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Boca Raton council adopts 2025 downtown special assessment; residents press parking and shade-tree concerns
Summary
The Boca Raton City Council on Sept. 9 adopted Resolution 85-2024 to equalize and adopt the downtown special assessment for 2025, setting the assessment rate at 0.00106 (an 8.3% reduction from 2024); public commenters urged more downtown parking, shade trees and clearer benefits for nearby residents.
The Boca Raton City Council on Sept. 9 unanimously adopted Resolution 85-2024, equalizing and adopting the downtown special assessment for 2025. The council approved the measure 5-0 after a presentation that said the assessment rate for 2025 will be 0.00106, an 8.3% reduction from 2024.
Steven Timberlake, special projects manager in the financial services department, told the council the special assessment is required to fund debt service and administrative costs tied to special assessment revenue bonds and that the 2025 roll is calculated using the 2023 certified Palm Beach County tax roll. "The assessment rate for 2025 is 0.00106, which is an 8.3 reduction from our '24 rate," Timberlake said, and recommended adoption of the resolution as presented.
During a public comment period, resident Eddie Weinstein said he supports downtown improvements but pressed city officials on persistent parking shortages, developer parking allocations and pedestrian comfort. "One of the biggest problems we have in the city is parking," Weinstein said, urging the city to require more on-site parking, add shade trees so people will walk in comfort and improve crosswalks and enforcement. Jonathan Ungeen, another downtown property owner, questioned whether large multifamily rental properties are being assigned fair market values on the assessment roll and suggested some assessed values may be inaccurate.
After public comment closed, Mr. Brown and Timberlake described the assessment's origins and scope. Mr. Brown said the special assessment stemmed from the Visions 90 infrastructure program in the early 1990s and financed major downtown work, including what is now Mizer Boulevard. City officials noted that shade-tree plantings, parking-meter policy and other mobility improvements are under consideration as part of ongoing downtown enhancements.
Councilmember Nagla moved to adopt Resolution 85-2024; the motion was seconded by Councilmember Wigner. Miss Siddens called the roll: Drucker — yes; Nachlis — yes; Thompson — yes; Wachter — yes; Singer — yes. The motion passed 5-0. Council members and staff said they had received no written objections to the assessment roll for 2025.
The council concluded the public hearing and adjourned at 2:26 p.m.; the council planned to resume its regularly scheduled workshop immediately afterward.
