PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — With Florida's election primary just days away, WPTV is helping you sort through the confusion over the one question on the ballot in Palm Beach County. Voters will have to decide whether they support tax breaks for new and expanding businesses.
It's a 97-word question on the ballot next week in Palm Beach County that is confusing many voters.
BELOW IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE COUNTY QUESTION:
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTIONS TO NEW BUSINESSES AND EXPANSIONS OF EXISTING BUSINESSES
The Economic Ad Valorem Tax Exemption Program provides Palm Beach County with an additional economic development incentive tool to assist new and expanding businesses to make a positive economic impact on Palm Beach County's economy with the expectation that these businesses will create new, full-time jobs in Palm Beach County.
Shall the Board of County Commissioners of Palm Beach County be authorized to grant, pursuant to s. 3, Art. VII of the State Constitution, property tax exemptions to new businesses and expansions of existing businesses that are expected to create new, full-time jobs in Palm Beach County?
"Honestly, I don't understand," Palm Beach resident Jaquaris Brown said. "I don't know how to vote on this."
And he's not the only one confused. Of the five residents that WPTV reporter Michael Hoffman spoke with in Palm Beach County, none of them understood the ballot question without some guidance.
So, WPTV did the research to clear up the confusion.
Jonathan Brown, the county's director of housing and economic development, explained the tax incentive program has been in place for 20 years and has to be re-voted every 10 years.
Brown said it's one of many tools in the county's toolbox to bring large businesses providing high-paying jobs to Palm Beach County. Once again, voters will have to decide whether they support tax breaks for new and expanding businesses.
"It's an opportunity for us to create jobs," Brown said.
In exchange, the county agrees to abate all or some of the companies' county property taxes for up to 10 years.
"You have to be creating high-paying jobs," said Kelly Smallridge, president and CEO of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County, a staunch supporter of the measure. "You have to be within a targeted industry cluster, and you have to be physically building a building or be purchasing a large amount of machinery and equipment."
Over the last decade, just six companies have benefited. The county said it has resulted in more than $6 million in tax breaks that have generated more than $300 million. Over the next five years, the county projects it will result in nearly $2 billion in economic impact.
"The larger the number of jobs and the salaries and the capital investment that the company is bringing in, the higher the exemption," Smallridge said. "But again this is used in very rare cases."
After an explanation, those five voters that WPTV spoke to seemed to be on board, while also planning on doing more research before hitting the polls.
