The State Of Hallandale Beach Part V: Reducing The Tax Rate To Provide Some Relief

In this week's column I will cover that we are planning to reduce our Tax Rate! (in speech form)

We are really busy! But we are working on the plan! Where are we going?

The plan was so on point last year it was the first year we had a robust debate on changing course. I even questioned the plan myself since we were looking at excellent reserves.

We know our residents are facing inflation, insurance costs and other market conditions that are beyond a city’s control. Not to mention our many condominium owners facing increased maintenance fees combined with 40 and 50-year assessments.

We passed the fourth year with the planned Tax Rate and still were able to add additional projects. Promises Made, Promises Kept!

But remember this is year five! As projected, we will be able to reduce the Tax Rate and provide some relief to those that are living paycheck to paycheck.

Promises made, promises kept.

Not only is our City doing these projects, but our Community Redevelopment Agency is putting in sidewalks, planting trees, installing lighting, and completing neighborhood streets.

While beautifying our neighborhoods is important for curb appeals these improvements are vital to create a safe livable and walkable community.

Traffic has always been a top issue. That is why I serve as the Vice Chair of the Metropolitan Planning Organization. The MPO is in charge of transportation planning. Moving from a car centric community to transition us into the future.

Hallandale Beach is committed to sustainability and addressing climate change. It is about reducing our Carbon Footprint. Sustainability is complex and not just about cars and transportation but that is a great place to start.

We have a fleet of over 70 vehicles that are either Fully Electric or Hybrids.

We are the first city in the State of Florida to have a Fully Electric Bus system.

Our Cloud will continue to grow. It connects to Aventura steps away from Brightline, and we connect up north to Hollywood with access to Tri-Rail.

Promises Made, Promises Kept.

So what will the future bring? It is an interesting era we live in. WE need to move forward, balancing the future needs of our population and families that want to live, work and grow here.

The key will be developments that can provide a balance of affordable housing while protecting our natural resources. Hallandale Beach is uniquely poised since we have been doing infill development to address affordable housing even before the crisis.

This year the CRA conducted a market study. It is a look towards the future and the needs in both our housing and commercial sectors. Our CRA has two years of Tax Increment Funding from the County and the City. The choices will be either sunset it or keep it or we can reduce its borders. Tomorrow we will begin a vital discussion on the future of our CRA.

My vision is to reduce the boundaries to focus on our Regional Activity Corridor (RAC) and to the neighborhood west of Federal Highway. Even if we are losing county funding the ability to leverage Tax Increment Financing (TIF) for redevelopment will make an added catalyst in the form of incentives. We can also preserve some of the great neighborhood improvement programs and remain focused on preserving and creating affordable housing.

Our focus will remain on Public Safety Infrastructure and our Economy.

I would be remiss if I did not talk about the continuing war in Ukraine and the horrendous events of October 7th that started Israel’s and the world’s fight against Hamas.

Antisemitism and Racism are not new, but incidents have increased since the Hamas Attack on innocent lives and the kidnapping of hostages. Next week: Investing In Safety.

As always feel free to contact me anytime with your questions and concerns at email: jcooper@cohb.org. Or at: joycooper@aol.com. I always can be reached by phone or text at: (954) 632-5700. Working for you! Always Have! Always will!