Where does Stuart derive funds for its infrastructure projects? Some of the money comes from state and federal grants that usually require local matching dollars. We could borrow the money, but we are fairly conservative and have not typically resorted to that. That leaves either increased real estate taxes or sales taxes. Real estate taxes are 100% paid by city tax payers while sales taxes are paid by anyone who shops and dines in our city. This means we can have our entire infrastructure improvements paid for by an increase borne only by the residents or collect a good portion of the funds by non-city residents.
For many years, the American Society of Civil Engineers has rated America’s infrastructure at a D. We are not spending enough to maintain our roads, bridges and water systems. Unless your dream is to have our 20th century civil improvements disappear, then it is urgent that we spend money to fix and improve our aging infrastructure. You would not allow your home to go unpainted and the roof to leak. It is the same for society’s homes and roofs.
Stuart’s city manager, Paul Nicoletti, has put together a video which is on the city’s website, and I urge you to take a look as he explains what the city will use some of the proceeds of the sales tax to do. Beside road and water projects, Stuart wants to finally install bathrooms at Memorial Park, improve the only recreational center for our children and expand our down town Riverwalk. In order to continue to be a place that people want to live and visitors and tourist want to shop and dine, these are needed improvements.
A city doesn’t remain static…it either grows and improves or shrinks and deteriorates. We do not need to sacrifice our old Florida feel and charm to accomplish the former. But we do need to provide amenities so that our young people want to remain and raise families and our seniors can stay and age in place. This question of livability does not come by burying our heads and saying nothing needs to change. We need to spend our dollars carefully in procuring the needed infrastructure maintenance and improvements. But maintain and improve we must.
Within the city’s borders, we collect 65% of all sales tax generated in the county. Yet because of our small population in relationship to the total county population, we receive less than 10% of the taxes collected. Imagine if every penny of the local portion of the sales tax stayed in Stuart, would there even be a need for ad valorem taxes? Lewis Mumford wrote, “The cities and mansions that people dream of are those in which they finally live.” Stuart is a good place to call home. Let’s continue to improve on the good and make it great.