Graphic: Jupiter Tide
By Jupiter Tide Staff
Update, Nov. 4: Both bonds passed. Parks 66.17% yes, library 63.57% yes (unofficial, PBC SOE).
JUPITER — Besides Amendment 3, voters in Jupiter, Tequesta, Juno Beach and Palm Beach Gardens will find two Palm Beach County bond questions on their Nov. 3 ballots: one for parks and one for libraries.
County commissioners voted in June to put both questions on the ballot, according to the county's parks and library websites. Each needs a simple majority to pass. Here is what each would do, based on the county's own descriptions.
Parks bond: up to $280 million
The parks question asks whether the county should issue up to $280 million in general obligation bonds, maturing in up to 20 years and repaid from property taxes, to modernize aging parks, recreation facilities and botanical gardens, expand sports complexes, increase public beach access and trail connections, and develop new regional parks.
Every Palm Beach County voter will see it. If it passes, the county estimates a parks debt line on property tax bills of about $5 per $100,000 of taxable value, starting no earlier than fiscal year 2030.
Projects on the county's bond list for its north county district (Commission District 1) include:
Splash pad and pool improvements at the North County Aquatic Center
An interpretive center at Riverbend Park/Loxahatchee River Battlefield Park
Phase III improvements at Bert Winters Park
A new beach park at the Karen Marcus Ocean Park Preserve
Modernizing the sports complex at Jupiter Farms Park
Shared school-and-public recreation improvements at Watson B. Duncan Middle School
Renovating Peanut Island's historic area so it can reopen to the public
The county says new parks would be designed with community input once funded, and sports complex upgrades would include input from park users.
Library bond: up to $175 million
The library question asks whether the county should issue up to $175 million in general obligation bonds, maturing in up to 20 years, to build, expand, renovate and equip county library facilities.
Only voters in the Palm Beach County Library District will see it. The district includes Jupiter, Tequesta, Juno Beach, Jupiter Inlet Colony and Palm Beach Gardens, along with unincorporated areas such as Jupiter Farms, according to the library system. If it passes, the county estimates a library debt line of about $6 per $100,000 of taxable value, starting no earlier than fiscal year 2030.
The library system's renovation timeline lists the Tequesta Branch in Phase 2, the Gardens Branch in Phase 3 and the Jupiter Branch in Phase 7, with a target of two branch renovations per year. The plan also includes replacing the Main Library on Summit Boulevard. The library system estimated in February that construction for the full expansion program would cost $326 million.
These county bond questions are separate from Amendment 3, the statewide property tax measure, and voters will decide each one on its own. For more on Amendment 3, see our coverage of the Jupiter Town Council's vote: https://tjs-newsletter-11d25e.beehiiv.com/p/jupiter-council-opposes-amendment-3
Where to vote early
Early voting runs daily through Sunday, Nov. 1, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections. Registered Palm Beach County voters can use any early voting site in the county. Sites in and near Jupiter, according to the elections office's appointment portal:
Jupiter Community Center, 200 Military Trail, Jupiter
West Jupiter Recreation & Community Center Complex, 6401 W. Indiantown Road, Jupiter
FAU Jupiter Campus, 5353 Parkside Drive, Jupiter
Tequesta Council Chambers, 345 Tequesta Drive, Tequesta
Gardens Branch Library, 11303 Campus Drive, Palm Beach Gardens
Voters can book an optional 15-minute appointment slot through the elections office. Bring ID with your photo and signature; voters without ID can still vote, but on a provisional ballot.
Mail ballots
Mail ballots can be dropped off at any early voting site during voting hours, at secure ballot intake stations, or at elections offices. They must arrive by 7 p.m. on Election Day at the main office, 4301 Cherry Road in West Palm Beach, or by 5 p.m. at branch offices. Mail ballots cannot be dropped off at Election Day polling places.
On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3, polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Check your assigned polling place at votepalmbeach.gov.
Sources
Jupiter Tide is a local news site covering Jupiter, Tequesta and Palm Beach Gardens: town news, public safety, schools, business and things to do. Follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram (@JupiterTideNews), and sign up for our free weekly newsletter, delivered every Thursday morning: https://tjs-newsletter-11d25e.beehiiv.com/subscribe