December 2021, Vol. 15, Issue 12

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Dear Friends:

It goes without saying that 2021 was another challenging year as we continued to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.  With the availability of vaccines and more and more people getting vaccinated, we are hopefully seeing the results as fewer cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are reported.  I am hopeful that 2022 will continue this trend and COVID-19 will not be the driving force of how we live our lives.  Through it all, my focus has been and will remain the health and safety of my employees and our clients.

As we round out 2021, I want to wish you a very happy and healthy holiday season and hope this year, you are able to enjoy the season with family and friends.

Sincerely,

Anne M. Gannon
Constitutional Tax Collector, Serving Palm Beach County

During the upcoming holiday season, we know that our clients are busy. Special recipes to prepare and gifts to shop for, there’s so much to do before the end of the year. Clients can still save time and money by paying their property taxes early.  A 3% discount is available if you pay your property tax by December 31.  The discount offer decreases by 1% each month, before expiring February 28, 2022. All property tax payments must be received by March 31st to avoid delinquency.

Pay online quickly and securely at pbctax.com by eCheck, credit or debit card. eCheck, or electronic check, is a free service allowing you to pay directly from your bank account, using your bank’s routing number and your check or savings account number, so have those handy before you log on. If using a credit or debit card, we accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. A 2.4% processing fee will be collected by the card processing vendor, and not retained by our office. For online payments, bank processing times average between 1-3 business days, depending on your financial institution. For details about these payment methods, and other options, such as wire transfers, visit pbctax.com/payment-options.

SEE PALM BEACH COUNTY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

With kids out of school and family visiting, now is the perfect time to get out enjoy the Florida “winter” and visit one of Palm Beach County’s many outdoor recreational spots.

Looking for the perfect beach? With 47 miles of coastline, you’ll find the beach that is right for you! Did you know Palm Beach County has the third-largest barrier reef system in the world? Take a snorkeling or diving trip at Phil Foster Park, Peanut Island or Coral Cove Park and be on the lookout for sea turtles and tropical fish!

How about animal encounters on land? With visits to Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach and Gumbo Limbo in Boca Raton you can learn more about the sea life that calls Palm Beach County home. To see Florida’s state marine mammal, take a trip to Manatee Lagoon in Rivera Beach which features hands-on exhibits and an observation deck to spot manatees. Don’t want to get out of your car, then Loxahatchee’s Lion Country Safari, Florida’s only drive-through safari park allows you to see lions, giraffes, rhinos and more without ever leaving your car.

Our outdoor parks and recreation sites aren’t the only place you’ll find trees. Visit the only 35-foot-tall, 700-ton holiday sand tree, Sandi at the Waterfront in Downtown West Palm Beach! Ever seen a 100- foot Christmas tree? Just take a trip to Delray Beach to see one of Palm Beach County’s largest holiday displays that has been illuminating downtown for the past 27 years.

OUR CHARITABLE GIVING

‘Tis the season for giving and helping others. Every two years our agency selects two local non-profit organizations to support through our Community Involvement Partner program. This program is driven by employees and all items donated and funds raised generously come from them. Currently, we have partnered with Making Every Day Count and Living Hungry.

Our dedication to serving others sometimes goes beyond national borders. Back in early August Haiti was struck by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake; days later it was battered by Tropical Storm Grace. After hearing the news our team was eager to help. We are proud that our team raised $1,685 to help those impacted by these events. This money was given to the nonprofit Hope for Haiti to aid in the relief and restoration efforts for the people of Haiti.

Employees hold fundraising activities throughout the year, with the most recent being a Pumpkin Decorating Contest. The proceeds of the contest went to our charitable partner, Making Every Day Count who are committed to raising funds so Palm Beach County Family and Delinquency Drug Courts can give youth and families affected by addiction a second chance.

Stay tuned, in the coming weeks employees will be participating in a sock drive to donate to our community partner Living Hungry to ensure that homeless children have access to clean socks. Living Hungry works to eliminate food insecurity experienced by local homeless school children.