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Located on the southeast coast of Florida (see map below), Palm Beach County stretches from the state’s Atlantic coast through the central rural region as well as the northern edge of the Everglades National Park.
The county’s coastline boasts a number of world-class golf courses (a total of 160 courses!), 47 miles of pristine, sandy beaches and water sports for every taste. The county is also home to more than 200 cultural and historical organizations.
Moreover, with a 2017 per capita income of around $33,600, Palm Beach County 1.32 million residents (the third-most populous county in Florida) enjoy the fourth highest income level in this affluent state. In addition, Palm Beach County is among the three other counties in South Florida that comprise the Miami metropolitan area with an estimated population of 6,158,824 people as of 2017.
Established in 1909, Palm Beach County was named for one of its oldest communities (Palm Beach of course) and its current boundaries were formally established in 1963. The county has 39 cities and towns which have experienced sustained growth throughout the 20th and early 21st centuries, and the region features hundreds of entertainment, recreational and cultural venues that attracted more than 2.36 million visitors, including more than 240,000 foreign visitors (mostly from Canada) in the first quarter of 2018 alone, representing a 2.5 percent increase over the previous year. In fact, more than 7.8 million tourists in 2017 contributed a record high of $4.7 billion in Palm Beach County.
Notwithstanding the enormous economic contribution that tourism makes, agriculture is still the most important economic driver in Palm Beach County, but the tourism sector continues to grow and help improve the county’s infrastructure even further, an important consideration given that Florida does not assess a personal income tax for these purposes. Palm Beach County does, however, assess property values which is one of the roles of the property appraiser as described below.
Elected in 2016, Ms. Dorothy Jacks, CFA, AAS has served more than 28 years in the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s office in various capacities including her previous position as Chief Deputy Property Appraiser. This long and distinguished career has been characterized by continuous improvements in the property appraiser’s office and operations, including the development of the award-winning Property Appraiser’s Public Access (PAPA) Web site.
In general, the main role of the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser is to determine the dollar value of property located in the county, including improved and vacant real property, tangible personal such as business equipment, machinery and fixtures and agricultural property. Another key role of the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser is maintaining timely information concerning all property ownership records and deed transfers within the county.
In addition and as noted above, the property appraiser maintains a sophisticated Web site that features advanced property search capabilities, instructions and forms concerning homestead exemptions, links to the office’s various departments (i.e., agricultural appraisal services, commercial appraisal services, community outreach, condominium appraisal services, exemption services [portability], ownership records management services, human resources, public services support, residential appraisal services, and tangible personal property appraisal services).
One of the more useful features of the “PAPA” Web site is the online links to all of the forms that consumers and companies need to transact business with the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s office, as well as helpful tips for navigating the numerous resources available on the site (it even provides a glossary of terms and other county government agency links).
In addition, the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s office also maintains a useful geographical information system Web site that features interactive maps and overlays that can help pinpoint precise addresses, local sites of interest and available infrastructure.
At present, the property appraiser’s primary initiatives include developing and maintaining a fair and equitable tax roll, improving the office’s efficiency, implementing innovative technologies and providing high quality customer service for all taxpayers in Palm Beach County.
Ms. Dorothy Jacks, Certified Florida Appraiser, Assessment Administration Specialist
2976 FL-15
Belle Glade, FL 33430
(561) 996-4890
pa-pubsvc@pbcgov.org.
8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays
In addition, the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser also maintains branch offices as follows:
14925 Cumberland Drive
Delray Beach, FL 33446
561.276.1250
3188 PGA Boulevard, 2nd Floor
Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
561.624.6521
200 Civic Center Way, Suite 200
Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411
561.784.1220
2976 State Road 15
Belle Glade, FL 33430
561.996.4890
With a professional appraisal career that spans nearly three decades, the residents and businesses of Palm Beach County are fortunate to have the services of Ms. Dorothy Jacks, CFA, AAS. The services of the property appraiser’s office are especially important for the county since the billions of dollars that the agricultural and tourism industries pour into the county’s coffers help support economic development and investment. It is reasonable to conclude that a significant amount of the economic growth that has taken place in Palm Beach County in recent years is directly attributable to the accurate and timely appraisals records maintained by the county appraiser’s office.