Local government services assist us in many ways, from garbage pickup, to traffic management, to responding to emergencies such as hurricanes and recently, a pandemic.

Palm Beach County has operated under a voter-approved home rule charter since 1984. This gives the Board of County Commissioners the ability to create local laws through the public hearing ordinance procedure, without having to go to the Florida Legislature. It established a county manager form of government with separation of legislative (Commission) and executive (County Administrator) functions. The Board of County Commissioners sets policies that are executed by the County Administrator. State law expressly prohibits commissioners from interfering with the performance of the duties of any employee under the supervision of the County Administrator.

Many of you have asked me what the duties are of county government and the county commissioners. Below are some of our duties and a more complete list can be found in Florida Statutes, Chapter 125:

• Adopt rules of procedure and elect officers
• Prosecute and defend legal causes on behalf of the County
• Provide and maintain county buildings
• Provide fire protection, hospitals, ambulance service, and health and welfare programs
• Provide parks, preserves, playgrounds, recreation areas, libraries, museums, historical commissions, and recreational and cultural facilities and programs
• Prepare and enforce comprehensive plans for the development of the county
• Enforce zoning and business regulations as necessary for the protection of the public
• Enforce housing and related technical codes and regulations
• Establish and administer programs for housing, slum clearance, community redevelopment, conservation, flood and beach erosion control, air pollution control, navigation and drainage programs in cooperation with governmental agencies and private enterprises
• Provide and regulate waste and sewage collection and disposal, water and alternate water supplies, and reclaimed water programs
• Provide and operate air, water, rail and bus terminals, port facilities, and public transportation systems
• Provide and regulate arterial, toll, and other roads, bridges, tunnels, eliminate grade crossings, regulate the placement of signs, lights and other structures within the right-of-way limits of the county road system
• License and regulate vehicles for hire
• Establish and enforce regulations for the sale of alcoholic beverages in the unincorporated areas
• Use ad valorem tax revenues to purchase any or all interests in land for the protection of natural floodplains, marshes or estuaries for use as wildlife management areas, to restore altered ecosystems, or preserve significant archaeological or historic sites
• Place questions on the ballot at any primary, general or special election

Again, this is just a brief overview of some of the primary responsibilities of your County Commissioners, in addition to looking into individual matters within our purview that personally affect our residents.

It is an honor to serve you and please contact me with your ideas and let me know how I can assist you. You can reach me at (561) 355-2201 or by email at mmarino@pbcgov.org.