Good Afternoon Valued Chamber Member,
Congratulations to Ty Penserga, who won his election for Boynton Beach Mayor, and Angela Cruz, who won her election for District I Commissioner. Business Leaders United Political Action Committee (BLU-PAC) endorsed Ty and Angela in their races and look forward to working with them over the next three years ensuring job growth and economic prosperity in Boynton Beach.
Marit Hedeen, also endorsed by BLU-PAC and running for the Boynton Beach City Commission District III seat, will now move to a runoff election on March 22nd, as none of the candidate’s obtained the required 50% + 1 votes to secure the victory. Polls will open for this runoff election from 7:00 am – 7:00 pm. Voters can cast their ballot by mail or at their assigned polling location. Additionally, voters can pick up a ballot in-person at one of the office locations on March 21st until 5:00 p.m. Vote-by-mail ballots must be received by March 22nd at 7:00 p.m. to be counted. To check your registration status, verify polling location, and request a vote-by-mail ballot, click here.
Yesterday marked the end of the 2022 Legislative Session with the approval of a state budget of $112 Billion, the largest in the State’s history. The budget includes $43 billion in general revenue, $37 billion in federal cash and $3.5 billion from pandemic relief funds. Job creators saw legislators invest significant long-term funding in Florida’s continued economic momentum and preparation for the nearly 4 million additional residents expected by 2023. A top priority of the Boca Chamber was extending the necessary COVID-19 protections for healthcare providers through June 2023. Originally passed in 2021, the extension of these protections means healthcare workers on the front lines of the pandemic can continue caring for Floridians without fear of facing frivolous litigation. Another priority was extending the statutory authority of the Florida Tourism Marketing Association, also known as VISIT FLORIDA. This allows VISIT FLORIDA to continue its important mission of driving tourism’s economic impact in Florida. Tourism is a key driver of Florida’s $1.23 trillion economy, and the mission of VISIT FLORIDA is even more important as our state continues its economic momentum out of the pandemic.
In addition to the passage of Healthcare COVID-19 Liability Protection and VISIT FLORDIA funding, below are a few additional highlights of the Boca Chamber legislative priorities that we advocated for and were passed this session:
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Continued Investment in Diversifying Florida’s Economy: Full funding of VISIT FLORIDA, Enterprise Florida and Space Florida continues Florida’s economic momentum to becoming a top 10 global economy by 2030.
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Significant Long-Term Infrastructure Funding: Investment in the infrastructure necessary to meet the needs of current and future Floridians with another $10B+ for the FDOT’s five-year workplan, approximately $362M for attainable workforce housing, and record funding for water quality, resiliency, and environmental restoration efforts.
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Local Business Protection Act: Protects local businesses from burdensome and overreaching local government regulations by allowing local businesses to recoup damages if a regulation results in a significant loss of business profitability.
Additionally, the Florida Legislature has agreed to suspend the state's gas tax, but not until October when fewer tourists are coming to the state. The measure will save drivers about $0.27 for every gallon of fuel purchased by using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to compensate for about $200 million in lost revenue. Florida is the first state to announce the suspension of its gas tax this year. Click here to find the lowest gas prices from Sebastian to Boca Raton.
Whole Foods Market will be coming to Boynton Beach. The company has signed a new lease at what will be the newest retail development called “Boynton Beach Marketplace,” a 69,204 square-foot shopping center currently under construction. Boynton Beach Marketplace will be located at 7499 West Boynton Beach Boulevard and is expected to include sit-down restaurants, fast-casual eateries, and a boutique fitness operation.
Looking for a quick way to find an event, register for an event, and receive pop-up notifications of important Chamber, County, City of Boca Raton, and City of Boynton Beach information? Download the Boca Chamber App – found on the App Store and Google Play Store. Keep your Chamber at the tip of your fingers! You can also stay up to date on all Chamber activities by visiting us at bocachamber.com.
Below is a list of our upcoming in-person and virtual experiences:
3/15 – 3:00 p.m. Combined Government Affairs/Economic Development Committee Meeting – Virtual
3/16 – 8:30 a.m. In-Person South Healthcare Advocacy Network (SHAN)
3/16 – 8:30 a.m. In-Person Trustee Breakfast
3/17 – 8:00 a.m. In-Person Coffee Plus
Three amazing events occurred this past week that are worthy of note and review in case you missed them: the 2021-22 Young Entrepreneurs Academy! (YEA!) Investor Panel Competition, the first-ever State of the County Address by County Mayor Robert Weinroth and our 10th Annual Community Cookout.
This past Wednesday evening, our YEA! Students took the stage and pitched their business concept to a panel of investors. The judges awarded these students financial support to help propel their business forward. Congratulations to this year’s finalists:
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Robyn Sverdlik, a 10th grader at Pine Crest School, with her company Recipe Bounce. Robyn’s business teaches anyone the skills they need to bake from scratch without leaving their home. Recipe Bounce will have a monthly subscription to receive baking supplies, video tutorials, and three recipes per month to your front door. With Recipe Bounce – “Delicious shouldn’t be difficult!”
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Charlotte Rowling, a 6th grader at Saint Andrew’s School, with her company Bridge Mate. Charlotte’s business is a device that determines whether a boat will fit under a bridge. The product attaches to the highest point of a boat and uses laser technology to determine clearance. With Bridge Mate – “Making bridges easy and breezy for boaters.”
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Nicholas Nau, a 10th grader at Atlantic High School, with his company Gravitate. Nicholas’s business creates hoverboards using magnet technology allowing for travel anywhere without the need for battery power. With Gravitate – “Let’s Hover.”
Among this list of finalists, Robyn Sverdlik will now move on to compete in the national YEA! competition
The next event was the State of the County Address - brought to us in partnership by the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University and held during our monthly membership breakfast. County Mayor and Boca Raton County Commission representative, Robert Weinroth, shared with a sold-out audience that the County continues to operate with a top AAA bond rating and a six-billion-dollar budget
after two years of the pandemic. One of the most impressive statistics he shared was that the County has not raised the millage rate over the last eleven years. Additionally, Mayor Weinroth shared the County’s Strategic Priorities, which include Workforce Housing, Infrastructure, Public Safety and Environmental Protection.
And lastly, our Annual Boca Chamber Community Cookout was held this past Saturday at the Peter Blum Family YMCA of Boca Raton with over 700 attendees. This day offered fun, food and games for the whole family. Chamber members and non-members alike joined in celebrating this amazing community where we live, work, learn and play. Thank you to our sponsors: Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, the YMCA, Puresurance, Mutual of Omaha Advisors, Allegiance Home Healthcare, SouthState Bank and The Boca Raton.
After 99 days, Major League Baseball owners and players have come to an agreement making way for Opening Day on April 7th. Players reported to Spring Training over the weekend, so you now have the opportunity to watch some baseball at one of our two Palm Beach County baseball stadiums: The Ball Park of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach or Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter. It’s wicked awesome to have baseball back - go Red Sox!
Ending today’s CEO message on a sweet note - Florida now has a new official state dessert. Governor DeSantis signed a bill into law this past week designating strawberry shortcake as the official state dessert. Florida’s strawberry farmers produce 75% of the winter strawberry crop in the United States. Strawberry shortcake will be recognized as the state's official dessert effective July 1St. For all you Key Lime lovers – no need to worry – Key Lime Pie will remain as the state's official pie.
Together, we continue to Move Business Forward in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and South Palm Beach County, making our region the best place to Live, Work, Learn and Play.
Moving Business Forward,
