Palm Beach County

   STRUCTURE OF THE GOVERNMENT
                   OF PALM BEACH COUNTY

Palm Beach County operates under a charter
which was approved by the voters of the County
on November 6, 1984 and took effect
January 1, 1985.

The Charter allows Palm Beach County voters, through their elected officials, to have greater independence in determining how their government will function and what services it will provide without seeking the approval of the State Legislature.

Home rule gives the Board of County Commissioners the ability to create local laws, through a local public hearing ordinance procedure, that are not in conflict with or specifically prohibited by State general law or the State Constitution.

EXECUTIVE BRANCH
Palm Beach County operates under a County Manager form of Government.  The Manager is designated “County Administrator” and is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the Board of Commissioners.

The County Attorney and Internal Auditor are appointed by the Board of County Commissioners and are responsible to them.  Other County department heads are appointed by the County Administrator with advice and consent of the Board of County Commissioners and are responsible to the County Administrator.

The Office of Sheriff, Property Appraiser, Tax Collector, Clerk of the Circuit Court, Public Defender, State Attorney and Supervisor of Elections are selected on a partisan ballot for terms of 4 years.

FUNDING
The county derives its funds from property taxes, local-option sales taxes and motor fuel taxes, fees, licenses including occupational licenses, fines and forfeitures and state-shared revenues.  The county is limited by the Constitution to a maximum tax of 10 mills on real property.  (One mill is $1 on $1,000 of assessed value of real property.)  The county home rule law provides for dependent districts such as the Palm Beach County Library Special Taxing district, which are controlled by the county and fall under the county’s millage cap.

SPECIAL TAXING DISTRICTS
Independent special taxing districts created by the legislature have taxing powers with the millage limit stipulated by law.  In Palm Beach County these include, among others, the South Florida Water Management District, the Health Care District, the Children’s Services Council, the School District, the Florida Inland Navigation District and several drainage districts.

SCHOOL DISTRICT
In Florida each county is a school district.  It functions autonomously. Palm Beach County School Board is composed of 7 members, elected on a non-partisan ballot, serving staggered terms of 4 years.  Each Board member must reside in the district from which he/she is elected. In the March 2000 election, the voters approved the change of School Board to single-member districts. As of November 2000, Board members in districts 1, 3, and 7 were elected only by their district. Districts 2, 4, 5 and 6 are represented by At-Large School Board Members until Election 2002.

The School Superintendent is appointed by the School Board and serves at the pleasure of the Board.

MUNICIPALITIES
Municipalities are established by general law.  In Palm Beach County there are 37, some called cities, towns or villages.  Their Charters provide for the number of commissioners/Council members, whether or not the mayor is elected separately, the term of office and term limits, if any.  In most instances the municipalities have the city manager form of government.  They levy their own taxes.  West Palm Beach has a strong mayor form of government.

JUDICIAL BRANCH
Circuit Court
Palm Beach County is the 15^th Judicial Circuit of Florida.  Judges are elected for six-year terms.
County Court
These judges are elected for four-year terms.