St. Andrews, which borders Boca Raton, features 700-plus homes with a median listing of $4.8 million. Annexation could raise the property tax base by $1.3 billion in Boca Raton.
The City of Boca Raton has its sights set on St. Andrews Country Club, a high-end golf-course community of 700-plus homes that could add $1.3 billion to the city’s tax base while simultaneously removing that amount from the county.
“Annexation into the city of Boca Raton would provide St. Andrews residents with expanded services, financial savings, and enhanced quality-of-life amenities available exclusively to City residents,” city officials said in a letter addressed to the country club.
The club, which borders Boca Raton, is in an unincorporated area west of Jog Road and north of Clint Moore Road, meaning it falls under county jurisdiction. Its residents pay property taxes to the county.
Under Florida law, municipalities that border developments can annex them but the process is complicated. Public hearings would have to be held, and St. Andrews’ residents would have to vote to approve the annexation plan, which has yet to be formally presented.
By annexing St. Andrews, Boca Raton would collect the lucrative taxes paid to the county, but then it would also have to provide it with police and fire protection as well as other municipal services.
County Commissioner Maria Sachs disclosed the effort by Boca Raton to annex St. Andrews at a county commission meeting Tuesday, Nov. 18. She criticized Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer for not discussing the plan with the county.
“I take great umbrage over the way this was done,” Sachs said. “We are all supposed to be on the same team. I found out about this from St. Andrews. That is not how it should work.”
Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer said the process is still in the preliminary stages and said the community would benefit from a tax savings if it were to be incorporated within the city’s parameters.
“We had a preliminary conversation with a group of residents about the tax savings and outstanding services they could enjoy if they desired to pursue annexation,” Singer said. “We will see if they would like to explore this opportunity and as things develop, would be happy to talk with the county — who did not reach out before the comments this week.”
How much do homes cost at St. Andrews Country Club?
Sachs said city officials have already met with St. Andrews’ board members to discuss the possibility of annexing the community. She reported that county officials have also met with St. Andrews to explain what the process would entail.
Representatives from St. Andrews did not respond to The Palm Beach Post for comment on the issue.
St. Andrews is a premier country club that has been consistently ranked among the best in the nation, finishing as high as 15th by “Platinum Clubs of America.” Custom-built homes are situated on a 720-acre parcel that includes 70 acres of lakes and two, high-end 18-hole golf courses. Its buy-in fee will be raised to $500,000 on Jan. 1, making it one of the highest buy-in fees in the country. That fee is paid by new owners when they buy a home.
As of Nov. 21, there were 12 homes listed for sale, with the median listing $4.8 million.
The letter the city sent to St. Andrews makes it clear that the city very much wants the club to become part of Boca Raton. The letter rolled out a list of reasons in its sales pitch:
Its residents would pay about 2% less in property taxes at the city rate compared to the current county rate.Emergency response times would improve under the city’s fire-rescue department.The city’s police department has more officers per 1,000 residents than does the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, which patrols unincorporated areas in the county.Government meetings would be held just a few miles away rather than where the county meets in West Palm Beach, a 45-minute ride from St. Andrews.
County officials are expected to respond in detail to the city’s letter, according to Sachs, adding: “We want everything to be fully transparent. If they decide to be annexed, that’s fine, but we want them to be fully informed.”
Palm Beach Post Staff Reporter Jasmine Fernandez contributed to this report.
Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government. You can reach him at mdiamond@pbpost.com. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today.
