When the City Council members realized the city would get less money than expected by annexing St. Andrews Country Club, Newport Bay, Fieldbrook. Boniello Acres, the old Royal Polo fields, La Lac, Boca Grove Plantation, Mediterrania, the Boca Golf & Tennis Club and Costco, they voted not to proceed at this time.
An updated analysis showed, due to the decline in the taxable value of those properties, the city would now receive $6.3MM under the current tax rate, and it would cost the city $3.6MM to provide police and fire services, modify and operate traffic signals, put up new signs and install landscaping in the medians. 4,300 residents would have been added, each getting a slight tax cut, $211 for single family homes and $275 for multifamily homes.
The newly elected Governor Rick Scott campaigned on reducing property taxes, so that amount of income could decrease from the currently anticipated $2.7MM the city is projected to collect. The county currently provides water and sewer service for these areas but it was not clear whether the city would then have to be the provider.
One council member urged not completely ruling out annexation, pointing out that in 2003 and 2004 city annexations included Town Center Mall and surrounding neighborhoods including the Via Verde, Waterside at Boca Trail and Marina del Mar neighborhoods, which property tax income helped the city through the recession, so no doubt this matter will come up again.
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