Category Archives: Belief in Capitalism

Stuart & Housing

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What is the most pressing issue that the City of Stuart faces? It is not where or if we need a new City Hall, the fate of Historic Downtown or whether the hospital can build a 150 foot building. Our most important problem to solve is the lack of housing within our borders. Quite simply, there is not enough supply for everyone who wants to live here. Stuart does not have enough rental units, houses and condos. Further, to use a real estate term, much of what we have is physically, functionally and, to a less extent, externally obsolete.

Politically and socially we have allowed the City to stand still while Martin County, despite its reputation for limited growth, has grown exponentially around our borders. In 1940, the City had nearly 50% of the total Martin County population 2,912 people to 6,295. In 1960 we comprised 28% of the total with 4,791 people to 16,932. By the turn of the century Stuart comprised 11% of Martin County’s residents with 14,723 to 126,777. Today, we are still roughly 11% of Martin County’s population.

Martin County has grown at a much faster pace than Stuart in the past 70 years. In the next decade, the population of the County will probably continue to grow faster than the City’s. We are still a hub for commerce and residential living but not to the extent we were in the 1960s.   With the increasing suburbanization of Martin County, Stuart became not the only center of Martin but one of several competing centers county wide. One example would be the development of Palm City, which is part of unincorporated Martin County, from the farmland and ranches 40 years ago to a mostly suburban area today with a population of nearly 25,000 people as compared to the City of Stuart’s roughly 16,500.

Many people claim that the City should remain static or in a time warp. Unfortunately, if we do suspend time, we will not be able to have that very uniqueness that we want to maintain. Stuart cannot be a city unless we act and behave as one. This requires providing urban services under our jurisdiction so that we can maintain our businesses, residents and professional offices far into this century.

By not providing new housing, we force people to live outside our boundaries. A recent Florida Department of Economic Opportunity study showed that more than 21,000 people commute to work in Stuart every day. If we could capture just 25% of these commuters and their families, then our population and our tax base would increase by 50%.

By growing our tax base, we would shrink individual taxes. Would there be additional employees? Of course a few more would be added, though not many more since we are compact in size. Our infrastructure such as roads and water are already in place. As a city, we do not have the sprawl that has accompanied growth in the rest of Martin County. We are ideally situated to take advantage of life in mid-21st century America. The aging of our population and desire of our younger people to reside within cities gives us an ability that other parts of the County do not possess.

Stuart has an opportunity to maintain our wonderful charm and truly become a modern gem. We need to have the vision to do the things necessary so that we are not left behind. Stuart needs to reclaim its birthright of being the center of life on the Treasure Coast. To do that, we need more than a one block downtown. We need to actually have several areas of residential and economic viability. Many parts of our City are under-utilized. I will explore more of Stuart’s options in my next blog.

The Treasure Coast Goes All Aboard

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The lawsuit initiated by Martin and Indian River Counties against Brightline and All Aboard Florida was dismissed last week in federal district court. The dismissal ruling occurred because in 2014 the federal government’s loan guarantees were withdrawn from the sale of the bonds. Those bonds were to finance the West Palm Beach to Orlando leg of the rail improvements. The court ruled that the counties reasons for the lawsuit were now moot.

Brightline continues to insist that it will move ahead with its plan of running trains from Miami to Orlando. They will begin service from West Palm Beach to Fort Lauderdale in July. Then, in September, service will be extended to Miami. Perhaps in the dense population corridor between Miami and West Palm Beach another rail option besides Tri-Rail is needed. This new venture faces a similar problem to Tri-Rail. If your final destination is not by the station, then how do you arrive at that final destination? You can call an Uber or a cab, but that is another expense. The total dollar amount needed and the time it takes door to door will influence whether you drive or not.

As to going between Miami and Orlando, not only does the same problem occur when you disembark at the station, but the ticket and other expenses are much more than driving a car. No city in Florida has the population density that New York, Boston or Washington has. Those cities also have mass transit systems that leave the train traveler with options once they disembark at the station.

There is currently no government unsubsidized rail service in the United States. Even if you go back to the 19th century when rail was in its heyday, railroads were constantly going bankrupt and being reorganized. Their profits came from the vast amounts of land the government gave railroads to sell and develop along their rights of way. It was a subsidy in real estate instead of cash.

While there is a future for freight being shipped by rail, as time goes on technology will make passenger rail less and less economically feasible. As driverless technology becomes more widespread, it will be much more convenient to “hire” a car to transport you from Point A to Point B. The enormous capital that is needed to build and maintain a rail system will ultimately help speed the spread of driverless cars. This will become our new mass transit.

Not only is the self-contained driverless vehicle ultimately a cheaper alternative, it will be able to safely travel at high speeds closer to other vehicles than autos can now. When arriving at a destination, they will self-park not in the garages and lots that we see today but packed bumper to bumper to accommodate many more vehicles. This future may be a few decades away…but, it is coming. To look at the 200-year-old technology of railroads and call it the future is to live in the past.

The market will ultimately decide whether Brightline succeeds or not. I would suspect that without a government subsidy of some sort, it never will happen or continue for very long. The Treasure Coast needs to continue to fight against Brightline as well as the increased freight that may come. Stuart could be devastated by one derailed car of oil, chemicals or compressed gas. This 19th century mode of transportation should be confined to history books not to our downtowns.

Tax Cuts Are Easy…Governing Is Hard

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As I write this, the Florida Legislature is poised to pass a bill allowing a constitutional amendment of another $25,000 tax exemption for homestead properties. If approved by 60% of the voters, counties and cities will see a shortfall of $750,000,000 in the first year going to over $800,000,000 in a few years. Where do we make this up in our budgets? This unfunded mandate will result in businesses and vacation homes taking on more and more of the real estate tax burden. This makes Florida less competitive and friendly toward business and 2nd home buyers.

This is bad idea for several reasons. It is an unfunded mandate on localities by the state. They are giving a tax cut by the worst possible means because it does not result in equal treatment for all citizens and businesses. Tallahassee is not taking any money from their coffers. If they want to give the citizens a tax break, why not take it out of the state’s amount of sales tax collected and rebate the $750,000,000 directly to homeowners….a check sent from the State of Florida directly to you.

That won’t happen because the pols in Tallahassee would then have less money to give to their crony capitalist friends in big business, labor and agriculture. It is easy to bully local government because they can. The legislature and governor are arguing over billions of dollars. I am just trying to find a few thousand to pay a police officer. For, make no mistake, it is local governments that pay for police and fire, street lights and sanitation with taxes. What would you rather have…your money pay for a faraway bureaucrat or a local E.M.T?  This is your choice in a nutshell.

If we have less revenue, a decision will have to be made on where to spend those diminished resources. Certain services will have to be provided (e.g., Water and Police), but others like Parks and Recreation will be curtailed. And, as time goes on, through attrition a fire fighter won’t be replaced. All the while, the pols in Tallahassee will tell you that they gave you a tax cut.

When you increase the homestead exemption, fewer homeowners contribute any money to the services they demand. We currently have 65% of the residents in Stuart paying no tax except the Fire Fee. Not only is this fiscally unsustainable, it is also civicly wrong. People have no skin in the game. They can demand services, and weak bureaucrats and elected officials will continue to provide them…until they can’t any longer.

For a healthy democracy, everyone needs to participate by voting but also by paying. There is no free ride. It is easy to vote yourself a tax cut. What this means is more than a tax cut. It is also a cut in the quality of life for yourself and your neighbor…your children and your parents. As Floridians, we have been eager to think that services don’t have to be paid for in order to be received. That someone else will pick up the tab. We can have everything and pay nothing for it.

You know why Tallahassee pols need to give you tax cuts? It is because they provide very little else. Even when we vote to have clean water and rivers, they use the money to feather their friends’ nests. They have an $83 billion budget, and they are keeping it all. Their tax cuts come at the expense of local government. Our city needs to keep the lights on and the streets safe. That costs money. Next time you need a cop, call Florida Department of Law Enforcement and see if there is a response.

The Erosion of the People’s Rights

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Imagine if the government passed a law that stated the phone company can put a pole anywhere that Stuart has a “right of way”. AT&T would not have to ask permission or pay more than $15.00 a year to place its antenna on that pole. Verizon, Sprint and Comcast could erect similar structures at a stop sign or park or in the grass strip in front of your house. You would be outraged. You couldn’t believe it can happen in the U.S….in Florida. Stuart and Martin County would be powerless to stop it.

The same day that the poles go up in Memorial Park and in front of your house, your neighbor next door decided to make his home into a hotel. The neighbor on the other side of you decides that she wants to convert her living room into a convenience store and nightclub. Your neighbors on either side do not have to register anywhere or obtain the city’s permission. Stuart could not do anything to prevent it. When those new businesses open, they wouldn’t have to pay anything additional for the increased services that the city would have to provide because of increased traffic and police presence.

This is not fantasy. We are not being invaded by a foreign government. But it does smack of a totalitarian state doesn’t it? There are currently bills in the legislature that would make the above a reality. The Speaker of the House and a hand full of his followers have decided that local government is an enemy of business. It is their belief that we are unfriendly to business by requiring a utility to obtain a permit and the permission of that municipality before erecting a structure in a place that is owned by the citizens of the city.

Speaker Corcoran and some other legislators think that anyone should be able to turn his/her home into a hotel for “short term rentals” without any local oversight. These same legislators believe that local government should not have any authority to make sure businesses operate in the best interests of their communities. Their belief is that the legislature is all-knowing and that you should not be able to decide how your community should look.

This undemocratic and perverse logic will result in people fleeing the state rather than moving here. People want to have control over their local communities. They want to be able to live in towns and cities that reflect their values not those of a group of legislators from Tampa or Lee County. This is not a partisan issue but a philosophical one. We must fight this incursion on our sovereignty.

The right of “Home Rule” is just as important as “Freedom of Speech” or our 2nd Amendment Right.  It is vital to making sure that the people have the communities that they want. Every time we are denied that ability, our liberty is eroded just a little bit more. If a locality is not infringing on a constitutional right, then the state or federal government should not intrude on how we govern ourselves.

There is an economic cost to such mindless, one-size-fits-all laws. Some in the legislature may see it as helping business. However, when local government has its sources of revenue impacted by Tallahassee, the locality must find other sources of income to continue to provide services, usually on the back of the residents. As the quality of life is negatively impacted, then businesses suffer. And, if that comes to pass, we won’t need all those antennas in “rights of way” providing internet because there will be fewer people and businesses choosing to be here as a result of the legislature’s misguided policies.

Undemocratic Tallahassee

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I was in Tallahassee earlier this week to present a plan to the Florida Senate Appropriations Committee regarding Stuart’s Recreation Center. While in the capital, I attended a workshop on “All Aboard” and a House Committee hearing on Representative Fine’s bill known as HB 17. Fine’s bill would curtail local government’s ability to regulate businesses within their borders. I voiced my opposition to the bill as did a number of cities and counties. The preemption of your rights will have huge unintended consequences in counties and cities throughout the state.

It is really frustrating to me, as a Republican, that this “Big Brother” idea was sponsored by a member of my party. Further, it passed that initial committee with only one Republican member voting no as did every Democratic member. When you have to count on the Democrats to limit more regulation, then the world is indeed turned upside down. The idea that the best government is that government which is closest to the people apparently is not believed in Tallahassee.

Our representatives in Washington, but increasingly also in Tallahassee, have decided that they should minutely manage local affairs. They know best and we, the people, are too ignorant to be trusted. Members of the legislature have come to the conclusion that pesky citizens should not have a say in their own back yards.  As an example of this mind set, the legislature has preempted cities such as Miami from deciding whether or not to outlaw plastic bags.

This undemocratic and authoritarian style of governing is predicated on being business friendly. In other words, we can’t have businesses bothered by the locals.  The Florida constitution gives cities the right to manage their own affairs except where prohibited constitutionally or by legislative statute. The anti-democratic legislature doesn’t believe that to the detriment of every Floridian.

For example, the fiats handed down from Washington and Tallahassee regarding short- term rentals and sober homes have decimated some communities. The  legislators who sponsor and pass these bills argue that you can vote them out of office. If you wanted to get rid of Representative Fine you would have to move to Palm Bay.  Unelected and unresponsive to your needs, these men and women do indeed control your destiny.

The best thing that our Tallahassee and Washington representatives can do is not always use the power that they have to legislate. They should not assume that a problem brought to their attention in their local community is state or nationwide.  They should stick to those things that localities can’t do. The state should decide who can practice medicine or law but not where a city decides to allow offices to do so.  Is it really a concern of the state whether plastic bags are allowed In Miami or in Stuart?

Locally elected commissioners are not rubes that need guidance. We are keenly aware of what our citizens and voters want. Local elected officials are not in a bubble as so many state and federal officials are. We see and hear our constituents on a daily basis. The vast majority of us are not career politicians but rather are women and men who want to serve their communities. If we lose the public trust, we will be gone in the next election.

Why Government Should Stay Out Of The Private Sector

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I have written several times about the Northpoint property. The Stuart News recently had an article about the city’s most current effort to develop this parcel. For more than a decade, the City of Stuart has been trying to find someone to lease the land and develop it. In the past, the city commission and staff have been trying to find a developer to build our vision of what should go there. That has proven to be a failing policy.        

Markets have a way of knowing what should and should not be done. If government tries to circumvent that most basic of principles, the result usually is nothing being accomplished. You can’t tell the private sector what is the best investment for their money. I believe the city has finally learned this lesson.

As a rule, I generally do not think government should buy property for the express purpose of leasing it to the non-governmental sector. If the property is not for a public purpose, development is best left to the private sector. There are instances when government should purchase property; for example, to promote redevelopment in a specific area. Any purchase should have well-reasoned goals that the city seeks to accomplish. The time that the property remains undeveloped should be for a minimal period.

The new Azul development will ultimately be one of those instances. From the time that the city closed on the property until the developer was chosen, the period was relatively short. The insistence that the project be based on market forces and not on a pre-conceived notion that the city had defined was, in my opinion, key. I would have preferred that the land be sold rather than leased, but the financial feasibility of the deal did not support this happening. Once this project is completed, it will spark redevelopment of that entire area. This is the main reason for the city’s purchase.

When Northpoint was acquired by Stuart, none of these principles were followed. The city was bedazzled and bewitched by its own desires and forgot about the market. Their ideas, while laudable, were not what private capital was willing to invest in to achieve. Using the city’s naiveté, would-be developers took a flyer and, for relatively little money, tied up the project for many years looking for capital.

The current insistence that the developer is required to demonstrate the wherewithal to complete whatever project it proposes to build has a much better chance of success. I am not certain that this particular parcel is developable. With its location and position next to the rail road tracks, it just may not be suitable for any private use at the present time. This is why government needs to be very careful about investing in real estate for a non-governmental use.

I was not on the city commission when either of the decisions to acquire the Triangle or Northpoint were made. I am fairly sure I would have voted to buy the Triangle piece. I don’t believe I would have voted for Northpoint. No amount of government insistence or desire will result in a hotel being built there. The only way would be for Stuart’s taxpayers to guarantee a bond to fund the construction of it. Tax money should never be used in this way. If private investment is afraid, then the chances for success, especially in a retail business i.e. a hotel, are doomed.

Government needs to stay out of the private real estate sector as much as possible. Individuals acting in their interests will result in economic benefit to our entire city’s prosperity. It is not up to Stuart’s commission or staff to impose their vision on what should be built. Our job is to provide the infrastructure and a readiness to work with the private sector.

Housing and Employment

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We are about to begin a new era in Martin County. On November 22nd, the new BOCC will be sworn into office.  With that Martin County should have a more pro-business and pro-growth county commission. Some residents fear what will happen in the western part of the county. Both Ed Ciampi and Harold Jenkens have stated that they do not want to see development outside the Urban Service Boundary. They claim that development should take place where the infrastructure already exists. I believe that also.

What can be more in keeping with new development within the existing USB than occurring within the City of Stuart? As a city, Stuart, already has the infrastructure to sustain new housing and new industries. If the City can work toward that goal, then Martin County can avoid similar sprawl that has occurred in other places in South Florida. How do we accomplish that?

The City has been given a grant from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. This grant will help to plot a course to realize our economic potential for both more jobs and businesses. One of the interesting facts that have come out of the study is that 21,000 people come to Stuart every day to work at our businesses. The reason they live elsewhere, is the lack of housing within the City. That is millions of dollars earned here but spent other places such as Port Saint Lucie. Those 21,000 additional people entering Stuart each day put additional strain on our police, fire/rescue, roads and other services. Those commuters pay not one dime in taxes to support the services that they consume. Those 21,000 commuters are more than the entire population of Stuart.

We desperately need housing within the City of Stuart. As the economic hub of Martin County, we are a net exporter of revenue to the entire Treasure Coast. We cannot afford to continue in this vein and remain a viable municipality. It is imperative that we have housing for every economic class. We can’t just cater to the poor or the rich…the young or the old. That is why I asked at the last meeting that staff look at increasing the number of units per acre similar to downtown within the Woodlawn area.

Presently that area has few residents. Colorado Avenue, which has been turned into a wonderful gateway to downtown, has been transformed with new businesses. However, many of those businesses are struggling because the area lacks the population to sustain them. The rest of the neighborhood has not been revitalized with private resources. It is imperative, if our tax base is to grow, that this area must become more economically productive.

The City of Stuart has many residential neighborhoods made up of predominantly single family homes. I do not want those single family neighborhoods to be anything other than what they are. It is important that we retain the character of those neighborhoods. As I said above we need housing to fit the needs of everyone.

Construction costs on a city lot are more expensive than sprawl development would be in western Martin County. This necessitates a builder constructs very expensive single-family homes that most employees of Stuart jobs would not be able to afford. Therefore, in underutilized areas such as Woodlawn, the traditional single family home is not feasible. That is why different housing options need to be made available.

The City of Stuart does not have to give up its character. I am steadfast in my commitment to maintaining our height limit. I am not looking to become Delray Beach. But we need to have homes for those that work in our City. Millions and millions of dollars each year are spent other places by people who earn that money within our borders. The clear majority of Stuart’s municipal employees live elsewhere because of the shortage of available housing.

Fifty years ago, the City of Stuart had 40% of Martin County’s population. We are now less than 10%. For political relevancy, economic stability and cultural diversity, we need to have more residents. Those that want to keep western Martin County rural and in agriculture, as I do, recognize the need to have places for new residents to live. There are 1000 new people a day coming to Florida. Stuart can continue to prosper and keep our cost of living affordable. For our own viability, we have to not only increase businesses and employment but also people and homes.

Remarks Made to the Republican Executive Committee October 20th 2016

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I am very excited about the future of Stuart.

Today’s world is entering a phase where cities are once again becoming the prime economic and cultural centers they had historically been. 

But I must tell you

I have always been a city person.

I was  born and raised in New York. I went to school at both Fordham and NYU. Which are quintessential big city universities.

My career as an owner, broker and manager of commercial real estate was primarily in New York and other cities. I still am a partner in businesses New York.

When I go on vacations I usually gravitate toward seeing cities.

I love cities.

 Cities are alive… They breathe… … They have a soul.  

Jaime Lerner the ex-Governor of the Brazilian state of Parana, a noted city planner and architect wrote that:

“ A city grows like an organism. It is a structure for living and working together..it is a mix of functions.”

 

Stuart celebrated its hundredth anniversary in 2014. I was honored to be Chairman of the city’s Centennial Committee.

From Stuart’s very inception it was the economic center of the area. Stuart continued to thrive through and after the 2nd World War.

Then as most cities in America… there was a decline in Stuart’s fortune. But the city survived the doldrums of the mid to late 20th century. This was when American downtowns were hollowed out to make way for malls and strip centers.

 

Small, medium and large cities were left to wither while America fell in love with the car and the suburb. We were fortunate that the bulldozers never made it to Flagler and Osceola Streets. Stuart still had bones if not much meat on its body.

 

Urban pioneers such as Peter and Joan Jefferson began to re-imagine a downtown where people lived, worked and shopped. The citizens finally realized that to quote Lerner once more “Cities are not problems. They are solutions.”

Today the City of Stuart is the soul and the center of our county. It is the downtown for 250,000 people on the Treasure Coast.

 

What would I like to see moving forward… is to encourage more development such as what is going to occur on the Triangle property.

A three story building will arise there with 49 new 1, 2 and 3 bedroom rentals. It will be self-parked with a pool, rec center and public areas. This is the first new residential building in downtown in the past 12 years.

Those new residents will be able to walk to shopping and dining.  

This development will spark a resurgence of that entire corridor along Dixie Highway.

It will encourage the establishment of new businesses and jobs to serve our new residents.

 

If we are ever to stop being a Potemkin Downtown a critical mass of residents must call the area home.

By having more residents our micro-transit system can really develop into more than a novelty.

It can actually move people to work and play first within the downtown area but ultimately encompassing the city.

 

Imagine an opportunity that a resident or guest will have to leave their car behind and enjoy another glass of wine at dinner before returning home.

Seniors would be able to visit their doctors, eat lunch and shop without worrying about driving. More would be able to age in place in the condos of East Ocean and Palm City Road.

Teenagers will have a way to move around the city from school to a job or a friend’s house without a parent playing chauffer.   

 

I want to encourage a place where our grown children can raise their families and not feel they need to move to do so.

Where jobs and businesses want to be located. .

Government in order to attract businesses can keep its taxes low, provide good infrastructure and schools and stream line the approval process.

Stuart is never going to attract a company with hundreds of jobs. We don’t have the physical space to accommodate that.

Further the economy’s growth especially for cities our size is in the formation of new businesses.

We have a good quality of life in Martin County and Stuart. This should attract the very people who will look to open businesses

Entrepreneurship is where we should be looking to grow those jobs and opportunity. 

To quote another Republican, …Governor John Kasich, …“You know where Entrepreneurship in my opinion has to go? Into the cities”.

 

I concur.

 

I would like to see our community center on 10th street become a better place for recreation for the entire city but also as an economic driver with new fields and infrastructure added specifically to encouraging travel leagues, Babe Ruth and Little League  somewhere to play and hold their tournaments there.

We could then use this as one more reason for people to visit Stuart and Martin County.

Once we have accomplished 10th street, The nine acres at Sailfish should be looked at for private redevelopment.

Stuart can create a new neighborhood for increased residents and businesses. Millions in new taxes will become available to Stuart, Martin County and Florida.

The city is built out.  Only through infill and through annexation can we grow our population, provide better services for all and enlarge our economy.

 

We are an ideal location to attract young families and seniors by making our city walkable and through the smart use of mass transit.

But a city of our size needs to have an integration of work, residency and culture to be successful.

In my opinion the biggest mistake of city planners for the past 100 years has been the bifurcation of those three things.

They form a three legged stool that supply the balance necessary to have a successful modern 21st century municipality.

 

I am adamant that we can accomplish all of this without losing our “ Old Florida Feel” or our height restrictions. This is what makes Stuart…Stuart.      

 

But we cannot live in the past and pretend that change will not occur. For if there is one constant it is change.

Our City government and citizens will have to guide that change and use it to shape our future in a way we want instead of outside forces.

 

Stuart can be all of this if we can get out of our own way.

For far too long staff, the commission and to some extent residents felt that they could dictate to the market. That is why the NorthPoint property has been a failure for ten years and counting.

I am hoping going forward that we finally first qualify the developer and then speak about the project they propose instead of the other way around. This is what we did at the Triangle and it worked.

Government needs to stop trying to tell a private developer what should be built…even if we own the land.

For some time we have insisted that a hotel needs to be built in downtown. We have drawn plans… We have continued to wish and dream and cajole…all to no avail.

The free market should decide and if the market ever decides to build a hotel in our downtown….guess what…it will be built. 

 

I want to leave you with two quotes from a couple of Greeks:

First: “A great city is not to be confounded with a populous one”. That was said by Aristotle

Second: The City is what it is because our citizens are what they are.” Plato

Thank you.

As I Begin My Second Term

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As I begin my second term, I want to say thank you to all those who supported and voted for me in the election. I am pleased to know that a vast majority of voters believed I had represented their interests for the past two years. I promise moving forward that I will continue to do so by looking how individual issues affect the entire City. Each project and ordinance must be scrutinized within that context.

Second, I want to commend my opponent, Patrick McGavock, for his campaign. He conducted himself as a gentleman. Similarly as I do, he wants what only is best for our City. I respect his efforts.

Throughout my first term, I have made myself available to meet individually, in groups, to speak by telephone or hear from you through e-mail and now through my new Facebook page, Commissioner Tom Campenni, City of Stuart. I will continue to have an open door.  I have tried to attend a wide variety of different events because I believe part of my job description is just that. By being at different civic and non-profit events, I not only represent myself but all of Stuart.

I will continue writing this blog. This gives everyone a chance to become acquainted with my views on issues that are important to Stuart and Martin County. Too many elected officials do not want you to know what their stance is on a subject; I am not one of those. After reading something I have written, let me know how you feel about it by sending an e-mail.

Another communication tool I used was my e-mail blasts before commission meetings to let the citizens know what is going on at the City. I am going to keep on doing so now that I am re-elected. Anyone who wants to receive the e-mails and currently does not, please send your e-mail address to me.

I have also made it a point to speak before various groups and organizations. Public officials have a responsibility to do so. The public should demand no less from us. So if you want me to speak at your organization, condo or homeowner association, church or club, let me know and I will be glad to do so.

I promise not to vote for projects that are environmentally unfriendly. I will not vote for projects that are not market oriented and privately driven. The private sector knows far more than government. It is their investment of cash and experience that will make the project successful. Government’s responsibility is to provide a framework through zoning and Land Development Codes and to insure a level playing field for all. I do believe in public-private partnerships, especially with non-profits such as Habitat for Humanity, to advance the well-being of the City.

I do not want to see us in a combined facility with the County or School Board. I am not in favor of moving the current City Hall unless an independent funding source is found to pay for it that does not increase your taxes. I am not in favor of moving City Hall unless there is a free market project that will bring substantial income to the City. I am not in favor of moving City Hall if we have to sacrifice one inch of Flagler Park to do so. For me to consider voting to move City Hall, all three of those conditions would have to be met.

I will not vote for an increase to our 4-story height limit. Nor will I vote for projects that turn our downtown and other areas of Stuart into Delray Beach. I believe that the quality of life for residents is paramount. I do believe we can continue to have our “Old Florida” feel and uniqueness.

I am in favor of having new people, jobs and businesses come to Stuart. We need to attract and keep businesses and institutions like Martin Memorial Health Systems and NUCO2. We need to strive to have the employees of businesses live within our borders by having many different forms of housing. The majority of tax distribution is apportioned by population. While we may be the business generator for Martin County, because we are now only a little more that 10% of Martin County’s population, we do not receive anywhere near the percentage of taxes we generate.

The key to a City’s survival is not only being a magnet for businesses and jobs but also for people. Millennials who want to start families need to live in Stuart and not flee to Palm City or Jensen Beach. As a City Commissioner, I have no say over our school system, but I will continue to support and help both J.D. Parker and Stuart Middle become better. Stuart needs to be considered home to all generations and be multi-cultural. A city with a varied population is a strength and not a weakness.

I promise to continue being a Commissioner that attends as many different advisory board meetings as possible. This allows me to understand issues that may or may not come before the Commission. As a board member of both the Treasure Coast League of Cities and the Florida League of Cities, I will work with my regional and statewide counterparts to solve problems such as the Indian River Lagoon. I will lobby and work with both state and federal officials to address environmental and other issues such as “All Aboard” and Sober Homes.

When I decided to become a Commissioner and then run for reelection, I did so because I wanted to make a difference. I wanted to use my experience as a business person to tackle the problems that Stuart faces. I am going to do just that. I will continue to oppose projects that I believe are bad and support those that are good for the entire City of Stuart.

 

Unintended Consequences

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The EcoGen project slated for Indiantown has been cancelled due to problems with county approvals. I don’t know whether this type of use would be harmful to our environment or not. On the face of it growing eucalyptus trees and then producing electricity with the bio-mass seems to be a good idea. Perhaps the county is correct and this would have been a bad project.  The problem is any economic development proposed seems to be bad. At some point, the majority of residents and business people stop believing the county commission is looking at economic development projects impartially.

How long does the majority on the Martin County Board of Commissioners ignore the wishes of the residents of Indiantown and other un-incorporated areas? If Martin County tries to staunch all new industry, there will be unintended consequences. Those consequences will lead to the very type of harmful growth and urban sprawl that the county commission is against.

It is apparent to me that Martin County is on an unsustainable course. Real estate taxes are close to the maximum millage allowed by statute. Our county’s infrastructure is literally falling apart. Apparently, the county is incapable of enacting common sense budgetary reforms that would lessen the cost of providing governmental services. Without measured sustainable development both in housing and business, Martin County will be in dire financial straits.

Communities from Hobe Sound to Indiantown feel that their desires are not being met by county government. It is impossible for the county commission to adequately represent the diverse interests of the residents of Rio and western Martin County. The majority of the county commissioners are trying to micro manage instead of allowing the people to have a say over their individual communities. The way county government operates is broken and needs to have much more input from the citizens.

Now with the near abandonment of any autonomy to the county CRA districts, the commission is pushing those distinct areas into forming independent cities and towns. I believe that the formation of new municipalities throughout the county will ultimately result in better government at both the county and municipal level. Municipal government will allow more direct representation of the wishes of the electorate. The people of Palm City will determine whether they want industry or not. Residents in Rio will decide whether and what type of housing will be built.

The development within those communities will reflect the will of the people who live within the municipal boundaries. Further, the level of governmental services will only be that which those residents want and are willing to pay to have. This will result in much less county taxes being levied on all Martin taxpayers. For instance living in Stuart, I see the benefit of having a professional fire/rescue department and am willing to pay for that level of service. If I lived in rural Martin County, I would be in favor of having a volunteer fire department and privatization of ambulance service. Different areas within the county have different expectations of levels of service.

County government was originally to be limited in nature and act as an arm of the state providing those services constitutionally mandated. Martin County, through its one size fits all approach to the delivery of traditionally municipal governmental services, has succeeded in becoming an unresponsive and bloated bureaucracy. As the area and scope of services have increased, fewer and fewer residents and taxpayers are happy with the outcome. If the more populated areas of the county incorporate, I can easily see Martin County cutting its workforce and lowering county taxes substantially.

Of course, the new municipalities would now have to levy taxes and provide services. From public works to parks to law enforcement, the type and cost would be determined by those living and paying within the municipalities. If in the next few years Martin County does not have new municipalities formed, county government will be unsustainable since it will no longer be able to raise the millage rate.

At one time in the not too distant past, Martin County was rural with Stuart as a small county seat. This is no longer the case as more and more of the county has become urbanized and suburbanized. What Martin County government has failed to do is adapt to these changes. I agree with the vast majority of county residents that we do not need unfettered growth outside the Urban Services Boundary. However, within that boundary, jobs and development do need to happen.

If you want to preserve Martin County, we will need to think about governing differently. Control over governmental functions in these now urban and suburban unincorporated areas have to be placed in the hands of local residents. There are distinct differences between Hobe Sound, Indiantown and Palm City, and our governing bodies need to reflect this fact. The less the “Big 5” on Monterey control, the better the outcome for all of Martin County including the preservation of the Urban Services Boundary and lessening of sprawl in the remaining unincorporated areas.