In Martin County, we are fortunate that we did not follow the lead of St Lucie or Palm Beach Counties in pursuing unbridled development. That doesn’t mean we haven’t changed and grown. It means we have been more measured in that growth and change. Was that a bad thing? The answer is more complicated than just a simple yes or no.

In some instances it was exactly the right thing to do especially in the western parts of the county.  However, within the Urban Service Boundary, the county has been too restrictive in many instances. This approach has not resulted in the best outcome for the residents of many areas within the boundary. We need to have growth in population and business in order to increase our tax base. In most instances, within the Urban Service Boundary the infrastructure and other governmental services are already in place negating the need for costly new investment. More residents and businesses would increase the number of taxpayers which would result in our existing base paying less in taxes.

This strategy is a balancing act between acceptable and sustainable growth for our county. Our challenge is how our county commission manages such a strategy. Since Martin County is so diverse, can the needs of urban, suburban and rural constituents all be met by five people sitting on a dais? I would contend that it would be nearly impossible.

It definitely cannot be accomplished by a one-size-fits-all governing style. Currently, I do not believe that the County Commission brings enough nuances to Martin County’s divergence. Suburban families living in the gated communities lining Martin Downs Boulevard have completely different governmental expectations than the rancher or farmer on the Okeechobee County line. Jensen Beach’s needs are not the same as Indiantown.

Martin County has many distinct areas such as Rio and Hobe Sound. What it does not have is local democratic representation within those areas. It is not the number of people who live throughout Martin that is the problem but rather it is the many different needs of our communities that are not being met. Martin County has four municipalities. Each (Stuart, Sewall’s Point, Ocean Breeze and Jupiter Island) has a commission or council that represents the residents of those areas. The citizens of Rio, Indiantown, and Jensen Beach do not. Their unique problems are not and cannot be addressed by a county commission that is trying to be all things to all residents.

There are five chambers of commerce in Martin County. Hobe Sound has one as does Indiantown, Palm City, Jensen Beach and Stuart/Martin County. Local businesses have decided that their areas are so distinct that one chamber cannot represent their unique interest. Counties were formed in order to make sure state governmental services were provided to all Floridians wherever they lived in the state. Counties were never meant to be towns or offer municipal services. Today county government is doing more than what was intended. This has resulted in our diverse communities and their residents not being adequately represented by local government.