You now can call him, Judge Barnett

Barnett served as the elected Chairman of the Republican Party of Palm Beach County from December 2014 until he resigned in April 2023 to focus on his governmental role.

You can now call one former Palm Beach County Commissioner "Your Honor"

Governor Ron DeSantis this week appointed Mike Barnett to the Palm Beach County Court, following a nomination from the Judicial Nominating Commission.

This follows a previous DeSantis appointment of Barnett to the County Commission to fill a seat vacated by Dave Kerner, who left in 2022 to lead the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Barnett, an attorney with the Shiner Law Group up until his judicial appointment, ran unsuccessfully for a full-term on the County Commission last year.

In a statement, he says he is "deeply honored and humbled" by the appointment and looks forward to "upholding the highest standards of integrity, impartiality, and faithfulness to the law."

Barnett has also been appointed by the governor to the Board of Trustees for Palm Beach State College. [By Joel Malkin]

Commissioner Barnett addresses high condo insurance premiums

County Commissioner Barnett Wants Special Session Over Condo Crisis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Laura Hanley
Commissioner Michael A. Barnett’s Office
Palm Beach County Commission District 3
561-601-7712
lhanley@pbc.gov

GREENACRES, FL – Commissioner Mike Barnett recently addressed the condominium special assessment crisis at the Board of County Commissioners meeting. Palm Beach County residents, many of whom are seniors living on fixed incomes and struggling with skyrocketing property insurance premiums, may now wind up losing their homes.

“I have spoken at length with our distressed district residents, local legislators, and attorneys in the field, who say condominium owners’ only recourse may be to reverse mortgage their properties to pay the 5-6 figure assessments, which they cannot afford, or to sell their properties.
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This is unacceptable, these are people who have worked their entire lives and saved to live in paradise. Some may have to move in with their adult children; others may end up in shelters or on the streets. Our seniors deserve better than this”, said Barnett.

“Our residents need help. They need more time, and the clock is ticking towards the January 1st deadline when the SB 4-D condominium assessment legislation takes effect. I am calling on Tallahassee to reform this law. The Florida Legislature must immediately convene a special session to find a resolution and avert what could become a major disaster for the residents of District 3 and Palm Beach County.”

I live in District 2 and Commissioner Gregg K. Weiss is our commissioner. Hopefully, all county commissioners are fighting for us.

Palm Beach County Tax Cut but not Lake Worth

A message from Michael Barnett, your county commissioner

Largest Tax Cut in 30 Years from Palm Beach County

Tonight, the City of Lake Worth will vote on the millage rate, Resolution 22-2023--With the inclusion of the County Fire MSTU millage 3.4581, the maximum available Operating Millage cannot exceed 8.9526 mills. This year continues a trend that began in the last five (5) years with an increase in the taxable value of real and personal property of approximately 15.11%. This rate will result in an increase in the actual tax revenues collected.

But the County and Michael Barnett have great news to share… this past Tuesday, the Board of County Commissioners passed the largest property tax reduction in thirty years! By a unanimous vote, your County Commission agreed it was time to give residents some relief by lowering the proposed maximum millage rate from 4.715 to 4.500. We said NO to the status quo and put taxpayers first by returning your money to your family’s pocket. This constitutes millions of dollars in savings!

"You will pay less in ad valorem taxes this year, even if your property’s value has increased. Rest assured; we will not put our high standard of county services at risk. Palm Beach County has enjoyed an increase in revenues due to the addition of new properties, an increase in property values, and the investment income produced due to our Clerk of Circuit Court/Comptroller. Moreover, the influx of new residents and businesses has generated additional revenues that have further enabled your County Commission to return the excess to you, the taxpayers. Again, it’s your money," says Commissioner Barnett.

County Public Hearings: Public Hearings on the proposed millage rate will take place on Thursday, September 7 & Tuesday, September 26, 2023, at 5:05 p.m. in Chambers on the sixth floor of the Robert Weisman Governmental Center at 301 Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33401.

City of Lake Worth Hearings: the first public hearing date for the annual operating budget on September 14, 2023 at 6:00 PM at Lake Worth Beach City Hall and the second public hearing for September 28, 2023

Letter from County Commissioner, Michael Barnett

Hi Lynn - I’m Michael Barnett, and I’m running to retain my position as Palm Beach County Commissioner in District 3. I got your contact information from the Supervisor of Elections, and I wanted to reach out to fellow Republican voters and introduce myself.

In January, I was appointed by Governor DeSantis to the Board of County Commissioners. With this opportunity, I believe we can make a significant difference in our community.

My focus is on fighting for what matters most:
• Eliminating poverty by expanding workforce housing and economic development opportunities;
• Providing help to those suffering from homelessness, drug addiction, and mental health issues;
• Reducing the tax burden on small businesses and families;
• Finding solutions to traffic congestion; and
• Always supporting first responders to keep our neighborhoods safe.

As an attorney, I firmly believe in fairness and justice. I will continue to be your strong, solutions-oriented voice to make sure our district receives the attention it needs to thrive.

But I can't achieve these goals alone. I want to earn your trust and support because together, we can make a significant impact. If you're ready to join Team Barnett, simply respond to this email with a short message saying, "I'm in!" or you can visit my campaign website at votemikebarnett.com

The election is not until November 2024, but I am excited about the journey ahead.

I’ll continue to keep you updated about our campaign, and I look forward to meeting you in person very soon!

Sincerely,

Michael Barnett
Conservative for County Commission District 3

GOP Chair Resigns to concentrate on his Palm Beach County Commission seat

Palm Beach County GOP chair Michael Barnett resigns

will seek commission seat

Barnett is a known Trump ally who was appointed to the county commission by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Barnett announced his resignation from the two-year term as party chair on Monday evening. Barnett was re-elected in December to the post he has held since 2014. But at roughly the same time, he was appointed to fill the commission vacancy created when Gov. Ron DeSantis tapped Commissioner Dave Kerner to lead the state Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

“It's not something that I was even really thinking was possible, but the governor was gracious enough to make this appointment,” Barnett said of DeSantis' decision to name him to fill Kerner's seat. “So when you're faced with a different set of facts, you have to make different decisions.”

The Palm Beach Post

Republican field emerges

Republican Primary field emerges to represent Palm Beach County House district

Two, first-time Republican candidates competing for the right to face a freshman Democratic lawmaker.

Real estate business owner Brandon Cabrera is officially running to represent an inland Palm Beach County district in the Legislature.

Cabrera, a Republican and owner of Brand X Company, will compete in the GOP Primary against Chris Mitchell, a Republican whose LinkedIn profile shows he is a vice president and Norcom Mortgage branch manager. The winner would take on the incumbent, Democratic Rep. Katherine Waldron.

Cabrera, who serves on a number of community boards, highlighted his endorsement from County Commissioner Michael Barnett, who is also the Palm Beach County GOP Chair.

The Governor named Barnett to the Palm Beach County Commission to fill the unexpired term of Dave Kerner. DeSantis appointed Kerner to become the Executive Director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles for DeSantis’ second term.

Read more...

Palm Beach County has a new commissioner

New Palm Beach County commissioner Michael Barnett sworn in, replaces Dave Kerner

Gov. Ron DeSantis appointment creates Republican majority

Michael Barnett, the chair of the Republican executive committee of Palm Beach County, was sworn in during Tuesday's commission meeting.

Barnett takes over as the commissioner of District 3 after he was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis following the departure of Dave Kerner.

Kerner is set to become the next head of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. This is a perfect position for Dave Kerner, a former policeman and a man who has a law degree.

Chair of Republican Party of Palm Beach County now on Board of County Commissioners

Breaking News

Florida’s Voice @FLVoiceNews

BREAKING: The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners flips red after DeSantis appoints Michael Barnett

Barnett will fill a vacancy left by Dave Kerner, who DeSantis nominated to serve as Executive Director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety.

Read about it...

Congratulations to Michael Barnett and to Dave Kerner.

President Trump Endorses Michael Barnett for Re-Election as Republican Party Chair

President Trump Endorses Michael Barnett for Reelection as PBC Republican Party Chair

And why wouldn't he? Michael Barnett did a great job in Palm Beach County.

The meeting will be held on December 14 at the Hilton in West Palm Beach. Only members of the Republican Executive Committee will be allowed in.

"When various factions are trying to out-ULTRA MAGA each other in an attempt to unseat the current Chair of the Republican Executive Committee of Palm Beach County, having the biggest MAGA of all, President Trump, endorse the chair has to be a bummer." [FloridaJolt]

Supporters of Wayne Posner, Candace Rojas, and two guys no one ever heard of have been waging a savage battle against Mike Barnett, the current chairman.

We are seeing this with a half dozen or so going against Kevin McCarthy as Speaker.

Trump's endorsement letter for Barnett

PB County Republican Party Chair speaks of obstacles endured in Blue County

Dear Fellow Republicans,

As the battle to secure every legal vote rages across the country, I wanted to take the time to say bravo to our committee members, volunteers, candidates, office workers, and donors! You made our victory in Palm Beach County and in Florida happen for President Trump. Palm Beach County undoubtedly has the most dedicated and selfless Republican/Trumplican activists in the country.

This past election was brutal for all of us, and we have endured much:

• Sign wavers at Trump Corner and in Wellington have been threatened and harassed;
• Headquarters staff have received multiple threatening phone calls and letters with feces;
• Our office computer system was subject to a harmful cyber-attack;
• Early voting volunteers were violently assaulted and suffered injury;
• We were pestered by election site supervisors constantly changing the markers and had the police called on us without cause;
• Almost all of our candidates had their signs stolen and vandalized;
• Our local volunteers have even been slandered by Democrats and their media allies...

Yet in spite of all this and more, we prevailed! Be assured that President Trump knows of our effort and sacrifice, which resulted in the largest Republican turnout by numbers (334,642) and percentage (43.22%) in recent Palm Beach County history. Thank you!

Michael A. Barnett, Chairman

Palm Beach Election Trivia

Biden won in the Mail-In votes, not just in Palm Beach County but was dominate across the country. Our turn-out in Palm Beach County was substantial in early voting and on election day.

As there are only 293,211 registered voters in Palm Beach County, we picked up some NPA's and a few from other parties. All but 7,484 registered Democrats voted assuming all those registered Democrats voted for Biden.

Michael Barnett, Chairman of the Palm Beach County Republican Party said, "Palm Beach County Republicans did very well Tuesday night. We improved over 2016 by a full two percentage points, 51,000 more votes, adding to President Trump's state-wide numbers and pushing him over the top. We did our job in Palm Beach County!"

 

Republican Party of Palm Beach County upset at Scaramucci

Big headlines on the front page of the Palm Beach Post:

County GOP disinvites Scaramucci for calling Trump tweets "racist"

We know that the Post loves to print anything negative or anything that might put the president and Republicans in a bad light. I must admit, I was surprised that the local party Chair of the Republican Party, Michael Barnett, uninvited Anthony Scaramucci to its fundraiser.  Republicans have always stood up for free speech as disgusting and deplorable as it is at times especially lately from the Mad Squad.

Scaramucci said, "Would @realDonaldTrump ever tell a white immigrant, whether 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th generation to "go back to your country? No. That's why the comments were racist and unacceptable."

I happen to disagree with Scaramucci that the President's words were "racist." However, President Trump did light this flame at his rally in North Carolina and now wants us to accept his explanation that he struggled with the crowd chanting "'Send Her Back'  The crowd was fired up. Why would the Republican Party not be honest here? As Todd Starnes said, “Send Her Back” Chant – It’s a Political Rally, Not a Church Service"

The irony is that the local Palm Beach County Republican Party rescinded Scaramucci's invitation as keynote speaker to their biggest Fundraiser of the year for giving an opinion, an opinion right or wrong, but invited Mark Foley, a gay congressman who was forced to resign from Congress for sexual advances and messages to young males who worked for him as Pages. Which is more egregious? An honest opinion or an actual dirty deed?

PBC GOP Chair Michael Barnett elected as Vice Chair of Republican Party of Florida

Just  reported from the Republican Party of Florida’s quarterly meeting in Orlando this past weekend. PBC GOP Chairman Michael Barnett was just elected to be the next RPOF Vice Chairman in a crushing victory over his opponent for the position.

Mike received a whopping 201 of the 221 votes cast in the race and will serve as the second in command of the state party for the next two years. Congratulations to our Chairman on his stunning victory in Orlando.