The staff and City Commission of Stuart are very accommodating to our residents and businesses. That is an excellent characteristic to have. Residents and businesses want to see us go out of our way to help solve problems and accomplish objectives. I like that we are able to go the extra mile and not throw obstacles in the way of responsible change and development.

That is one way where we differ from our counterparts at Martin County. Perhaps because of our smaller size, we can be more trusting than they can.  It is easier to form relationships and know the individuals. I like the atmosphere that our City Hall engenders. I think that, because of our size, even someone who is new to Stuart knows instinctively that there will not be unnecessary impediments placed in his/her way.

There are some individuals at both the County and City that want us to consolidate our administrative functions on one campus. They tout the benefits of us joining forces with the County and Martin County School Board and how economics of scale will save money. What I see is the erosion of our independence. By becoming a cog in the wheel, I see Stuart losing our small town way of doing business. After a while, the perception will be that Stuart is another department within the county structure instead of an independent municipality.

Although some would argue that there is an advantage and savings to consolidation of administrative facilities, I would not. Anything that lessens our independence will only harm us in the long run. No matter how collegial a county commission or school board is at any given moment, it could change at the next election. Even if the agreement between the parties spells out every contingency, there will always be room for disagreement. Do we want to continuously argue with entities that are so much bigger and have larger budgets than we do? We have had inter-local agreements in the past that Martin County has ignored such as Willoughby Extension.

Stuart could always find ways to save money. The ultimate savings would be by un-incorporating. We wouldn’t need a city hall then. We could be like Rio, Jensen Beach or Indiantown without self-governance… without a say. Try calling a county commissioner when you have a problem and see how fast you get a response. The more local government and home rule available to citizens, the better for all of us.

This big rush to decide on proceeding with administrative consolidation is because the Martin County School District must design a new administrative building and build immediately at the High School Avenue campus. Time is ticking and supposed decisions must be made in a hurry. I see Stuart under no such time constraints.  Even if we needed a new building immediately, how do we pay for it?  What do we do with the present City Hall?

Some would say we can either borrow short term or bond the $3 million dollars needed to build this new building. Once we develop or sell the old City Hall site, we could pay off the bond or mortgage (let’s assume by some miracle a referendum allowing sale or lease passes.) As a commissioner, I would not vote to move forward with this project. I do not believe we should become part of any consolidated campus site irrespective of costs and financing. Even if a mystical-magical phantasmagorical hotel developer appeared tomorrow, I would not be in favor of selling our present City Hall.

Does that mean we should never move City Hall? No it does not! I want to see Stuart have an integrated plan for the entire downtown area consisting of the “Old Downtown Area”, Flagler Park area, Colorado Avenue and Ocean Blvd. The plan should include the eventual building of a municipal garage. There are ways to reconfigure streetscapes that would foster development of new building sites. The sale or lease of those sites by the City could allow for the money to build a new City Hall. Where the present City Hall is located would be part of an expanded Flagler Park and access to the water would be maintained for all the people.

I believe in good relations with all the governmental entities in Martin County. I do not believe in perceiving to be or actually being a department of any other government. Stuart’s government has a different culture than Martin County’s government. We relish in our small town atmosphere. We like our quaintness and “Old Florida” panache. This is what we need to promote as we grow. We do not need to turn into another generic South Florida town.

I am not about to vote in favor of spending your money to promote the dreams of others. Any change must further the City, its residents and taxpayers.