WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Palm Beach County commissioners voted Tuesday to direct staff to draft a moratorium ordinance on new large-scale artificial intelligence data centers and to impose an immediate zoning freeze on new applications, one week before the board is scheduled to vote on the Project Tango data center in the western communities.
The two motions, brought forward under matters by the public by Mayor Sara Baxter, do not stop or slow Project Tango, which will come before commissioners on July 15 under existing rules. But they would pause any additional hyperscale AI data center applications while staff drafts new land-use and design regulations, and county attorneys said the direction takes effect immediately under a legal doctrine known as zoning in progress.
"We are saying we are putting regulations where they should be located, how much water consumption, how much energy consumption, for any future ones," Baxter said, framing the moratorium as forward-looking rather than a vote against Project Tango. She said her office had received "hundreds of emails and feedback requesting a moratorium."
Baxter's memo cited concerns about energy and water consumption, infrastructure and utility costs, environmental and public health impacts, and compatibility with surrounding communities. She said she would recuse herself from next week's Project Tango vote because of prior public comments opposing the project, adding that a non-vote from her seat still counts as a no vote.
County Attorney's Office staff told commissioners the first motion directs staff to prepare a moratorium ordinance that would go through the Zoning Commission and back to the board, and the second motion imposes a zoning-in-progress halt that prevents staff from accepting new data center applications beginning that day. Under state law, the moratorium ordinance cannot legally extend beyond one year. Staff estimated the underlying regulations could return within about six months.
Commissioner Maria Sachs, whose district includes the western communities where Project Tango is proposed, argued the timing was unfair to the applicant and to future applicants and said she would have supported the idea had it come a year ago.
"What I'm saying is that we are affecting business. We are affecting a type of business that is going to come before us in a week," Sachs said. "I think it is disingenuous. I don't think it is fair."
Commissioner Bobby Powell said he shared concerns about the timing but supported the underlying policy.
"I think this is a well-intentioned memorandum," Powell said. "My only concern is the timing of it since we know we've got this major vote next week."
The board approved the first motion directing staff to prepare the ordinance and, on a separate motion, imposed the zoning-in-progress freeze on new applications by a 5-2 vote, with Sachs and Commissioner Joel Flores in dissent, according to the roll call announced by Vice Mayor Maria Marino.
Assistant County Attorney David Behar told commissioners that Senate Bill 484, adopted this year, gives Palm Beach County express authority to regulate large-load electricity customers through its comprehensive plan and land development regulations. That authority, staff said, is the legal basis for both the moratorium and the future regulations. Senate Bill 180, which prohibits some local moratoriums, does not apply because this action is not tied to hurricane-related rebuilding, Behar said.
The board is scheduled to take up the Project Tango data center on July 15.
Property tax amendment discussion dominates morning
Palm Beach County Property Appraiser Dorothy Jacks presented commissioners with modeling of what a proposed November constitutional amendment eliminating homestead property taxes would mean for county and municipal budgets. The amendment, referred to the ballot by the Legislature during a recent special session, would exempt homesteaded property owners from most non-school property taxes and, staff said, could impose a nearly $700 billion statewide fiscal impact.
Jacks said her office plans to launch a parcel-level calculator on the property appraiser's website in September so taxpayers can see the projected impact on their bill and on the taxing authorities they support.
Countywide, unincorporated Palm Beach County would see an estimated 69% drop in ad valorem revenue if the amendment passes, according to Commissioner Michael Weiss, who cited the property appraiser's figures. Municipal impacts he cited included Boynton Beach at nearly 30%, Greenacres at 41%, Lake Worth Beach at 59%, Pahokee at 33%, and Westlake at 37% and 41% depending on scenario.
"There's going to be significant impacts to the level of services going to be delivered and where it is going to get delivered," Weiss said, adding that some smaller municipalities could "cease to exist" and dissolve into the county, transferring both assets and pension liabilities.
Commissioner Powell and Baxter clashed on the merits. Baxter said the amendment was on the ballot because "people are struggling to stay in their homesteaded properties." Powell and Flores said commercial property owners, small businesses and renters would likely absorb increased millage or non-ad valorem assessments if the county tried to backfill lost revenue.
Sachs and Powell each said they were not taking a position, and Sachs said the ballot language had not yet been finally approved by the courts and might require rewriting by the attorney general. The board voted 7-0 to receive and file the presentation.
Millage rate held at 4.5 mills for FY27
Commissioners voted 6-1 to submit not-to-exceed millage rates for the Fiscal Year 2027 budget to the property appraiser, with Baxter dissenting because she wanted a lower cap.
Under the proposed rates, the countywide millage remains at 4.5 mills, the library district at 0.5491 mills, and the Fire-Rescue MSTU at 3.4581 mills, all unchanged from FY26. The Jupiter Fire-Rescue MSTU rate goes to zero because operations transition to the Town of Jupiter effective Oct. 1, 2026. The rolled-back countywide rate would be 4.2678 mills, and going to the rolled-back rate would require cutting roughly $86 million from the balanced budget presented Tuesday, according to Sherry Brandon, county budget director.
Deputy County Administrator Verdenia Baker told commissioners the sheriff had agreed to reduce his originally proposed budget by roughly $20 million after negotiations with County Administrator Robert Abruzzo. Even with that reduction, the sheriff's budget is up about $84 million, or 7.8%, over FY26, while total Board of County Commissioners department budgets are down about 2%, staff said.
The two required public budget hearings are scheduled for Sept. 3 and Sept. 15 at 5:05 p.m. in the Robert Weisman Governmental Center commission chambers.
$124 million capital plan reshaped ahead of November vote
Facilities Director Jennifer Hafford, joined by staff from Engineering, Environmental Resources Management and Parks and Recreation, walked commissioners through the FY 2027 – FY 2031 Capital Improvement Program, a five-year plan totaling roughly $3.3 billion, and asked for direction on how to handle major projects with funding gaps in light of the November ballot uncertainty.
Staff-recommended actions on the largest projects presented include:
- Robert Weisman Governmental Center: total estimated cost $254 million, funding gap $150 million — defer, with a return to the board in November for a scope decision.
- Airport Center Three: total estimated cost $149 million, funding gap $140 million — proceed with planning and design only.
- New Medical Examiner's Office: total estimated cost $47.3 million, funding gap $32 million — advance, because the current facility is at end of life and staff said the county risks losing accreditation.
- New Emergency Operations Center: preliminary total estimated cost $232 million, funding gap $199 million — proceed with design only.
- South County Complex: total estimated cost $231 million, funding gap $217 million — defer.
Commissioners took no formal action on the CIP presentation but were told the board will need to make funding-strategy decisions in November after the property tax amendment vote. Administrator Abruzzo told commissioners the county's meeting with bond agencies this Thursday could indicate whether the ballot initiative alone affects the county's bond ratings.
Housing bond loans totaling $47 million move to underwriting
Commissioners voted to conceptually approve roughly $46.9 million in Housing Bond Loan Program and related awards for affordable and workforce rental developments and directed staff to transmit the approved proposals to the county's third-party underwriter.
Approved workforce housing awards under agenda item 6F-7 include $500,000 for Village at Delray (192 units, 48 county-assisted) and $12.87 million for Lake Worth West Apartments (181 units, 154 county-assisted). Approved affordable housing awards under 6F-8 include $7.9 million for Aero Village and $12.5 million for Broadway Apartments. Under agenda item 6F-9, which reprogrammed additional funds after a successful protest, commissioners added $9.75 million for Washington Park Estates, $4.99 million for Pinnacle on Sixth, $6.3 million for Pine Bay Landings, $13.4 million for Grace Church and $12.5 million for Mount Calvary.
Several developers agreed at the dais to extend affordability periods from 50 years to 99 years to secure approval, including City View and Great Blue Residences, which commissioners added on a friendly amendment along with $500,000 in additional Great Blue funding.
Roughly $25.6 million remains available under the housing bond program for future awards, staff told commissioners.
Glideways withdraws autonomous transit proposal
An unsolicited proposal from Glydways for a 5.3-mile elevated autonomous transit line between Palm Beach International Airport, downtown West Palm Beach and the Palm Beach County Convention Center was withdrawn at the dais by the company's authorized representative after commissioners raised extensive concerns.
Staff estimated a Phase 0 feasibility study on the proposal would cost the county between $700,000 and $1 million. Total capital cost was estimated at $550 million to $650 million, with per-mile construction costs of $100 million to $125 million.
Marino, Powell and Vice Mayor Woodward said the timing and unanswered questions made the study inappropriate now. Glydways said it would bring the proposal back later this year.
Other actions
Commissioners also:
- Approved a three-year interlocal agreement with Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties for the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact, with Palm Beach County's annual contribution reduced to $95,000.
- Approved a $1.99 million contract with Rosso Site Development for Air Cargo Access Improvements at Palm Beach International Airport and Amendment No. 1 to a Garver LLC engineering agreement in the amount of $3.67 million tied to a Federal Aviation Administration grant of at least $22.9 million for Runway 10L/28R rehabilitation.
- Directed staff to negotiate a five-acre land exchange with The King's Academy at Sansbury Way District Park and to coordinate seasonal overflow parking with the South Florida Fair.
- Adopted a resolution refunding the Series 2016 Public Improvement Revenue Refunding Bonds for an estimated $9.3 million net-present-value savings.
- Ratified the appointment of Diane Andre as director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Darren Davis as director of Strategic Planning.
- Proclaimed July 14 as Tammy Fields Day, honoring the deputy county administrator, who will retire Aug. 7 after 37 years with the county.
The board adjourned at 8:18 p.m. after roughly 12 hours in session. The next regular meeting is Wednesday, July 15, when the Project Tango data center application is on the agenda.
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