WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — Voters in Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast will decide eight local ballot questions on Nov. 3, ranging from hundreds of millions of dollars in bonds to trash pickup, mosquito control and the future of public land.
The questions are separate from candidate races and the three statewide constitutional amendments. Some apply countywide, while others are limited to Stuart, Port St. Lucie or part of St. Lucie County.
Palm Beach County
Palm Beach County voters will consider three countywide funding questions.
The first would authorize up to $280 million in general-obligation bonds, repaid through property taxes over no more than 20 years. The money would modernize aging parks, recreation facilities and botanical gardens; expand sports complexes; improve beach access and trail connections; and help develop new regional parks.
A second question would authorize up to $175 million in general-obligation bonds for the Palm Beach County Library District. The money would be used to acquire, build, renovate, expand, improve and equip library facilities. The bonds would be repaid through property taxes within the library district over no more than 20 years.
The third question asks voters to continue the School District of Palm Beach County’s existing 1-mill property-tax levy from July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2031. One mill equals $1 for every $1,000 of taxable value.
The levy would fund school safety and police, mental-health services, teachers in arts, music, physical education and career and choice programs, and improved teacher pay. An independent citizens-and-experts committee would oversee spending.
Martin County
Martin County’s local ballot questions are limited to Stuart voters.
One proposed charter amendment would require voter approval before the City Commission could sell, convey or lease for more than one year any city-owned property containing recreational ballfields.
One proposed Martin County charter amendment would require voter approval before the City Commission could sell, convey or lease for more than one year any city-owned property containing recreational ballfields. Sailfish Park in Stuart is pictured. (WPEC)
The second question concerns an undeveloped 1.97-acre city parcel on U.S. 1 opposite North River Shores Boulevard. Voters would decide whether to rescind a 2011 referendum requiring the city to commercially lease the land to fund maintenance of the Haney Creek Preserve.
If approved, the city could convert the parcel to conservation land and add it to the preserve.
St. Lucie County
St. Lucie County has three local issues, although they do not all apply to every voter.
The countywide question would extend the existing half-cent infrastructure sales surtax for 10 years, from Jan. 1, 2029, through Dec. 31, 2038. The current tax is set to expire in 2028.
See also: Dead rodent in kitchen, 260 droppings & no hand-washing: 7 South Florida restaurants shut
Revenue would continue to fund capital projects such as road improvements, traffic-congestion relief, drainage, flood control, sidewalks and water-quality work.
Port St. Lucie voters also will see a nonbinding straw poll asking whether the city should change from once-a-week to twice-a-week trash pickup for an added fee. The city previously estimated the second pickup day would cost about $131 a year.
The vote would not itself change collection service or rates. It is intended to gauge residents’ preferences before the City Council decides whether to pursue the change.
The third St. Lucie County issue is a binding referendum on expanding the St. Lucie County Mosquito Control District by about 95,000 acres.
One St. Lucie County ballot issue is a binding referendum on expanding the St. Lucie County Mosquito Control District by about 95,000 acres. (WPEC)
The referendum is not countywide or citywide. Only qualified voters living in the area proposed for addition to the district will vote on it. If approved, those properties would be added to the district and become subject to its property-tax levy.
Indian River and Okeechobee counties
No countywide, municipal or special-district ballot question has been identified in the currently available Nov. 3 election materials for Indian River or Okeechobee counties.
Voters there will still decide statewide constitutional amendments and candidate races, but there are no known local bonds, referendums or advisory questions to add to the local ballot-issues list.