 acres with a 100-year lease on the college land.
Why it matters: Palm Beach Sports Management says the stadium would be its home for men’s and women’s teams in the United Soccer League. The stadium also could enable the college to field teams in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II.
What they’re saying: “The proposal contemplates a public-private partnership under which (the company) would design, finance, construct, operate and maintain the facility on college property, with no direct capital contribution from the college and with ownership of improvements reverting to the college at the conclusion of the ground lease term,” PBSC President Ava Parker said in a May 19 memo to trustees.
What to watch: Trustee Dave Kerner, a former Palm Beach County commissioner and now head of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, cast the lone no vote when trustees agreed in May to study the proposal further.
Zoom in: The proposal makes no mention of Palm Beach Sports Management making lease payments on the land, but rent could be subject to negotiations.
- PBSC leased 10 acres in Palm Beach Gardens to a private for-profit business to bring the Tiger Woods-backed TMRW Golf League to the campus, initially agreeing to no rent payments before later negotiating a share of the facilities revenues.
What’s next: Trustees are scheduled to discuss the project at 10 am Thursday at the college’s media board room, CE-129, at 4200 Congress Ave., Lake Worth.
There’s a lot more to this exclusive story, available at the Lake Worth Beach Independent by clicking here.
— Joe Capozzi
🚫 When ‘no’ may not mean ‘no’
The Palm Beach County Zoning Commission voted 6-0 Thursday to deny the controversial Project Tango hyperscale AI data center.
Yes, but: That does not mean Project Tango is going away.
- The same request goes before the Palm Beach County Commission on July 15.
- Even if county commissioners reject the proposal, PBA Holdings, the owners of most of the 202-acre industrial property off of Southern Boulevard at 20-Mile Bend, have the right to convert some approved warehouse space to data center space without a public hearing.
- PBA Holdings also has sold 60 acres to an Atlanta builder that is pursuing the conversion of a 1.2 million-square-foot warehouse park into a data center, also without a public hearing.
Why it matters: AI data centers draw heavy concern nationwide from residents over power and water use, noise, fumes and light pollution, with residents of the 2,300-acre Arden community next door to Project Tango leading the charge.
Zoom in: PBA Holdings sought to nearly double the allowed development on the site to 3.6 million square feet, with 1 million square feet set aside for a data center and most of the rest for warehouses.
- Zoning Commissioner Susan Kennedy, a retired attorney, laid the foundation for the denial, establishing that the board heard enough examples of “competent, substantial evidence” that the project would not comply with the zoning, a threshold to vote for denial.
Read more about the clash at the zoning meeting featuring the owner of the 60-acre property within the 202-acre property at StetNews.org.
— Joel Engelhardt
🍊 The Juice
🛑 Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed nearly $17 million in Palm Beach County projects, including $3 million for a Health Care District helicopter and $4.8 million to renovate a Palm Beach State College administration building in Boca Raton. (The Palm Beach Post $$$, the veto list, the governor’s letter)
- A closer look at the property tax referendum initiated by DeSantis on the November ballot and how it would affect some Palm Beach County cities. (The Coastal Star)
- 140 state laws took effect on July 1. Most are related to safety, the environment, government functions and education. (WUSF)
✈️ From February through July, the main 10,000-foot runway at Palm Beach International Airport will be closed for repaving, forcing all airlines to use the shorter crosswind runway. (The Palm Beach Post $$$)
🤝🏽Riviera Beach City Council members agreed in a 3-2 vote Wednesday to hire their interim city manager for a year or until a new city manager is named, whichever comes first. Chair Bruce Guyton, Vice Chair Glen Spiritis and Fercella Panier-Davis voted yes to retain Bill Wilkins. Shirley Lanier and KaShamba Miller-Anderson voted no. (Riviera Beach meeting on YouTube)
⛳️ The son of downtown West Palm Beach developer David Paladino is suing Lake Worth Beach over a 1940s-era reverter clause that could mean 7 acres of the city golf course belong to John Henry Paladino, who owns a Lakeside Drive home backing up to the course. The case may come down to the date World War II ended. (Lake Worth Beach Independent)
📣 Three groups have formed to give West Palm Beach residents a stronger voice over development around the city, as concerns grow about developers’ influence over decisions about its future.
- They are Save West Palm Beach, the West Palm Beach Residents Coalition and Protect the Palm. (The Palm Beach Post $$$)
🚔 Manalapan may be the first town in Florida to outfit an Elon Musk Cybertruck for police duties. An anonymous donor provided the vehicle, which will be painted white and updated with flashing lights, sirens and the department’s logo. Police Chief Jeffrey Rasor has to figure out if the cost of maintaining and charging the electric truck will be less than a traditional police vehicle. (The Coastal Star)
✈️ California transit company Glydways is proposing a self-driving car service along an elevated roadway between downtown West Palm Beach and Palm Beach County’s airport, an innovation that it says could revolutionize how people commute in and around the city center. (The Palm Beach Post $$$)
🐊 The University of Florida has added an early decision application option for highly qualified students. High school seniors can apply as early as Aug. 1 and receive an admissions decision by Dec. 11, several months earlier than previous years. (Florida Alligator)
✍️ Adam Kidan, the Palm Beach Gardens resident who pleaded guilty to federal fraud and conspiracy charges with one-time lobbyist Jack Abramoff, was pardoned Friday by President Donald Trump, wiping away his felony conviction in the case involving the 2000 purchase of SunCruz Casinos and his obligation to pay $21 million in restitution. (Florida Bulldog)
🎙️ “Top of Mind Florida,” the podcast by Michael Williams and Brian Crowley, dives into the property tax amendment on the November ballot with County Administrator Joe Abruzzo, who calls the proposal’s impact “catastrophic.” (Listen now; watch after 4 pm today.)
561NSIDER: 🎭 A summer celebration of Shakespeare’s favorite
Shakespeare by the Sea returns Thursday to the Seabreeze Amphitheater in Jupiter’s Carlin Park with “Falstaff,” an original production created for the 36th annual event.
Why it matters: The Palm Beach Shakespeare Festival is the longest-running Shakespeare festival in Florida, and it draws more than 10,000 fans over two weekends to see professional actors perform on an open-air stage kissed by Atlantic Ocean breezes.
This local tradition is offered to the community for a $5 suggested donation.
Zoom in: The story of “Falstaff” brings Sir John “Jack” Falstaff, the Bard’s most beloved character, to the stage by melding several plays together. The piece was crafted by artistic director Trent Stephens, a Shakespeare scholar, who started with the festival as an actor in 2009.
The plot for “Falstaff” comes from the “Henry V” plays, Stephens said, but it’s an amalgamation — what might be called a mashup — of Falstaff’s greatest hits from “Henry IV, Part 1 and 2” and “The Merry Wives of Windsor.”
What he’s saying: “Shakespeare celebrates the thing that makes us human,” Stephens said. “There are moments he makes your heart flutter, when you’re live in front of a crowd of thousands of people, there’s a kind of syncopation of heartbeats and breathing.”
What’s new: This year, the festival will add a hospitality tent where festivalgoers can imbibe, production manager Elizabeth Dashiell said. “Tequesta Brewery is donating beer because that is very Falstaffian.”
Who’s back: Through its partnership with the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County and its Bright Ideas sponsorship, the festival is bringing back Devon Glover, the Sonnet Man.
- He will warm up the audience before the main events.
If you go: 8 pm Thursday-Sunday, July 9-12 and July 16-19.
Where: Seabreeze Amphitheater in Carlin Park, 750 S. A1A, Jupiter.
Gates open at 6:30 pm. Bring a picnic or buy snacks from on-site concessions.
Keep reading to learn more about the boastful, endearing Falstaff at StetNews.org.
— Janis Fontaine
