Four MSTU districts fail to gain majorities

Published June 27th, 2008

By John Johnston
Managing Editor

Palm Beach County commissioners have removed 14 road improvement projects from further consideration in the Municipal Services Taxing Unit (MSTU).

An MSTU is a funding mechanism for community members to create, through approval of the Board of County Commissioners, a special taxing district to make road or other community improvements.

MSTU capital projects may include, but are not limited to:

• Drainage improvements
• Sidewalk construction
• Road improvements
• Landscape beautification
• Decorative lighting

The funding is created through a mileage rate set by the MSTU's enabling ordinance.

Commissioners said that the following projects have failed to gain property owner approval in four MSTU districts, as follows:

• District 1/MSTU District A:  removal of the Len Drive project. There are 26 property owners on Len Drive.  Commissioners said five (19 percent) voted yes as still interested in the project; eight (31 percent) voted no, and thirteen (50 percent) did not respond.  “Therefore the criteria of having 51 percent of the property owners in favor of the project was not achieved,” said commissioners.

• District 6/MSTU District C: removal of El Paso Drive, east of Blanchette Trail and the Pancho Way Street projects from further consideration. There are 13 property owners on El Paso Drive, east of Blanchette Trail and Pancho Way, zero (0 percent) voted yes as still interested; five (38 percent) voted no; eight (62 percent) did not reply.

• District 5/MSTU District D: removal of the Old Pumphouse Street project. The project consists of the following roads: 116 Avenue South from the end north to Old Pumphouse Road; 120 Avenue South, 200 Street, and 118 Trail from the end northeast to Old Pumphouse Road; and Diamond House Lane, 120 Avenue South, and Old Pumphouse Road northeast to Coral Ridge Drive. There are 22 property owners in the project area; one (5 percent) voted yes; twelve (55 percent) voted no; nine (41 percent) property owners did not respond.