One of my pet peeves is the number of people that state they live in Stuart when, in actuality, their homes are located in unincorporated Martin County. People living outside the City send emails complaining about something or expressing an opinion regarding an agenda item. What they fail to realize is that they do not vote in the City of Stuart, they do not own property or a business within Stuart, nor do they pay taxes to the City. Yet they believe they should have a say in how Stuart residents govern themselves.

Why is there such a desire by so many non-residents to consider themselves part of our municipal family? The first reason is many have moved to Martin County from somewhere else. Many of Martin County’s new residents originally found us because they vacationed here, or friends and relatives are already living here. Naturally to most of these people, whether they are on Hutchinson Island or in Port Salerno, it is all Stuart. Another reason is because the newspapers and TV stations identify stories as happening within Stuart when identifying the location as Jensen Beach or Rio would be more appropriate.

The third reason is that people don’t quite understand the governmental relationships between Martin County and Stuart. In other parts of the country, counties are not as consequential as towns, cities and villages. School districts are not county-based but could be part of a municipality or an independent district within a municipality. In the New England area, for example, governmental decisions are made at the town level. Counties have very few governmental responsibilities.

The last reason is probably the most prevalent. Martin County grew up around Stuart. The area even beyond the incorporation boundaries became known as Stuart. People became used to saying they lived there even if they lived outside the incorporated area by a street, or even miles. Until relatively recently if you needed to buy something in Martin County, you came to Stuart. If you wanted to eat in a restaurant or go to the movies, you came to the City. That, of course, is no longer true as Martin County has grown exponentially compared to Stuart.

With all that said, as a Stuart City Commissioner, I must remember who I do represent. While the thoughts and opinions of other Martin County residents may be relevant in some cases, I owe my allegiance to those who live within Stuart’s boundaries. As a Commissioner, it is my responsibility to do what’s right for my constituents — the citizens of the City of Stuart.