By Tina Billias

October 15, 2009 11:12 AM | Link to this

…o when will there be the charge to breathe?I moved away from my beloved Lake Worth because of all the crowding,traffic,etc. Ah1 Life in the country,people are pleasant,no fighting at boatramps…the fee is ridiculously high.

By Ina

July 29, 2009 10:47 AM | Link to this

No matter. There are just a handful of parking spots at the ramp that we use. So is there going to be a Sheriffs Officer there to stop all the fights over one or two empty spots. Someone is going to get hurt and the person at the Kiosk is not the one that is going to help. We already had our tires slashed on our vehicle and trailer for no reason. How about charging the poor kid that plays baseball. Or the swimmer who jumps off the dock while you are launching your boat. Or the people that have birthday parties! There has to be a better way. I know drop the whole idea about charging boaters. WE PAY ENOUGH.

By Ina

July 29, 2009 10:42 AM | Link to this

No matter. There are just a handful of parking spots at the ramp that we use. So is there going to be a Sheriffs Officer there to stop all the fights over one or two empty spots. Someone is going to get hurt and the person at the Kiosk is not the one that is going to help. We already had our tires slashed on our vehicle and trailer for no reason. How about charging the poor kid that plays baseball. Or the swimmer who jumps off the dock while you are launching your boat. Or the people that have birthday parties! There has to be a better way. I know drop the whole idea about charging boaters. WE PAY ENOUGH.

By Ina

July 14, 2009 12:06 PM | Link to this

And what happens if you pay your fee and there is no place to park. Tickets are given if you park on the grass at our boat ramp. We live a few blocks from the ramp and we launch our boat and take the trailer back to our house. Will we be charged for launching our boat if we do not park it there. Fees are enough at this time. Tags etc. They need another way to get money not from the boaters.

By arnold

July 7, 2009 9:40 AM | Link to this

because the commisioners do not want to do there job and cut things it is the easy way out to charge for parking, that is why i left pbc i was born there lived there for 59 yrs they are fat and lazy if you do not make the money you need you cut your bills they do not they keep on spending

By kris

July 7, 2009 7:08 AM | Link to this

also there should be a sun pass type entry for the purchasers of an annual pass to keep us out of the long a$$ weekend warrior lines

By Kris

July 7, 2009 7:03 AM | Link to this

If we pay for boat parking spots we better have a spot to park if we pay. Also anglers will become very frustrated when waiting in a line trying to go fish early morning all in all its gunna agrivate boaters and not benefit at all

By nemo

July 7, 2009 3:10 AM | Link to this

I hope everyone who responds in this article remembers their anger at election time. The best way to state your frustration is to vote all these people out. All incumbant members of the PBCC should be voted out. This is not govt. by and for the people. Rather, it is govt. against the people. Vote the bums out…it is the only legal way to beat them.

By Biggie

July 6, 2009 7:52 PM | Link to this

Sammie; as they say in gov’t a billion here a billion there and pretty soon your talking about real money. To Sq either you believe in these or not. My problem with it is they are targeting a small group to subsidize their screwed up management of the county there is no equity in these fees. Again these fees are NOT going to be collected TO ENHANCE OR SUPPORT THE BOATING EXPERIENCE AND NO OFFICIAL IS CLAIMING THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE FOR. They are to subsidize the general budget.

By CRW

July 6, 2009 7:41 PM | Link to this

Everyone wants public services and recreational facilities, but no one wants to pay. With a shrinking tax base, what do you really expect?

By Butch Watts

July 6, 2009 4:56 PM | Link to this

I agree with Janet. I can just see everyone fighting for a parking space that they have already paid for. It’s always crowded anyway’ We pay enough for trailer tags, boat registrations and fishing lisense’s. Most boat ramps have park facilitys that people will not have to pay for anyway. Maybe just charge for the use of a BBQ grill?

By sq

July 6, 2009 2:55 PM | Link to this

Enuf fees already! But if you must, I’d rather see a $50 annual fee as opposed to a $10 fee everytime you launch. We don’t always make a “day” of it. Many times we just want to get out on the water for an hour or so, and that $10 fee would add up enormously throughout the year. With the high cost of fuel, registration, and maintenance, eventually we’ll be “fee-d” right out of the water! And that’s why we live in Florida. It seems to be getting more and more difficult to see that water every year.

By Sammy

July 6, 2009 2:45 PM | Link to this

I have never been accused of being a commissioner before. lol They would not have me. I still say throw the bums out. And fire the county Mgr. I just don’t have a big problem with paying $75 a year for a permit. It is nice not to but it is not going to make me stop anything to pay for it I don’t think. It is small potatoes compaired to property tax. Force the state, county and cities to do something in favor of us citizens. Then we can all afford $75 a year for our favorite sport while saving $1,000s Again, throw the bums out!!!

By Biggie

July 6, 2009 11:28 AM | Link to this

As pointed out in another post boaters have already paid for these facilities through other taxes/registrations/fees ect. Everything in those parks has been paid for by taxpayers already and the maintenance is already in the budget. These fees are not represented to enhance or add more maintenance/enforcement/services to these parks and no official is claiming they will. These fees are just going into the general budget to offset deficits created elswhere. You dont see picnic fees, baseball fees, basketball fees, tennis fees, swimming fees, ect ect ect. Its just govt coming after agroup they figure will pay it. My prediction; if we could get a true accounting of this after it is rammed through it will not make money, especially it they could put a price on the ill will it creates! Sammy are you sure your not a commisioner in disguise?

By Mr. Martin

July 6, 2009 9:46 AM | Link to this

For now, Martin County is your friend. Just up the road a bit. Gas is cheaper too. I think sammy is really a PBC commissioner. The new BOAT TAX won’t generate revenue because of the staff salaries and benefits. Not to mention kiosk vandalism. Drop the idea, morons

By What u Smoking

July 6, 2009 9:15 AM | Link to this

Sammy…what are you talking about?

Cost to the county of supporting boaters?

The water is a national amenity..the ocean…..for the county to charge boaters to just get to the water when they were the ones that allegedly corruptly restricted access by crazy development is typical of Govt against the people, which we have here in PBC now.

So if you are rich and can afford a dock space or waterfront home…ok but if you trailer your own boat to save money the county will gouge you again to enter a ramp that is usually in a county park anyway.

And the jack-a cops sit there and write people tickets all day long as they load and pick up there boats.

Some quality of life has to be free…access to nature is one of those things

By Sammy

July 6, 2009 8:31 AM | Link to this

I am a boater and I use the boat ramps here in Palm Beach County. I also use the boat ramps in Broward, Dade and other cities in the area. While I think Palm Beach County Gov. should be making cuts instead of new taxes on the population as an answer to the slow down, I think a fee for the boat ramps and parking is fair to the the population. Only boaters get any use out of the boat ramps not the general public. As for resgistration fees, that helps to pay for police on the water ways and other needed services. I like the $75 fee for a year. I also like the condition of the boat ramps in Palm Beach County and most of the other counties and cities in south FL. Kiosks work in Broward and other places. I disagree it would be any more of a pain than the crowd is in its self. I would pay the $75 a year and still go to Lake Park and pay when it is over crowded because it is worth it. This is all reasonable in light of the huge boating population in south FL and the cost of supporting us. Tell your county commissioners to balance the rest of the budget with out taxing us any further and reduce property taxes so people can afford to buy more expensive houses, making it affordable to invest in property for residents and snow bird home owners to live, invest and work in south FL.

By Crackre

July 6, 2009 8:24 AM | Link to this

I think this may call for a class action law suit.All county facilities should have a user fee if they insitute fee for saltwater ramps only.Don’t forget this come election time!

By Crackre

July 6, 2009 8:23 AM | Link to this

I think this may call for a class action law suit.All county facilities should have a user fee if they insitute fee for saltwater ramps only.Don’t forget this come election time!

By Political Junkie

July 6, 2009 8:17 AM | Link to this

I guess the County forgets that a portion of the tax on every gallon of boat fuel is supposed to be used for ramos and water access. Boaters don’t use the road and don’t pay road taxes. They already paid for the use of the ramps.

By Janet

July 6, 2009 8:12 AM | Link to this

I am wondering how long it will take before people end up in jail, when there is one spot at the ramp and 2 people are fighting over it and they both hold year passes. How do you answer that one. You know the county will sell unlimited yearly passes and that will turn into a catastrophe. Palm beach will be the one losing out at that point.

By JT

July 6, 2009 7:45 AM | Link to this

Evidently county commissioners are trying to nickel and dime the residents of PBC to death, and then will act surprised when they wind up losing money when the boaters head to a different county to enjoy the ocean. I’m glad I moved north to Martin when I did, and wouldn’t dream of moving back.

By apathy at the polls

July 6, 2009 7:44 AM | Link to this

Will the voting public forget this boat ramp tax and every other increase the commissioners are instituting come the elections in 2010 and 2012?

Talk to your neighbors, fellow employees, friends and discuss the increases in taxing at the local level, the state level and the mountain of debt we will be taxed on at the federal level.

Tell them to vote out the Taxers and the spenders.

Don’t re-elect them.

Mayor Lois Frankel has sunk the city of WPB into high debt.

County commissioner Jeff Koons, the millionaire, is planning on running for the mayorship of WPB…since Jeffy is gung-ho on increasing ramp fees and other tax increases…just imagine the fun he will have spending the residents of WPB money if he is elected.

Only 10% of the eligible WPB voters came out to vote in the last mayorial race! 10%- that apathy is why Frankel got re-elected.

Don’t elect TaxocRATS.

Vote them out of office. Pull the lever for anyone other than a democrat.

If you sit home and don’t vote then stop complaining and pay your tax bills, your increased fees and licenses.

By hotsweatyfedupinFLORIDAH

July 6, 2009 6:48 AM | Link to this

Since S.FLORIDA has become such a rotten and corrupt place to live it doesn’t surprise me they want to impose a fee. Everywhere else in Florida it’s fun,Tampa,st pete,melbourne,jacksonville.This is the county of NO. Everything is fee’s,Code fee’s,Permit fee’s,Code compliance fee’s.This place truly sux. Is it any wonder eveyone is fleeing???

By stubum

July 6, 2009 6:30 AM | Link to this

the only thing that makes sense in this article is them lowing the annual fee to $50. and for you other idiots….phil foster has deputies on duty during the day already.

By NATIVE

July 6, 2009 3:50 AM | Link to this

*By SOUTHERN YANKEE Jul 5, 2009 10:27 PM | Link to this They just don’t get the message. They must have decided this during their trip to Marco. Remember their arrogance when you vote. GEEZ!!! *

By Boats

July 6, 2009 12:05 AM | Link to this

KISS, Keep It Simple Stupid. But they wont, cause none of the Commissioners have a clue. Kiosks work great in Broward. WTF, have PBSO checking parking validation? I bet Bradshaw loves that idea !!! If the county is going to charge, how about some law enforcement for to cool down the drunken hot heads with no courtesy, or patience that use the ramps every weekend !!

By SOUTHERN YANKEE

July 5, 2009 10:27 PM | Link to this

They just don’t get the message. They must have decided this during their trip to Marco. Remember their arrogance when you vote. GEEZ!!!

By chip

July 5, 2009 9:28 PM | Link to this

why limit to salt water, why not fresh water as well? If they are going to bend us over might as well be everyone.