On November 8, 2016, Palm Beach County voters approved a ballot initiative to levy a one-cent infrastructure sales surtax to pay for public infrastructure improvements.  It is projected that over the authorized 10-year period that the County would benefit from an estimated $2.69 billion in infrastructure investments, repairs, renovations, and improvements. Over the authorized 10-year period, the City of Riviera Beach would benefit from an estimated $23 million to be used for infrastructure investments, repairs, renovations and improvements. The City Council has identified the City Hall Complex as the sole surtax project.

The City Council wishes to create a Citizen’s Surtax Oversight Committee which will be charged with reviewing the adopted and supported surtax plan to ensure compliance with the intentions of the statute, as well as all applicable codes and ordinances. The Committee will consist of six regular members all appointed for a three-year term from their appointment date.

The Committee’s primary function is to review expenditures and determine if sales surtax funds are being spent appropriately for the approved project and provide an annual report to the City Council. Each sitting City councilmember and the Mayor shall each appoint one person to serve as a member of the Citizen’s Surtax Oversight Committee.  The preferred composition of the Committee should consist of business leaders two small/two large businesses, as well as residents, and  the preferred experience of the appointees should be in finance related industries, including but not limited to, banking/accounting/management/consulting, construction and/or infrastructure development. Each appointee must be a bona fide resident, business owner /operator or employee within the corporate municipal boundaries of the City of Riviera Beach.