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PBC a Big Winner in Tallahassee

By Commissioner Jeff Koons

In speaking with members of our Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation, I can’t help but be very pleased at how well we did securing state funding this year for some of our top priorities. In the final state budget approved by lawmakers in May, nearly $226 million has been earmarked for Palm Beach County projects and programs.

In particular transportation, recreation, beach renourishment, and water and environmental projects did extremely well. For example, we’ve been promised $4 million toward construction of the Lake Region Water Treatment Plant compared with only $200,000 last year. The Chain of Lakes restoration is getting $1.25 million, and the expansion of the M Canal, which should improve water flow to the West Palm Beach Water Catchment Area, will receive $1 million. Another $500,000 was appropriated for an algae control project to further improve West Palm’s drinking water.

Six major road projects totaling $74 million were approved. They include $13.6 million for resurfacing the turnpike, $10 million for widening the Lantana turnpike toll plaza, and $11 million for the resurfacing of Southern Boulevard. Nearly $30 million approved in 2005 was designated this year for two local projects: Okeechobee Blvd. widening from State Road 7 to Jog Road ($21.5 million) and Atlantic Avenue widening from Lyons Road to just west of the turnpike ($8 million). Additionally, the Okeechobee Blvd. turnpike interchange will be getting some beautification improvements to provide landscape buffering for nearby Century Village.

I was glad to see mass transit get a much-needed boost with approval of a new two-dollar surcharge on car rentals. Together with matching dollars from the federal government, this will create a $45-million pool to pay for system upgrades along the Tri-Rail corridor.

Fifteen public parks in our county will be getting just over $8 million worth of improvements ranging from ball fields and lighting to landscaping and fencing. The new Dekelboum Science Center currently under construction at Lake Lytal Park received $500,000. Lastly, I was relieved to see Palm Beach County awarded $4.4 million for traffic signal repair and replacement following Hurricane Wilma, as well as new funding for the removal of derelict vessels and to help shore up some of our hurricane shelters.

Overall, I think our state lawmakers have been very responsive to our funding needs and they deserve a big “thank you!”