It is unfortunate that so many of our legislators in Tallahassee want to take away your right to self-government. They are attempting to do this in the guise of “business friendly” or “less regulation” or “democratic action”.  Apparently we have entered an era of “new speak”. Legislators are deliberately saying one thing while their actions point in an opposite direction. This is a scary time when local government is under assault with the ultimate goal of eliminating citizen involvement.

The two legislative members that represent Stuart, Senator Negron and Representative Harrell, understand the need for strong local government. They truly believe that the state should only be involved in statewide issues. They don’t think that a specific problem in Lee County needs to be addressed by a state law in Tallahassee.  Negron and Harrell think that the citizens of a county or city should have government that reflects their wants and desires. They don’t believe, as do so many legislators, that they know better than the individual citizen.

Currently in the hallowed halls of the capital there are bills that will strip away through pre-emption your rights to self-determination. Why is it that Tallahassee wants to seize control of zoning under the guise of less regulation? Why is it that the Florida Legislature, especially the House, wants to do away with CRAs, how cities can levy taxes, what services we can provide and individual municipalities’ right to have elections as per our charters?

The majority of legislators do not have any local government experience. They never served on city or county commissions. They never dealt with people wanting speed bumps in their neighborhoods. They never spoke with a citizen who can’t get a pothole filled or their garbage not being picked up. They never heard the public at a commission meeting addressing their concerns. They never scrambled to find a few dollars for a recreation program.

They don’t know how a CRA operates yet they can vote to kill the entire program. Members vote on bills from Sober Homes to Short Term Rentals without reaching out to local officials to see how the legislation affects the citizens in their districts. There is a bill presently going through the House that would require that local government could have no unencumbered reserves. The bill’s sponsor has never been elected to anything but his present seat. He never was responsible to clean the streets of debris after a hurricane. Where does he believe that money comes from if not a reserve?

For some in the legislature it is not ignorance of the issues but it is more insidious. There is a pervasive belief especially by House leadership that they know best. Ordinary citizens cannot decide what is in their best interest. That they, the all-knowing legislators, will make sure that you, the citizen, are protected from making bad decisions.

When all power is concentrated in the hands of a few powerful legislators, who will then speak on your behalf? If Walmart decided to open a store in a residential neighborhood, the local government may not have the authority to prevent that from occurring. What about adult entertainment in Downtown, an asphalt plant  on Federal Highway or a 25 story building on Palm City Road; without the ability of local zoning all of those examples could become a reality.

The county and the city can disagree on issues but I never think that a county commissioner doesn’t have the best interests of Martin County at the foremost in any decision. I may disagree with my fellow commissioners on a matter but I do not question their motifs. Local elected officials are the ones who know their constituents and their problems best. Will that legislator from the Panhandle care about our local issues?

Tallahassee’s usurpation of the people’s right to self-government is not a fantasy. It is actually happening and accelerating. Earlier this week I received an e-mail from a resident asking that I do something about train horns. As a local official there is nothing I can do. It is not in my purview. What will happen when I am asked to do something about that strip club that opened downtown? Will I have to say that I can do nothing about that either?