Gardens makes late annex push

Area’s residents asked to City Hall ahead of vote

PALM BEACH GARDENS – City officials made a final effort to quell concerns over a looming annexation vote by inviting residents of the unincorporated areas they hope to annex to City Hall last week.

Palm Beach Gardens made its first push toward the sprawling annexation plan in September, when council members announced they would seek to annex five areas now totaling 1,316 acres and 8,352 residents.

Officials said it was part of a larger strategy to round out the city’s boundaries, provide area residents with more representation and have greater control over development and redevelopment in those areas.

Voters living in the annexation areas are set to vote on the issue March 19. To be annexed into the city, voters in each of the five areas would need at least 50% of the vote plus one.

City staff members gave a presentation during last week’s meeting and answered questions about the annexation, mostly about code compliance, property tax bills and sewer systems.

The open-house-style meeting Feb. 13 was quieter than the last. Only about 30 people attended compared to the more than 100 people who packed City Hall at the last informational meeting in October 2023.

“We hope to give people an accurate assessment of what this annexation would mean for their quality of life,” said

Lori LaVerriere, deputy city manager. “Nothing dramatic is going to change. It’s going to be an improvement in the delivery of public services.”

Many think the city will enforce stricter rules surrounding what a homeowner is allowed to do with their property, LaVerriere said. City officials say they will honor the code that the residents currently live under now in Palm Beach County.

“It is not our intent to disrupt your way of life or the unique character in