Dear Friends,
With the November 3 General Election approaching, our democracy relies on dedicated and civic-minded residents to ensure that voting runs smoothly, accurately, and efficiently across Palm Beach County.
Running a countywide election is a massive logistical endeavor. To support our local democratic process, the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections must recruit, hire, and train more than 5,000 dedicated election workers to fully staff more than 800 precincts at almost 400 locations across our community. These individuals are the backbone of our voting system—managing Early Voting and Election Day precinct operations, verifying registered voters, operating voting equipment, and ensuring every vote is cast securely and efficiently.
If you are looking for a meaningful way to serve your community, I encourage you to consider stepping up to fill these vital positions as a paid election worker.
To learn more about requirements, job responsibilities, or how to submit an application, please visit the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections website at www.votepalmbeach.gov/. You can also verify your own voter registration or check polling locations on the Voter Dashboard at www.votepalmbeach.gov/169/Voter-Dashboard.
Thank you for your engagement and continued dedication to serving Palm Beach County.
Anne M. Gannon
Constitutional Tax Collector, Serving Palm Beach County
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I am pleased to welcome Ted Trujillo, our new Chief of Tax Services, to the TCO team.
Ted has more than 25 years of experience working in government at both the county and state levels. He most recently served as the Director of Motor Vehicles for the City & County of Denver, and previously as the Senior Deputy Director for the Colorado Department of Revenue.
In his role at the TCO, Ted will oversee the strategic direction of Tax Services, driving operational efficiency, regulatory compliance, and service excellence.
Tax Services comprises 45 employees who are divided into three teams: Batch Processing, Payment Processing, and Tourist Development Tax (TDT). These teams prepare tax notices, send bills, receive and process payments, handle client inquiries, and ensure that clients are following the guidelines for paying tourist development taxes.
“Working for a constitutional office, rather than for a county or state office, is a very unique way to approach the government,” said Ted. “I’m looking forward to learning how to maximize that flexibility and make it work for the public.”
Ted has a BA in Math from the University of Northern Colorado and an MBA in Finance & Accounting from Regis University. He was born and raised in Colorado, and he enjoys traveling, food, music, dancing, and golf.
So far, Ted is enjoying the calm of South Florida in the summertime, and he is looking forward to learning more about Palm Beach County.
“There is such a rich blend of cultures here, and I want to experience every bit of it,” said Ted.
Please welcome Ted to our organization and to Florida!
The Palm Beach County Tax Collector is committed to continuously improving the client’s experience. Based on direct feedback from property owners, we have redesigned our property tax bills to make them clearer, more informative, and easier to navigate.
What Changed?
- Previous Design: Tax bills displayed only the property’s legal description—often formatted as an abstract parcel number rather than a standard physical location.
- New Design: Bills now feature a prominent Situs Address / Legal Description box that highlights the property’s actual street address. “Situs” is a term used to identify the physical address or spot where land and buildings sit.
This update simplifies record-keeping and payment processing, making it easier for property owners, especially those managing multiple parcels—to verify each property instantly.
You will see this new design on your 2026 property tax bill that will be mailed by November 1.
Your voice drives our improvements. We encourage you to continue sharing your ideas and suggestions to help us better serve Palm Beach County.
Hosting a getaway in beautiful Palm Beach County? Whether you are running a cozy B&B, managing a boutique hotel, renting out a sunny vacation property, or home sharing, keeping up with local and state laws helps ensure everything runs smoothly for you and your guests.
When visiting our Tourist Development Tax (TDT) page, you will notice a new pop-up alert regarding third-party booking platforms. We want to make sure you are protected and fully informed. Many hosts assume platforms like Airbnb, Vrbo, or Evolve handle local tourist taxes automatically, but we do not contract with any third-party platforms to collect this tax on your behalf. If you provide one of these properties, and to help you avoid unexpected penalties or unpaid balances down the road, please remember that collecting and remitting the 6% TDT directly to us remains the responsibility of property owner(s) and agent(s).
For those unfamiliar with the Tourist Development Tax (TDT), often referred to as the “bed tax”—it is a 6% tax collected on short-term rentals of six months or less, in addition to Florida’s state sales tax. The TDT applies to the total overall rental income, including mandatory fees such as cleaning and pet charges.
To stay fully compliant as a host, you will need to:
- Register online to create a TDT account.
- Obtain a Short-Term Rental Local Business Tax Receipt.
- Display both registration numbers on your online listings.
- File your monthly return by the 1st of each month (due by the 20th), even if you had zero bookings that month.
These tax dollars go right back into making our community a great place to live and visit. Every dollar collected helps fund our pristine local beaches, vibrant arts and culture programs, world-class sports venues, and tourism efforts that keep Palm Beach County thriving.
For more information about setting up an account or just general information regarding Tourist Development Tax, visit pbctax.gov/taxes/tourist-development-tax/.
Fall in South Florida is very different from what many of us grew up with in more temperate areas of the country. As the weather finally starts to cool down, here are some fun facts about October that may remind you of the crisp fall air, changing leaves, and trick-or-treaters of your childhood.
Origins of October
In Latin, “octo” means eight—October’s place in the Roman calendar when March was the first month. It is now the tenth month in the Gregorian calendar.
Astronomy
The full moon closest to the autumn equinox—often occurring in October—is known as the Harvest Moon. It rises earlier than typical full moons, providing extra evening light for late harvests.
Presidents
More U.S. presidents were born in October than any other month – 6! Jimmy Carter, Rutherford B. Hayes, Chester A. Arthur, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Theodore Roosevelt, and John Adams.
Fall Weather
The average temperature in Palm Beach County during the month of October is a high of 84° and a low of 72°F – 74°F…hellooooo, autumn!
Lesser-Known Holidays in October
International Ship in a Bottle Day, held October 4, pays tribute to the founder of the Ship in a Bottle Association of America.
Sweetest Day, celebrated the third Saturday in October, originated in Cleveland as a day for philanthropy and kindness. According to the State Library of Ohio, the National Confectioners Association initially called it “Candy Day” in 1916.
Source: www.history.com
Important Dates & Holidays
| October 1 | Tourist Development Tax Due |
| October 12 | Columbus Day – Tax Collector Offices Closed |
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