COVID-19 Testing Site in Margate on July 25th

To better serve the residents of the City of Margate and the community at-large, the City of Margate is partnering with Lab 24 to host a free, drive-up COVID-19 testing site on Saturday, July 25th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1000 N. State Road 7 (Margate Boulevard and State Road 7).

To ensure minimal contact, those being tested must remain in their cars. There is no symptom criteria or age requirement for testing. Individuals are asked to bring a valid ID.

COVID-19 Testing Site Details:

There is no out-of-pocket cost for testing. Please bring health insurance card, if applicable. For those who are uninsured, on Medicare/Medicaid, the testing is provided at no charge under The Cares Act.
Please wear a face covering and stay in your car at all times.
A nasal swab test will be administered by a medical professional while individuals remain in their vehicles.
Lab24 will handle processing test samples and communicating results to those tested and the Department of Health. Results will be provided in approximately 5 days.
For more information and to follow-up with Lab24, please call (800) 641-0133.
While individuals who are tested are awaiting results, please follow CDC guidelines and take steps to help prevent the virus from spreading to people in your home and community.

City of Margate Receives GFOA’S Distinguished Budget Presentation Award

The Government Finance Officers Association is pleased to announce that the City of Margate, Florida, has received GFOA's Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its budget.

The award represents a significant achievement by the entity. It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, the entity had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity's budget serves as:

a policy document
a financial plan
an operations guide
a communications device

Budget documents must be rated "proficient" in all four categories, and in the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award.

When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted to an entity, a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual(s) or department designated as being primarily responsible for having achieved the award. This has been presented to Kelly Schwartz, Assistant Finance Director, Decia Smith-Burke, Budget Manager.

“The Finance Department is honored to receive this recognition, but we did not do this alone,” said Finance Director Mary Beazley. “In addition to my staff, every City department played an important role in putting this document together. This is an award for the entire City and it definitely showcases the great working relationships we have throughout the City.”

There are over 1,600 participants in the Budget Awards Program. The most recent Budget Award recipients, along with their corresponding budget documents, are posted quarterly on GFOA's website. Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America.

Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) advances excellence in government finance by providing best practices, professional development, resources and practical research for more than 20,500 members and the communities they serve.

Complete your Census Form Today, Please.

It's not too late to complete your census form! Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States Census Bureau has extended the self-response deadline for 2020 US Census. Although residents still have time to complete the census, the City of Margate urges you to complete the form as soon as possible.

There are three easy ways to complete the form:

• Online: If you did not complete the Census prior to April 1, you probably received a paper form in the mail, but you can still do it online. Go to my2020census.gov

• By phone: If you prefer to complete the census by phone, call (844) 330-2020 today! There are 13 languages available to complete the census by phone. Call today!

• By Mail: If you haven’t completed your 2020 Census, you've probably received a second form. If you've misplaced your census form, you can call to request a hard copy form mailed to you in over 59 languages.

It's easy, safe and it's confidential to respond to the census. Help Margate reach a response rate of 100%. Everyone counts in Margate! Complete your form today!

Temporary Conversion to Free Chlorine Notice

To maintain high water quality in the City’s water distribution system, the City of Margate Water Treatment Plant will change its treatment process temporarily to increase the level of free chlorine disinfection from July 28th through August 18, 2020. This proactive measure prevents bacterial growth in the water mains and keeps the water safe for potable uses. For more information, please call the Department of Environmental and Engineering Services at (954) 972-0828.

Alarm Registration Mandatory

Are you a business owner or resident with an alarm system in Margate? If you answered YES, keep reading.

The City of Margate Ordinance 17-129 requires all businesses and residences with alarm systems to have valid alarm permits. Failure to complete and return this application with your one-time $25 fee for residential or for non-residential permits (check or money order payable to the City of Margate) will result in fines or court citations for non-permitted alarms.

The permit holder must notify the police department in writing to: Margate Police Department Attention: Records Unit/Alarm Coordinator 5790 Margate Boulevard, Margate, FL 33063.or via email at alarms@margatefl.com of any changes in the information on this permit.

*An alarm permit cannot be transferred to another person.

Protecting your home and property by installing an alarm system is new best practice to ensure the safety of your home and business. For those residents and business owners who install an alarm, we encourage you to maintain the operational reliability of your system. In addition, the proper use of your system is essential in order to reduce or eliminate unnecessary police and fire emergency responses due to false alarms and alarm malfunctions.

You can help reduce the number of false alarms by becoming familiar with what causes them and the prevention techniques that can reduce them.

For any questions, please email alarms@margatefl.com or by phone at (954)935-5496. Click here to donwload the application.

Connect With Us

For questions or comments about the information shared above, please email pio@margatefl.com.