​County Libertarians Support Saving Residents Tax Money: VOTE NO on County Questions 1 and 2

The Libertarian Party of Palm Beach County (LP Palm Beach) supports saving tax money for Palm Beach County residents and urges all registered voters to vote “NO” on Questions 1 and 2 in the general election on November 8, 2022. Both questions will impact how much county residents pay in taxes, and voting “NO” will help decrease these taxes, allowing residents to keep more of their money. Higher taxes and more government spending will not make housing more affordable.
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Question 1 on the ballot proposes $200,000,000 in new debt for the county government to construct “workforce housing.” A better solution is to implement a Workforce Housing Tax Credit (WHTC) for the property taxes of low-income homeowners. “There is no need for the county government to obligate taxpayers to the tune of $200 million in debt for this temporary problem,” said Karl Dickey, Chair of LP Palm Beach. “The county government should focus on reducing spending, lowering taxes, and cutting regulations to make housing more affordable. Instead, they are doing the opposite. Government intervention will only complicate the issue further.” Existing state and federal incentives can assist low-income residents in purchasing and maintaining their homes, but this is outside the scope of the current ballot measures.

Question 2 proposes to increase the millage rate on property taxes by 1 mill of ad valorem tax, equating to $1 for every $1,000 of taxable property value. The county is already collecting an additional 1% sales tax, which will not expire until 2026, half of which supports the county school system. This increase will disproportionately affect the poorest residents, as renters lack the homesteading protections available to homeowners.

The Palm Beach County School System already receives ample funding from federal, state, and county sources to cover school safety, teachers, and operational needs. We anticipate the return to a 6% sales tax in 2026 when the 1% surtax expires. The current 7% sales tax negatively impacts the poorest residents. We should not continue to increase taxes when the county has sufficient reserves.

Press Release: September 26, 2022