2024 SOUTH PALM BEACH COUNTY LEGISLATIVE BUSINESS AGENDA
BOCA RATON CITY ISSUES
• Advocate that business taxes and fees remain unchanged.
• Support and encourage public and private efforts to streamline regulations and processes to deliver the maximum number of affordable and workforce housing units.
• Continue supporting Palm Beach State College, Florida Atlantic University, Lynn University and Palm Beach County Public Schools in their efforts to partner with the City of Boca Raton and the business community for internships, workforce development and small business training.
• Support responsible and compatible land use and development around airports to protect residents.
• Continue to support the construction of Florida Atlantic University’s College of Dentistry facility on the Boca Raton campus and the operationalization of the Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) program.
• Continue supporting FAU Health initiatives focusing on expanding enrollment and programming in FAU’s College of Medicine.
• Decrease the time taken for permit approvals and work with the city to improve its communications with customers.
• Advocate for the use of public/private partnerships, to deliver capital, technology, and infrastructure improvements in the City of Boca Raton.
• Support the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University’s efforts to further integrate its activities with those of the wider business community and Florida Atlantic University to ensure a viable environment for technology entrepreneurs to develop and grow successful companies that create jobs.
• Develop or modify existing zoning to ensure compatibility with local land uses adjacent to a vertiport for siting and operations.
• Support public/private partnership to provide additional transportation resources.
BOYNTON BEACH CITY ISSUES
• Support the implementation of a City of Boynton Beach’s Economic Development Plan.
• Eliminate the Art’s Assessment fee.
• Support initiatives that attract Class A office space and small businesses.
• Advocate that business taxes and fees remain unchanged.
• Support and encourage public and private efforts to streamline regulations and processes to deliver the maximum number of affordable and workforce housing units.
• Support solutions to reduce flooding in high flood impact areas to reduce negative impacts on business and the community.
• Support initiatives to harden existing public internet access (City Hall, libraries, schools) to ensure availability after extreme weather events/power outages.
• Propose the elimination of the CRA Advisory Board and promote the re-appointment of the two citizen members to the CRA Board.
PALM BEACH COUNTY ISSUES
• Support and encourage public and private efforts to streamline regulations and processes to deliver the maximum number of affordable and workforce housing units.
• Work with Palm Beach County to assure the transparent, expeditious and efficient issuance of 2022 Housing Bond loan dollars, and ensure thorough municipal participation.
• Advocate that business taxes and fees remain unchanged.
• Advocate that cities producing tourism revenue receive an equitable allocation of tourism investment.
• Advocate for increased efforts by Palm Beach County Schools to ensure all Palm Beach County’s 3rd and 8th Graders read at or above grade level.
• Support efforts to increase opportunities for Palm Beach State College and Palm Beach County School District to collaborate on career, certificate, vocational and apprenticeship programs to ensure that students are college and/or work ready.
• Continue to support the construction of Florida Atlantic University’s College of Dentistry facility on the Boca Raton campus and the operationalization of the Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) program.
• Continue supporting FAU Health initiatives focusing on expanding enrollment and programming in FAU’s College of Medicine.
• Continue to support Florida Atlantic University and the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University in leveraging of its resources and strategic partnerships to enhance and/or develop programs that foster entrepreneurship and expand the region’s high-tech workforce.
• Support private and public efforts to reduce homelessness and food insecurity.
• Continue to support Palm Tran in its efforts to serve South Palm Beach County by further improving and coordinating public transportation circulation between downtowns, the train stations, Research Park, and educational facilities.
• Support a regional approach for beach re-nourishment projects by the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners.
• Support solutions for and funding of science-based energy, flood and water management policy to address Red Tide, toxic algae, and other clean water initiatives.
STATE ISSUES
• Advocate that business taxes and fees remain unchanged.
• Continue to reduce the statewide sales tax on commercial leases.
• Collaborate with all levels of government to implement a plan to build workforce and affordable units.
• Create competitive and stable insurance markets to lower costs for Florida’s policy holders. Work to reduce the size and exposure of Citizens Insurance and protect Florida’s Hurricane Catastrophe Fund.
• Support legislation to end lawsuit abuse and to ensure that businesses receive a fair, efficient, and consistent justice system.
• Keep the Sadowski Trust Fund permanently fully funded.
• Support the Job Growth Grant Fund.
• Oppose workplace initiatives and/or regulations which seek to inhibit employer rights by expanding employee rights in vague and unenforceable ways that interfere with employer-employee relationships.
• Support workforce funding for local higher education institutions to assist with rapid credentialing and retooling in a short amount of time that will give students a competitive edge in securing a high-wage job.
• Support the allocation of appropriate funding of outstanding capital projects at Florida Atlantic University, Palm Beach State College and The Center for Arts & Innovation.
• Support identifying an alternative funding source for Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) funding for K-12, Florida College System, and State University System buildings.
• Support science-based energy, flooding and water policy solutions that allow for Florida’s continued economic growth. Support the continued dedicated funding for dune restoration as part of the beach-management funding program.
• Create an improved and HIPAA-protected system to identify those with signs of mental illness, including the appropriate and secure recording of critical information to a central repository with access by all relevant law enforcement and health care agencies.
• Support legislation that prohibits the sale of assault rifles.
• Support a reasonable state recycling goal that affords businesses the ability to efficiently and cost effectively manage their recyclable wastes.
• Continue to support the allocation of funding to support the construction of Florida Atlantic University’s College of Dentistry facility on the Boca Raton campus and the operationalization of the Doctor of Dental Medicine (D.M.D.) program.
• Continue supporting FAU Health initiatives focusing on expanding enrollment and programming in FAU’s College of Medicine to increase the number of new doctors in Florida communities.
• Support continued investment in Florida’s airport infrastructure by funding the Florida Department of Transportation at or above 2022 levels.
• Bolster Florida’s aerospace industry by reducing sales tax on aircraft manufactured, finished, overhauled or repaired in Florida.
• Support adequate funding from the Florida Department of Transportation to support Advanced Air Mobility.
FEDERAL ISSUES
• Support fair workplace rules that protect workers and promote employer flexibility and economic growth, while opposing harmful proposals and burdensome regulations that will generate litigation instead of jobs.
• Promote and advance thoughtful legislative and regulatory changes to permit greater flexibility in benefit design and coverage that will improve health, reduce unnecessary costs, and reward high-value care.
• Support work to strengthen the nation’s educational standards and promote effective workforce training programs.
• Support an immigration policy that encourages employment-based and national security immigration reform as well as job protections for U.S. Citizens.
• Support a national effort to encourage pro-growth energy action that increases diverse energy supplies, improves efficiency, and promotes environmental stewardship while putting Americans back to work.
• Support modernization and expansion of our nation’s transportation system, along with our telecommunications (including 5G rollout), energy and water infrastructure.