Planning programs and projects for the highest and best use of your tax dollars requires cross-collaboration of county departments. This approach prevents operating in silos, which can undermine the vision of an organization and create inefficiencies.

Working with County Administration and the Strategic Planning and Performance Management Division of the Office of Financial Management and Budget, the County Commission has adopted six strategic priorities for the county. These priorities include Economic Development, Housing and Homelessness, Environmental Protection, Infrastructure, Public Safety, and Substance Abuse and Behavior Disorders. Cross-departmental teams over the past two years have tackled each of the six priorities through establishment of goals and performance measurement tracking the completion of projects. Here is a recap of progress by two of the priority teams.

Environmental Protection:

Efforts to sustain our healthy beaches included replacement of 2.1 million cubic yards of sand; regulatory sea turtle nest lighting inspections; the monitoring of fecal coliform bacteria levels at county beach parks; and, improved educational signage.

To maintain our diverse ecosystems, the County, utilizing a large complement of volunteers, stays on top of eliminating invasive/exotic vegetation coverage in our natural areas, and continuously advocates for state and federal support for infrastructure that will reduce harmful discharges to the Lake Worth Lagoon, our delicate estuaries, and water resources. The Water Utilities Department regularly inspects private and public facilities for compliance with wellfield protection and petroleum tank regulations.

Natural resources, beaches, parks facilities and recreational areas contribute greatly to our health and quality of life, and create positive outdoor experiences for residents and visitors. The County completed 18 improvement projects in targeted revitalization areas, including community gardens, neighborhood parks, and traffic calming and pedestrian safety features. The County's park acres-to-resident ratio is 1 acre of park property to 184 residents.

To promote sustainable and resilient practices, the County is incorporating policies in our capital improvement projects, has established a master plan to increase tree canopy in parks, has invested in solar power initiatives, and is replacing old ballfield lighting with LED lights.

Efforts will continue to support these goals, develop overall waste reduction strategies, and expand partnerships with local stakeholders.

Economic Development:

The environmental amenities and parks in our county are some of the quality-of-life features that draw businesses to our community. The top four industries by employment are professional and business services, trade/transportation/utilities, education and health services, and, leisure and hospitality. Palm Beach County has earned the title of "Wall Street South," having drawn more than 30 corporate relocations or expansions during this two-year period. More than seventy percent of those companies are from other states, predominantly New York and California. This has resulted in the creation of more than 2,500 jobs and $150M of capital investments.

To promote economic revitalization and support the creation of diverse job opportunities, the County's cross-departmental team takes advantage of grant opportunities and programs at the state and federal levels, with an emphasis on business development in distressed census tract areas, including Opportunity Zones. We are consistently evaluating systems to make it easier to do business in Palm Beach County, with expedited permit review in our Building Division and construction of infrastructure improvements. Further, the County coordinates efforts by stakeholders in the Biotech Industry Cluster to develop wet lab space, incubators, and a teaching hospital.

The County's Department of Housing and Economic Development works with businesses to help them leverage financing for construction and working capital through federal low-interest loan programs. They also contract with technical assistance providers who offer one-on-one help to entrepreneurs. The Office of Small Business Assistance performs outreach to help small businesses become certified, and expand their capacity to participate in government procurement opportunities.

Supporting economic development also requires revitalization of neighborhoods through community improvements. This includes access to parks, road resurfacing, streetlights and sidewalks.

As the nation's leader in sugarcane and fresh sweet corn production, and Florida's leader in growing sweet peppers, lettuce, specialty leaf, rice, radishes, cucumbers, celery, eggplant, herbs and sod, Palm Beach County supports a viable and diverse agricultural industry. Through educational workshops and training events, the County has assisted thousands of farmers, nursery growers, landscapers and residents to preserve and enhance agriculture, encourage workforce safety, practice Florida-friendly landscaping, and create more community gardens.

Student apprentice programs help meet local needs and provide our young workforce with valuable experience. Opportunities are available in the departments of Water Utilities, Youth Services, Parks & Recreation, the Building Division, and Fire Rescue.

I hope this gives you some insight on how county departments work together to give you the “best bang for your buck.” Please contact me at (561) 355-2201 or by email at mmarino@pbcgov.org, and let me know how I can help you. ​​