Special Edition
02/15/2006
Palm Beach County commissioners decide on Abacoa for Scripps
WEST PALM BEACH — County commissioners this afternoon voted to move The Scripps Research Institute to northern Palm Beach County, ending for the time being the uncertainty of the project's future location. Commissioner Addie Greene proved to be the key vote, and she made the initial motion to place Scripps at Florida Atlantic University's Abacoa campus and across the street on the Briger parcel. Commissioners supported the decision with a 4-3 vote.

"All the sites to me are good sites," Greene said moments before her decision, while crediting each proposal for incorporating programs to enhance minority involvement during the uncertainty over Scripps' future location. "It has made communities think out of the box as it relates to including diversity populations."

County commissioners Karen Marcus, Jeff Koons and Chairman Tony Masilotti cast the remaining votes supporting FAU/Briger. Gov. Jeb Bush, who had encouraged Boca Raton as the Scripps site, did not endorse the county's decision, saying he needs to "learn a little more" about the commission meeting "before I give a definitive opinion." Speaking at an education news conference in Tallahassee, Bush said, "I appreciate the fact that they made a decision."

But, he added, the north county location still has "some uncertainties that need to be worked on." During the anticipation leading into the vote, cast at about 1:45 p.m., Commissioners Mary McCarty and Burt Aaronson cast doubt whether the state would support Scripps in north county.

The Scripps Research Institute and Scripps Florida Funding Corp. must approve contract changes to move the Florida campus from Mecca Farms to FAU/Briger. McCarty questioned the biotech spinoff cluster could indeed be captured in north county's plan, which identified available space within 10 and 20 miles of FAU/Briger.

"I think that's a big risk there," McCarty said. "We have the most certainty with Boca." Prior to the vote, Aaronson called on Scripps Research Institute general counsel Doug Bingham to ask the company's stance. "I believe, without expressing a preference, that it would be very difficult to overlook the elements of a cluster that are already in place in Boca, or will be in place shortly," Bingham said. But when Aaronson asked about a January letter written by Bingham expressing support for any site the commissioners chose, Bingham said, "We wrote you a letter and we're standing by the letter."

During the presentation period this morning, Abacoa developer George de Guardiola had outlined an education and economic plan to boost the black and minority communities. The plan includes a $1 million contribution a year for five years to be administered by a selected group of black leaders, with the money going to a menu of possibilities de Guardiola offered: scholarships; internships; mentor programs; services such as accounting, legal and financial; and gathering a yearly business expo for recruitment purposes. During questioning by McCarty, de Guardiola clarified that the board of black leaders would be created with Greene's advice.

Also, de Guardiola said the ideas were a menu of possibilities, and that any or all of his proposed ideas could be funded, ultimately to be decided by the board. De Guardiola said the outreach would help take minorities "to the next level." Other ideas included redevelopment plans and having his business partners offer free office space in central and north Palm Beach County to minority business owners.

The town of Jupiter on Monday night footed $3 million for similar economic development purposes. Abacoa beat out Florida Research Park and Boca Raton. Representatives of those sites also gave pitches this morning. Florida Research Park representatives had touted their location as the best to meet Gov. Bush's vision of a self-sustaining site to host Scripps and related biotechnology businesses. Attorney Cliff Hertz, speaking for the research park, called the location the "big tent site" because of all the businesses that could potentially be located at one place. Park officials had also dangled perks for minorities, including the creation of an enterprise research program, proposing $1 million up front and $100,000 each year for 10 years that would, among other things, offer minorities office space and fund expenses and create outreach programs. And Boca Raton officials had further sweetened their deal by offering to cut the county's potential costs by more than $6 million. Potential county costs to fit Scripps's 2 million square feet of buildings in Boca Raton initially came at just over $23 million, and the city offered to cover utility expansion and traffic impact costs while offering to pay nearly $3 million of the land costs, dropping the county's bill to $16,875,000, if Scripps were to come to the area.

"Some have called this the Valentine's Day Massacre," Abrams said when introducing the south county's plan to cater to Scripps and spinoff biotech businesses. "All I'm here to do is give you a sweetheart deal." Delray Beach Mayor Jeff Perlman joined Abrams and Ahnell with the pitch, touting the city's workforce housing initiatives that could cater to scientists, and mentioned the $4 million Delray Beach and Boca Raton have offered to help minority and fledgling business owners.

A 'momentous' decision

Gov. Bush had made the case Monday for putting Scripps in Boca Raton. "The decision you make on Tuesday is a momentous one for our state," Bush had written to commissioners. "While no site is perfect, when we consider all the facts, some of the challenges are less acceptable than others."

Though not explicitly ruling out any of the proposed homes for The Scripps Research Institute's Florida headquarters, Bush offered a detailed, 13-page analysis that rated Boca Raton's proposal higher than the others. Bush said the original site, Mecca Farms, and the Boca Raton proposal were the least problematic but conceded that Mecca's permitting and construction delays "greatly diminish the viability." "In short, the Mecca site can fulfill our vision, but its viability depends on the unwavering commitment of the county commission to do what is necessary to make it into reality," Bush said.

In his letter, Bush said Boca Raton has what it takes to transform the state's Scripps investment into a biotechnology cluster on par with San Diego's. Bush has consistently expressed the need for any potential home to have 8 million square feet of space available for spinoff companies.

Story reprinted from The Palm Beach Post. Post staff writers Brian Crowley, Deana Poole, Stacey Singer, Susan R. Miller and Jennifer Sorentrue contributed to this story.
Don’t miss the homestead exemption deadline
The Property Appraiser’s Office administers all property tax exemptions. Brief summaries of available exemptions are listed here. For more information or to apply, call us at (561) 355-2866 or visit us at any one of our five Service Centers Click Office Locations for addresses and directions.

Or you may access the Homestead Exemption Form and Instructions from this website. Please return the form to our office at 301 N. Olive Avenue, 1st Floor, West Palm Beach, FL 33401.

For the convenience of the taxpayers, Property Appraiser Gary R. Nikolits, CFA, has elected to automatically renew your Homestead exemptions each year on Jan. 1. $25,000 Homestead Exemption Every person who has legal title to a residential property and lives there permanently qualifies for this exemption. You must be a permanent resident of Florida on January 1 of the initial application year. You may either apply by mail or in person at any time through the year but the deadline is March 1 of the qualifying year.

A copy of your deed and proof of residency is required. You may submit a copy of your Florida driver’s license, voter’s registration or permanent residency card. Exemptions cannot be transferred. If you sell your home and buy another residence, you must file a new application.

Mobile homes may qualify for the $25,000 Homestead Exemption under certain conditions. If you own the land under the mobile home you may declare it a permanent structure and make a one-time purchase of a Real Property tag for the unit. Thereafter, your mobile home will be included on the annual tax roll and no further license tag fee is required.

$25,000 Senior Citizen Exemption Certain seniors in Palm Beach County may qualify for an additional $25,000 exemption on their property’s assessed value. For example, a home valued at $100,000, would be taxed by the county on only $50,000, after the Homestead and Senior Citizen exemptions are applied. The county’s senior exemption does not apply to other taxing authorities, such as the school district and municipalities.

$5,000 Disabled Veterans Exemption U.S. Military personnel with a service-connected disability of 10% or more are entitled to a $5,000 exemption. If filing for the first time, please provide a letter from the U.S. Veteran’s Administration that verifies your disability. If you are the surviving spouse of a disabled veteran, you may be entitled to retain the $5,000 exemption. Please contact our office at (561) 355-2866 for more information.

$500 Widow/Widower Exemption A widow or widower who is a legal and permanent resident of Florida qualifies for this exemption. If the surviving spouse remarries, they are no longer eligible. If the husband and wife were divorced before their spouse’s death, the survivor is not eligible.

$500 Disability Exemption People who are permanently disabled are eligible for this exemption. If applying for the first time, please provide a Physician’s Certificate from a licensed Florida physician.

Total Exemption Civilian quadriplegics and honorably discharged veterans who are 100% disabled are exempt from ad valorem taxation. You will need to submit a Physician's Certification form.

The Homestead Exemption Deadline is March 1, 2006.
Save Our Homes Explanation
Understanding Florida’s 3% Cap law, also known as “Save our Homes” can be a bit difficult sometimes. Here is a brief Q&A that may help you further undestand what Save Our Homes is all about.

Q. What does the 3% cap mean to Florida residents?

A. The cap limits the increase in the annual assessment of homestead properties in Florida to 3% or to the Consumer Price Index, whichever is less. Also known as “Save Our Homes,” Florida residents voted for the Constitutional Amendment in 1992 and it went into effect in 1995.

Q. Does the 3% cap limit property taxes?

A. No, it is a cap on the assessment of a parcel, not on the taxes paid. A property’s assessment could stay the same or go down but property taxes could go up any given year because of millage increases levied by your local taxing authorities.

Q. Who qualifies?

A. You must own a residential property that already qualifies for the $25,000 Homestead Exemption. (Click here for Homestead Exemption requirements.) All other properties are not eligible. Approximately 50% of residential properties in Palm Beach County don’t qualify for Florida’s Homestead Exemption and are not entitled to the 3% cap.

Q. Does the 3% cap change the way property values are estimated by the Property Appraiser?

A. No, the Property Appraiser’s Office responsibility is to determine the property’s market value for a fair and equitable tax roll.

Q. What happens to the cap when I sell my home and buy a new house?

A. When a Homestead property sells, the cap is removed and the value is increased to market value January 1 of the following year. Similarly, if the home you purchased was subject to the cap, the cap is removed and the value is increased to market value the following January 1.

Q. I own a single family residence and have a Homestead Exemption. I also own the adjacent vacant lot under a separate property control number. What happens if I combine the vacant lot with my home? Will the new combined parcel be covered by the 3% cap?

A. Yes. The market value of the vacant lot will be added to the assessed (capped) value of the residence and the combined value will become the new base for the next tax roll.

Q. I own a duplex and live in one side and rent the other unit. Does all the property qualify for the 3% cap?

A. No. Only the homestead portion is eligible for the 3% cap. The Homestead portion is determined as a percentage of the total property value. Example: A property owner occupies one-half of a duplex. The half with the Homestead Exemption is eligible for the 3% cap. The half without the Homestead Exemption is income property and not eligible for the cap.

Q. Two brothers buy a parcel with one residence. One brother lives in the house and has a Homestead Exemption. The other brother does not hold a Homestead Exemption on the property. How does the 3% cap affect this parcel?

A. The market value of the parcel is divided equally. Only the Homestead portion qualifies for the 3% cap. The other half’s assessment remains at market value.

Q. What happens with new additions and renovations?

A. The new addition’s value is added to the assessed (capped) value and this is the property’s new base value. Renovations and remodeling create certain problems and are handled on an individual basis. Generally, changes to the structural elements or sub-areas may result in new construction, and that value would be added to the prior assessed (capped) value.

For more information, please call Property Appraiser's Office at (561) 355-2866.