Friends, Neighbors and Fellow Business Owners:
I’ve been a successful real estate developer, investor and Landlord for nearly 30 years in South Florida and frankly, I’ve never been more frustrated. My home is in Boca Raton and I own over a million square feet of commercial property in town. Boca is a great place to live and work, but unless something is done, and done quickly, we could all face serious consequences.

Over 30 percent of the office space in Boca Raton’s northwest corridor sits vacant while the City is experiencing a tax shortfall that threatens to raise property taxes and is reducing needed government services. Yes, the economy is a primary culprit, but we all need to make positive steps to avoid a potential downward spiral. I have attached two key articles; one illustrating the city’s fiscal woes and the other a story on the decline of California that shows what can happen here in Boca Raton if we all don’t pull together to improve our situation.

I have personally been involved in a number of initiatives to help reverse the downward trend. The most important of these is the Planned Mobility Land Use legislation proposed for our City. By adding workforce housing and service retail throughout the city, we create a sustainable ecosystem that will provide a draw to corporate relocations and bring high paying jobs to the area. This will provide much needed tax revenue and increase the value of our homes and our businesses

Boca Raton has its great natural attributes, fine residential communities, excellent public and private schools, three growing universities in the public spotlight, and a public park system that is the envy of all South Florida municipalities. The name Boca Raton still carries a positive image that can help to attract more business to the area. But now more than ever, we need a proactive approach to economic development. The first step is to pass Planned Mobility which will be discussed again at the Planning and Zoning Workshop at City Hall Thursday night at 6:30.  I urge you to join me in this effort and welcome your comments.

Key Articles to Read:
The Great California Exodus – Wall Street Journal, April 20, 2012. A leading demographer talks about what is driving the middle class out of the Golden State.

Boca Raton looking for ways to cover projected $5 million budget gap   Sun Sentinel, April 23, 2012
Mayor Susan Whelchel: “The bad news is that we have cut just about as much as we can cut and there’s basically nowhere else to go.”

Jamie Danburg: “We need to increase tax revenue. There are 2 choices. Increase property taxes or create an environment that attracts more business and tax revenue to our area. Take your pick.”