PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Palm Beach County officials are bracing for what could be the largest budget cuts in the county’s history, as proposed property tax reductions threaten to eliminate nearly $400 million from county operations over the next two years.
County Administrator Joe Abruzzo announced during a budget meeting that if the property tax reduction passes, the county’s budget for 30 departments could drop from $609 million to approximately $210 million — a loss of more than 65% of current funding, according to the county’s property appraiser.
The Palm Beach County Fire Department alone stands to lose just under $200 million in funding under the proposed tax structure, Abruzzo said. The cuts would affect virtually every county service, including parks, libraries, roads and other essential operations…