How long has the County been monitoring annexation activity?

• The County has had an Annexation Review Process in place since the early 1990s.
• In 2000, the County Planning Division took a more proactive approach to annexation review, and requested that each municipality participate in a Voluntary Annexation Review Process through providing additional information regarding each annexation.

How does the County monitor annexation activity?

• For many years Chapter 171, Florida Statutes, has required municipalities to notify the County of each pending annexation. In 2006, the Statutes were revised to establish a penalty for an annexation to be invalidated if the County is not notified.
• Once the County receives annexation notification from a municipality, the County prepares a summary and map and posts it on the Planning Division’s annexation web page:http://www.pbcgov.com/pzb/planning/annexations/annexations.htm.
• The Planning Division collects comments from various County service agencies, which are subsequently relayed to the annexing municipality in writing prior to the first reading.

Why does the County monitor annexation activity?

• By monitoring annexation activity, the County can help ensure a more seamless and efficient annexation.
• Inconsistencies with Chapter 171, F.S., can be identified and remedied in advance of annexation adoption, reducing the likelihood of challenges or objections subsequent to adoption, and prevent costly legal battles.
• In cases where the annexation is tandem with a land use and/or zoning change, municipalities are notified in advance of final site plan approval of right-of-way and other issues which may alter the design of the site plan.
• The public and local governments have access to countywide annexation activities.
• The Property Appraiser is aware of proposed annexations and their adoption, ensuring that annexed lands are taxed appropriately, and the annexing municipality receives the tax benefit in a seamless manner.
• County service providers can prepare and plan for the impending annexation and change in service provider, reducing the chance of duplicate service.
• County records managers can work quickly with the annexing municipality to ensure all building records and permits are transferred as appropriate.
• County Engineering staff can work quickly with the annexing municipality to ensure that the transfer and operation and maintenance of rights-of-ways and other types of street infrastructure, including streetlights, are transferred appropriately.
• County Geographic Information System (GIS) cartographers continually update the County’s maps with recent annexations, allowing municipal boundaries to be tracked on a countywide level. In addition, this allows the County to provide municipalities and the public with accurate maps of their jurisdiction very quickly upon request.

What information is requested from the annexing municipality?

• The County provides a form to each annexing municipality which requests information such as the location, size, and land use of the property. http://www.pbcgov.com/pzb/planning/annexations/annexationinfosheet.pdf
• Prior to the charter amendment, the County requested that the municipality provide this information at least one month prior to the first reading date. Pursuant to the deadlines in the implementing ordinance, the County now requests this information within 10 days of the municipality’s receipt of the voluntary annexation petition.

When does the County respond to the annexing municipality?

• Once the completed information is received, the Planning Division responds to the annexing municipality within 2-3 weeks with all pertinent comments received from the County’s review agencies.
• The vast majority of the response letters indicate comments, rather than objections.
• In instances where a conflict is identified by County staff, the Planning Division contacts the annexing municipality to attempt to resolve any issues prior to submitting comments in writing. In most cases, conflicts are resolved well before the first reading date.

What other information is on the County’s Annexation Activity Web Page?

• The Annexation Activity web page includes links to recent annexations through Fiscal Year 2002. Digital information for Fiscal Years 2000 and 2001 is also available upon request. This information is presumed to be accurate, but may not include some annexations that the County was not notified of by annexing municipalities.
• The web page includes a summary table of all annexations for each fiscal year.
• The web page also includes a countywide map of municipal boundaries which is also updated regularly to reflect annexations.
• A map of Future Annexation Areas is included on the web page. This map reflects the Future Annexation Areas of each municipality which has chosen to adopt such boundaries in their respective comprehensive plans. The map highlights areas which are in conflict between one or more municipalities.
• The web page includes two studies; a general enclave report prepared in 2002 and a special Annexation Study prepared jointly with the Village of Palm Springs in 2005.

What other types of information / coordination are available to annexing municipalities?

• The County is committed to working cooperatively with local municipalities towards effective and efficient annexation strategies which are beneficial to the residents of Palm Beach County. County staff works cooperatively with annexing municipalities regarding the following types of annexations:
• The Annexation Incentive Program. The County’s Annexation Incentive Program is designed to improve infrastructure (water, sewer, paving, and drainage) concurrent with annexation at a reduced or no cost to the property owners of the annexed lands.
• Enclave Interlocal Annexations. The County works closely with municipalities to develop interlocal agreements to annex enclaves less than 10 acres.
• Mapping and Data support. The County provides annexation related mapping and data support to municipalities for joint annexation studies and State required Urban Service Reports for referendum annexations.
• Interlocal Service Boundary Agreements. Chapter 171, Part II, F.S., establishes this process as a flexible, joint planning option for counties and municipalities to cooperatively adjust municipal boundaries while planning for service delivery. Additionally, local governments use these agreements to establish processes for annexation and land use decisions, and provide alternative standards for the annexation of non-compact, non-contiguous parcels of land if such parcels are identified in an interlocal service boundary agreement.

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