Briny Breezes

I'm forever talking about the cost of public safety but little Briny Breezes has no hope at all as public safety costs are very high in comparison to its ad-valorem revenues. It is a little town of 488 manufactured homes along State Road A1A. Those who reside and own their mobile homes consist mostly of "Snowbirds" from the Northeast, Midwest, and Canada. Briny breezes is one of two mobile home parks in Florida that are incorporated--those living there take care of all their own expenses and have interlocal agreements for some services.

Yesterday it published its budget which is 2.5% more than last year.
$345,000--advalorem taxes
$540,725--public safety
     $210,825--policing
     $329,900--fire control

This town has nothing left over to fix potholes. 

Back in 2010, Briny Breezes had voted to pay Ocean Ridge $185,000 a year for policing on a three year contract. The police mainly check for unlocked doors or illegal parking for the beach. It receives only $900 a year from fines. It just renewed its contract in June that will go into effect on October 1. The cost will increase 1.5 percent per year plus any rise in the consumer price index.

Briny Breezes is now considering a high tech camera network that will photograph the license plates of those driving on A1A, a deterrent for the bad guys. Criminals move from town to town and this technology will be able to instantly read license plates. Those numbers will be compared to numbers in databases of stolen cars as well as owners who have any outstanding warrants. The town, like all the rest in Palm Beach County when it comes to public safety, has to figure out how to pay for it all.