Page 14 - Boca Exposure - November '24

Page 14, Boca Exposure
Mayor’s Update:

Count the Many More Reasons to Love Our Boca!

Scott Singer is the 35th Winter Events. As we approach the height of season, please The monthly Night Market at Sanborn Square will have a
Mayor of Boca Raton and check out signature events in Boca Raton. holiday twist on Dec. 12. Meet “Olaf” from Disney’s Frozen
was re-elected in 2023. A We will welcome in the holiday season on Saturday, Nov. between 6 and 8 p.m.
South Florida native, attorney 23 with our Holiday Tree Lightning at Mizner Park. For college football fans the 11th Annual Boca Raton
and small business owner, The holiday spirit will be on full display on Wednesday, Bowl game returns on Dec. 18. Kick-off is 5:30 p.m.
Scott and his wife Bella live Dec. 4 when the city’s 52nd Annual Holiday Parade will turn at FAU Stadium. Our city will again be showcased to
in Broken Sound with their Downtown Boca Raton into a “Winter Wonderland.” The parade a national TV audience on ESPN, but the best view is
two children. You may also will start at Federal Highway and S.E. 5th Street, and travel from inside the only college stadium with a view of the
want to stay in touch on social north to the Mizner Park Amphitheater. Atlantic Ocean.
media at @scottsingerusa. As The parade begins at 7:30 p.m. To prepare for the floats, Winter festivities will continue at Mizner Park with Cookie
always, please reach out by Federal Highway will be closed from Camino to Glades Road & Cocoa from 6-8 p.m. on Dec. 20 and Let it Snow, snow
email to ssinger@myboca.us from about 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. cones from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Dec 28.
with any thoughts or requests. Honored to serve you! Music fans can enjoy the Holiday Pops Concert featuring For more information on city events please check out
As we transition into the height of season, we have much The Symphonia and FAU chorus conducted by Jacomo Bairos the cSity’s website, myboca.us, or like my Facebook page
good news to report and many events to highlight. at 7 p.m. on Dec. 7 at Mizner Park Amphitheater. at facebook.com/scottsingerusa.
Low Taxes in Boca Raton, Again. As in every year since I
was first elected in 2014, Boca Raton’s tax rate has not increased.
Indeed, this year we had another small decrease–to 3.67 mils. True Treasures
It is a testament to our strong planning, careful investment and
outstanding city staff that we are able to maintain world-class Consigned Furniture
city services and keep the tax rate the lowest of any full-service
city in Palm Beach County, and about 60% less than such larger & Home Décor
cities as Miami.
Please remember that there are at least seven other taxing
jurisdictions on your tax bill, and only 20% of your property taxes TrueTreasuresInc.com
are paid to the City of Boca Raton. We’ll keep doing our part to
balance low taxes, great services and strong property values. Why pay retail when you can find a True Treasure?
Traffic and Mobility Improvements. The city has continued
to improve traffic signals through greater monitoring and
technology. Without a tax increase we have also invested millions
in road resurfacing and median landscaping and beautification. Now Accepting
The city has worked with state and local agencies to improve Consignments
connectivity for public transportation, bike paths and more.
The city recently held its “Vision Zero” kick-off meeting
where residents received an overview of the Action Plan being Over $1,000,000
developed to achieve safe streets.
In October 2022 the City Council passed a resolution to paid to consignors
designate Boca Raton as a “Vision Zero City,” an aspirational in 2023.
policy that traffic-related crashes should never result in a severe
injury or loss of life.
After passing the resolution Boca Raton was awarded 10% OFF the ticketed
a $300,000 grant in February 2023 and a $4 million grant price
earlier this year–two of the largest grants of this type. The city (Expires 11/30/2024)
continues to champion safe, multimodal transportation options so
pedestrians and bicyclists can also enjoy our expanded offerings.
Public Safety News and Gratitude. Boca residents 3 Convenient Locations
enjoy one of the safest communities anywhere. Boca Raton’s 111 N US 1, 3918 Northlake Blvd, 14555 S Military Trail,
crime rate remains at levels among the lowest in 40 years and North Palm Beach, FL 33408 Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33403 Delray Beach, FL 33484
continues to show a consistent downward trend. Our paramedic- 561-625-9569 561-694-2812 561-699-9797
firefighters’ success in reviving heart attack victims on scene is
several times better than the national average, and we continue Store Hours Mon - Sat 10 - 6, Sun 11 - 5 (Sun 12 - 5 at US 1 location only)
to enjoy the best in public safety services.
In the wake of the recent “swatting” incident at Town
Center, which turned out to be a false alarm, we have many
reasons to be grateful. We are grateful that the scary situation
we feared did not actually happen. As always, we are so
grateful for the swift action by our first responders: Boca
Police, Boca Fire, many other law enforcement partners, and
employees who helped the situation.
Swatting is a prank call to emergency services in efforts to
dispatch a large number of police officers to a particular area.
Swatting diverts community resources and quickly spreads fear.
Often, these calls come from a “spoof” number that doesn’t
originate locally.
Swatting incidents are designed to create panic and chaos.
These types of false alarms are not exclusive to Boca Raton.
Cities across the nation have faced similar false scares. As
unfortunate as “swatting” is, our police department takes these
threats seriously and will respond and investigate.
Because these situations are fluid we may have to realize
that rumors will fly in the first moments while law enforcement
responds to an incident. Minutes may drag on but we’d all
benefit by trying to remain calm until reports can be confirmed.
Very often, early reports and unconfirmed information, including
on social media, turn out to be wrong.
It’s impossible to get perfect information instantly, especially
when dozens of calls to 911 are being logged and investigated.
It takes some time, so a bit of patience may go a long way. This
incident has already provided lessons for more tools and ways
to get the facts out there. It also starts with what we each share.
For the most up-to-date and official information follow Boca
Raton Police Services on Facebook and Twitter. Residents can
also sign up for police emergency alerts by texting AlertBoca
(no space) to 38276 or visiting the city’s website.
Boca Raton remains a safe and vibrant place. Each possible
event shows how ready we are for potential challenges, and
our first responders deserve the praise they received for their
preparedness. We prepare for the worst but, thankfully, we
haven’t experienced it. May we never.