Page 26 - Boca ViewPointe - April '25

Page 26, Viewpointe April 2025
Tax Talk

Dear Friends: Joe tells us that his approach to tackling challenges or If you missed us at the Jubilee, visit us at these
The arrival of April problems is “taking the time to come together to understand upcoming community events: Palm Beach Pride, March
means that the 2024 the issue and make sure everyone is on the same page.” 29 and 30 at Bryant Park in Downtown Lake Worth
property tax season is a He emphasizes that computer security and improving staff Beach and the Black Gold Jubilee, April 12 at Torrey
done deal, so hopefully experience are among his department’s top priorities. Island Campground in Belle Glade. 
everyone paid their When the topic of artificial intelligence arose, Joe had
taxes before the March this to say, “AI can’t replace what our people do, but can
31 deadline. In addition, accelerate our processes” noting that “the benefits outweigh
before the onslaught of the the potential consequences with the proper policies and
summer heat, we have a managed approach.”
flurry of community events With 13 years at the TCO and extensive experience,
around this time that we Joe was asked what career he would choose if he had
look forward to participating in each year – one of which not chosen IT, and he quickly answered, “an automotive
was the Jupiter Jubilee, which you will read more about mechanic.” Joe, we are glad that you chose IT and we
in this issue. value the integral part you and your team play for our
This time of year also means our staff is embarking organization’s success.
on our annual Journey to Good Health program that
provides them with an opportunity to learn more about TCO In The Community
their individual health profile. We then help them, through
one-on-one sessions with a licensed nutritionist, to set T he Town of
personal health goals to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Jupiter is celebrating
Over the years, a good number of our employees, who its 100th birthday
have participated in the program have achieved amazing this year and our
results. And the program is designed to reward those organization took
employees who meet standards for good health or who part in the Centennial
make progress toward their goals. I am very proud that we Celebration by
are able to offer this program to our employees and that participating in the
we are committed to promoting good healthy lifestyles. Jupiter Jubilee. This
In closing, I want to take this time to wish you a Happy event is Jupiter’s biggest hometown celebration and
Easter and Happy Passover as you celebrate with friends the Town’s official birthday party! It was a great day of
and family. celebrating with our neighbors in the North County. TCO
Anne M. Gannon, employees were on hand to answer questions about TCO
Constitutional Tax Collector, services and distribute informational materials.
Serving Palm Beach County Thank you to our staff for volunteering their time to share
their expertise with attendees. We all look forward to this
To Our Citizens … event to provide outreach to our North County residents.

Publishing our
organization’s annual report is Florida Law For Pedestrians And
a huge undertaking each year.
Data for the report is gathered Bicyclists
from many of our departments
in order to accurately and fully
detail our performance during By Martin Zevin, Attorney the road. For example, while you have the right of way as
the previous fiscal year. As If you are a pedestrian or a pedestrian on a marked crosswalk, you must yield the
you can imagine, this can be a bicyclist and you are injured right of way to all vehicles if you are not using a marked
tedious when working with by a car, there is important crosswalk. If there is a sidewalk on the street, you have to
use it. If there is no sidewalk, you have to walk on the road
information you need to
dollar amounts in the billions and servicing numbers know. If you own a car, your facing traffic. If you are a bicyclist, however, you need to be
in the hundreds of thousands. My team did a fantastic car insurance PIP (no fault) going in the direction of traffic, in a bike lane if available.
job pulling this together and I am pleased to present our coverage will be your primary Even if you are disobeying the rules of the road, you may
“Report to Our Citizens” for fiscal year 2023-24. medical insurance for hospital still be successful in getting at least some settlement for your
This year’s report has been thoughtfully designed to and doctor bills. Just as you pain and suffering, over and above the medical bills. Florida
present the data and information in an organized fashion would do if you were injured has the law of comparative negligence. If a jury were to
to highlight the efforts and initiatives undertaken by my driving your car, you should decide the case, your total damages would be reduced by the
contact your car insurance immediately to report the percentage that you were found to be at fault. For example,
office. Among our areas of focus this past fiscal year accident and get a claim number for your PIP coverage. if the jury finds that your total damages are $100,000, but
were improving communication, continuing to enhance You should also obtain the driver exchange information you were 70% at fault, then you would still receive a net
our online service, and expanding the convenience and to get the information on the driver of the vehicle that hit verdict of $30,000.
availability of the vehicle registration renewal kiosks you, including their insurance company. Any injury claim If you are at all injured, it is important that you allow
throughout the county. that you have will first be against that driver’s bodily injury an ambulance to take you to an emergency room for
There is a great deal of valuable information in this liability coverage. If you do not own a car, the driver’s PIP immediate treatment. This is very important, not only to
16-page report and I encourage you to review it by will be primary for your medical bills. be sure that you are okay but also to preserve your rights
Since Florida does not require bodily injury liability under Florida’s PIP laws.

visiting www.pbctax.gov/annual-report where you can coverage, it is possible that the driver will only have the For more information, you should be sure to consult with a
also request a copy be mailed to you. basic PIP, which will not help you. Therefore, it is very personal injury attorney as soon as possible after the accident.
important that you also have uninsured motorist coverage Please feel free to call me for a free personal or phone
Faces Of The TCO: Joe Sverak for your vehicle so that you can still obtain a settlement for consultation regarding any issues pertaining to personal
your injuries. I recommend at least $100,000 per person for injury claims or car insurance coverage. I am also
Title: Chief Information Officer uninsured motorist coverage. If you have more than one available for free consultation regarding Wills, Trusts,
Hometown: Plantation, Florida vehicle, I recommend stacking. Please see other articles Estates and Probate. Call me at 954-569-4878. My address
is 3275 W. Hillsboro Blvd., Suite 204, Deerfield Beach,
that I have written for further details.
Favorite Activity: Four-wheeling It is possible that the other insurance company may find Florida 33442. My web site is www.martinzevinpa.com
Favorite Food: Steak and Potatoes you at least partially at fault if you disobeyed the rules of and my e-mail address is martinzevin@netzero.com.
Favorite Movie: Star Wars

Whether you transact Paid Advertisement
with us in person, by mail
or online, you are interacting B’H
with systems that have been Sabra Wall Decor
put in place by our dedicated
Information Technology (IT)
team, a department that often EstimatEs
goes unnoticed. Joe Sverak,
Chief Information Officer,
oversees our IT department of 16 team members who Painting & More ...
manage and safeguard the stability of our equipment and
technology, which includes everything from computers
and software to the servers that keep everything afloat. • Popcorn Ceiling • Wallpaper Removal
They are part of the fabric that binds the organization
together. When asked about the role that he and his team • Knock Down
play at the tax collector’s office (TCO) he said, “There is • Drywall Repair
more to IT than just computers; there are a lot of moving
parts behind the scenes, which means there are often Cell: (954) 931-4716 Licensed & Insured
several ways to do something, and I give my team the Office: (561) 395-3057 CC: 03-11120-P-K
latitude to explore those options.”