Governments on the Treasure Coast performed well during and after Irma. The reason they could do so was because our local governments have budgetary reserves. Those reserves can pay for storm-related costs such as debris removal, shelters and employee overtime. Imagine what would happen if our counties and cities did not have the ability to manage their budgets with contingency reserves.

If a bill that was considered by the Legislature last year, and will probably be back this year, had passed, cities and counties would not be able to have those reserves. Our communities would not be able to address these problems as fast or efficiently.

In another instance of how important it is to keep governmental decision-making as close to the people as possible …

How would you feel if a commercial business opened in the house next door to you, in your residential neighborhood? It could be a bar or a convenience store. Worse it could be a topless bar or an adult book store. I am sure as your Commissioner, I would hear from you. You would demand that zoning laws be enforced. A bill that was filed last year in the Florida Legislature, but only narrowly defeated, would have precluded local governments from stopping those businesses from opening next to your home, church or children’s schools.

These are just two examples of how Tallahassee is attempting to take away your ability to live in communities that you control through local government.

Whether you call it “Home Rule,” “Self Determination” or “Local Control,” the powers in Tallahassee are in full court press to strip you of those rights. They have already precluded you from deciding whether you want short term rentals, sober homes and the ability to stop media companies from erecting 5G towers within the right-of-way. Now they want to take away the ability of local governments to address millage rates, budgets and other rights and responsibilities that should stay with us locally.

America was built on the concept of individuals who come together locally for the opportunity to form self-governing bodies for their communities. We do not want elites from afar regulating what we can do in our own towns and cities. The people do not want to have those that do not live in their cities dictating to them. If a locality wants to have regulations that ban “short term rentals,” they should be able to do so.

The State’s constant erosion of our right to have the local government that the people want and desire will result in the tyranny of the minority against the people. As long as localities are not infringing on the constitutional rights of the individual or those rightful powers that are reserved to Tallahassee and Washington, then both should stay out of local affairs. This fight is not about one governmental body against another but against the right of the people to live in and make decisions for their own communities.