Category Archives: City of Stuart

The River Isn’t Green This Week

Posted on by

Another week has passed. The attention that Stuart and Martin County have received from the national news media because of the algae has been incredible. Special reports, columns, cameramen and opinions have been broadcast, written and opined. But are we any closer to a solution? I am pessimistically sure that we are not.

What has fundamentally changed? Did we suddenly buy the land to our south? Have the Feds allocated the money to complete the projects that are already on the books? I fear not. Did agricultural subsidies and supports go away? Was there financial campaign reform? Has the Governor finally seen the ecological light? Has the President issued a Declaration? Sorry to report…none of the above.

This failure to correct our problem was not from a lack of trying by our local elected leaders on the Treasure Coast. But we are barely 3% of the state’s population…insignificant to the power brokers of Tallahassee and Washington. President Obama loves playing golf here but hasn’t mentioned our plight even once. If you write him a letter, you get a form one back that doesn’t even mention the reason you wrote, which is a feat of shear political magic.

Will it ever change? Maybe there is just a ray of hope. A reason we can be optimistic. We, the people, are just fed up with the status quo. We are tired of being ignored or being condescended to. Our communities are being ruined in the name of corporate and political greed. We are now the disciples of Howard Beale from the movie, Network that shouted, “We are mad as hell and we are not going to take it anymore!”

We have been treated to technology that cleans and polishes the water so that the algae either is or appears to be gone. Some elected officials and citizens are headed to Washington as they did in the now not-so-bad lost summer of 2014. But I still hear the Republicans shouting at the Democrats and Florida blaming the Feds and the inverse in all of the above. Each of these people will tell you that they are not to blame in “political-speak”…that it is really the other guy.

This week, the river isn’t green in back of my house. This week, the water is just not alive. This week, it is black, mucky, and loaded with bacteria. Is that an improvement? I don’t really know.

The Green River

Posted on by

Who would have thought such a diverse estuary would be dying? I always believed we lived in a country with laws to protect this from happening. Perhaps we do until the polluter is one of the largest sources of contributions to local, state and federal politicians. It is as if no environmental laws exist. He who pays calls the shots I guess.

Florida pols are blaming the Feds and the Feds are blaming Florida. I thought you guys all worked for the people? Our Senators and Congresspersons do their dog and pony show. They take a ride on the river and see the lagoon, have a news conference, then poof they’re gone. The Governor can’t even bother doing that. At least our Florida state legislators come and take the heat but to what end?

From my dock I notice there is not even a bird, which means no fish. It does not matter whether algae is in the water or not, the oysters and fish are gone because of the salinity. The segments of our economy based on tourism and the marine industry are on the verge of collapse. Why do we put up with it? Is it that our political system is so broken that things such as this are allowed to occur?

Or maybe it runs deeper. Perhaps we have abandoned principles and morality for the expedient and greed. Is our system so broken that this is the outcome? Is doing the right thing to be impeded by ideology and the pursuit of self-aggrandizement?

As a small town elected official, l speak to those in Washington and Tallahassee. They give me the same looks and nods that my parents did when I was a kid…”you don’t understand.” Our local commissions and boards pass resolutions that express the will of the people, but the will of the powerful still prevails.

Maybe it is they that do not understand. We have had enough. Our frustrations with the water can no longer sustain business as usual. We don’t care about who gives money to whom. We don’t even care whether sugar or agriculture is good for the economy or not. We know that the quality of the water is not good for us.

The river runs green past my house. It flows to the ocean closing the beaches and killing everything in its wake. The question is as citizens do we buy into the same old routines and patterns. It’s the Democrats! It’s the Republicans! It’s the State! It’s the Federal Government! How about everyone stop blaming the other and just fix the problem. I want the river to stop being green by everyone’s house.

The Perpetual Move Of City Hall

Posted on by

At a recent meeting of the governing boards of Stuart, Martin County and the School District, the majority on each board seriously discussed the building of joint facilities on a shared office campus.  There were several rationales given — we could meet in the halls and have synergy, our current building is 50 years old and approaching the end of its life, and we could save money by combining facilities which would allow the City to free up valuable property for development. What was not expressed was a cogent reason for Stuart to move forward.

It is foolish to think that City Hall can no longer serve our needs because of its age. Could the building use updating? Sure! We need to apply the same reasoning as you would to your own home. You don’t buy a new house because the bathrooms need to be redone. Could the City more efficiently use the space contained in the annex and City Hall? Of course it could. It is manifestly cheaper to reconfigure existing space than to build new space. If you look at it rationally, there is plenty of useful life left in our present City Hall.

So if we don’t need a new building, how do we save money by building one? Where does the $3 or $4 million come from to build? If we did go ahead and commit, the money would have to be borrowed through a bond issuance or a mortgage. Which circles around to the “save money” rationale. How is it less expensive than not building anything?

As to some synergistic relationship between governments, this is wishful thinking at best. (Let’s forget the concept of “Sunshine” for a moment.) All three governments have different needs and missions that do not exactly align. As the fiscally and physically smallest of the three entities, our needs would be subservient to those of the County and School Board.  Recently, the City was tasked with finding a place to hold a fire consolidation meeting. We reached out to the School Board, and they were unable to accommodate us for a variety of reasons. What happens when we are sharing a meeting chamber? Who do you think will be last in line?

A campus with the County and District will erode Stuart’s identity as an independent government. In the future, we will appear, especially to those that do not know our history, to be nothing more than a department within the County. If the County believes consolidation is a good thing, then build a campus and move the Property Appraiser and Tax Collector to a new centralized location.

Finally, we come to the last argument for moving City Hall, which is economic development of the current site. For anyone to think that some magical mystery hotel developer will appear and build a boutique luxury hotel on this current site without subsidies and tax breaks is dreaming or naïve. Even if that appearance occurs, the proposition would still need to go to referendum of our voters where it would most certainly fail. With all that said, I am not against ever moving City Hall.

Here is what I believe needs to occur for this to happen. First we need a plan. The plan needs to not only deal with City Hall but also the entire Flagler Park, historic downtown, Ocean Blvd and Colorado Avenue area. The plan will encompass opening up new or extended streets. There will be new building lots potentially along those extensions. I believe that City Hall’s current site should become part of Flagler Park.  It should not be sold or leased for commercial reasons. The downtown waterfront needs to be maintained for the people.

Within the plan there has to be a source to allow the City funds to pay for a new building. This can be accomplished by the ground lease or sale of the new building lots created along with the increased property tax revenue that will be generated. Any financing and debt service needs to be paid by this new source of revenue. If we do build a new City Hall, then the location must be in a place that will spur economic development for all of Stuart.

We need to forget dreams and fantasies and concentrate on development that can actually occur. What really would be synergistic is our residents and businesses coming together to think about what we can actually achieve while maintaining the true nature and character of Stuart.

 

 

 

 

 

Fire Consolidation: Good Only For Pols & Consultants!

Posted on by

On Tuesday, the County Commission appointed two members, Sarah Heard and Ed Fielding, to a proposed Fire Consolidation Committee. Next Tuesday the Stuart City Commission will discuss whether we should do the same. I believe the City Commission should only move forward, if a consolidation is in the interest of Stuart. After examining all the data, I am of the opinion we should not move forward.

Have you ever heard the phrase “Numbers don’t lie?” That may be true, but the outcome you want to obtain can be determined by the numbers used. I am sure you have also heard the phrase “garbage in…garbage out.” This is what happened to the Fire Consolidation Study. The consultants, at least in Stuart’s case, did not bother to speak with our Finance Department. Rather they chose to use numbers that would support their conclusion that a consolidated district is possible.

From the first time I spoke to Fitch and raised doubts with certain of their assumptions, I was told that they would go back and investigate my concerns. It doesn’t appear to me that the consultants did do that. I suspect Fitch probably didn’t do so for any other questions that others had either. The result was a flawed study based on inaccurate data.

Most citizens think that Stuart pays for government through ad valorem taxes also known as real estate taxes. In actuality those taxes comprise roughly 27% (about $6.6 million dollars) of total City revenue of $23.6 million dollars. The balance collected comes from other taxes, revenue sharing, fees and other sources. Public Safety has a budget of approximately $12 million dollars with a little over $5 million being spent on Fire/Rescue. Stuart uses all sources of revenue to pay for general services that are provided. The consultant’s report intonated that the City only used the Fire Fee and real estate taxes to pay for Fire/Rescue. By backing into their numbers, they assigned 1.838 mills for fire and assumed that Stuart could cut their millage by that amount if consolidation occurs.

The County pays for Fire/Rescue strictly through a MSTU with a millage rate of 2.5263. The entire millage for Stuart is 4.5520. Martin County’s current Fire/Rescue alone is 55% of the City’s total millage rate. The consultant did not take into account Stuart’s ability to have different funding sources pay for fire service. So when calculating proposed savings to the City the consultant relied on real estate taxes and the fire fee only to pay for Fire/Rescue. They did not count any money we collect for providing service to Sewall’s Point, insurance reimbursement or other related income in allocating funds to pay for SFD. Fitch just reallocated those collections to the new entity but never deducted the amount from our total expenses to provide Fire/Rescue services.

In calculating what Fire/Rescue costs an “average” home owner in the City, the consultant used an average taxable value of $150,510.00 which is the County’s average, instead of the actual City average of $124,567.  While a Stuart condo owner has an average taxable value of $51,677. This substantially alters what the average Stuart homeowner pays for Fire Service from their price of $424 per homeowner to $360. Fitch stated in their report that the average County homeowner pays $365.

65% of our residents pay only the Fire Fee. The new district will have the same fee for everyone county wide. Therefore the vast majority of Stuart’s residential taxpayers will see no difference in their tax bill, unless the proposed new district increases the amount of the fee, which they could. What Stuart taxpayers are guaranteed to experience is a reduction in response times as outlined in the report. Still using the consultant’s numbers here is what elimination of the SFD means financially to the City:

Cost of SFD without administrative costs               $5,010,143

Fire Assessment                                                    ($1,009,857)

Fire Related Revenue                                            ($1,523,750)

Ad Valorem of 1.838                                               ($2,849,286)

City of Stuart loses                                                 ($  372,750)

To make matters worse, the City actually collected $125,000 more in the Fire Fee than the consultant claimed. This would leave a hole in our budget of $500,000. This means that Stuart could not reduce the real estate tax as much as the consultant states in his report. The City would be able to cut 1.3 to 1.4 mills. In a consolidated district the consultant has the millage at 1.4 plus the fire fee. At best the average taxpayer in the City would pay the same but loose having its own home department.

What the numbers do not show is any administrative expense. There are no costs for payroll, finance, human resources, public records or legal. They claim that through consolidated savings, administrative expenses would all be covered. The duplication of a fire chief and a few battalion chiefs won’t cover that expense. The St. Lucie County district spends about $1 million dollar on these personnel costs per year.  Any further savings to our consolidated district would come through reduction in personnel, stations and equipment. The consultant’s report does not even begin to address equipment and stations that need to be transferred and paid for somehow by the new entity.

You may hear that the City will save or the County will save with a new district. Just remember that you, the taxpayer, still pay all the bills regardless of which entity receives the money. Martin County has almost reached the limit that it can increase millage. If the County can succeed in having another district bill Fire/Rescue use then it can remove more than 2.5 mills from their current tax millage. This will allow the County to have more room to increase taxes in general. It is all smoke and mirrors. Stuart and all Martin County taxpayers ultimately receive no break; they will have one more governmental entity….one more line on their tax bill…and less control.

Even in the Fitch study, one of the findings was that stakeholders believed that they were receiving high quality service that are meeting or exceeding expectations. Another of the findings was that stakeholders have a common expectation that current performance should either be maintained or improved. For Stuart taxpayers, businesses and residents consolidation adds response times and looks to ultimately close our station on Martin Luther King, which the City is still paying a bond to construct. This is not in the interest of any of us including Stuart Fire employees, who are also stakeholders.

Another finding of the study was that overall risk is predominantly located in and around the urban areas on the eastern side of the county. That is the definition of the City of Stuart. That’s not where you should be closing stations and reducing response time. When you are having a heart attack (study states 78% of the calls are for medical emergency) do you want to wait another minute or so before help arrives? What happens when you have a fire downtown and the tracks are blocked by an All Aboard train? The closest station on that side of the track will be at Salerno Road. Will we lose all of downtown or have more damage than would have occurred, if the station had remained open on MLK?

Less service, more money and a giant department that is less accountable to the citizens. I am not voting for this. This is an idea that needs to go away. It may be a politician’s dream but not yours.

Déjà Vu…City Hall And The Past, Present And Future!

Posted on by

The staff and City Commission of Stuart are very accommodating to our residents and businesses. That is an excellent characteristic to have. Residents and businesses want to see us go out of our way to help solve problems and accomplish objectives. I like that we are able to go the extra mile and not throw obstacles in the way of responsible change and development.

That is one way where we differ from our counterparts at Martin County. Perhaps because of our smaller size, we can be more trusting than they can.  It is easier to form relationships and know the individuals. I like the atmosphere that our City Hall engenders. I think that, because of our size, even someone who is new to Stuart knows instinctively that there will not be unnecessary impediments placed in his/her way.

There are some individuals at both the County and City that want us to consolidate our administrative functions on one campus. They tout the benefits of us joining forces with the County and Martin County School Board and how economics of scale will save money. What I see is the erosion of our independence. By becoming a cog in the wheel, I see Stuart losing our small town way of doing business. After a while, the perception will be that Stuart is another department within the county structure instead of an independent municipality.

Although some would argue that there is an advantage and savings to consolidation of administrative facilities, I would not. Anything that lessens our independence will only harm us in the long run. No matter how collegial a county commission or school board is at any given moment, it could change at the next election. Even if the agreement between the parties spells out every contingency, there will always be room for disagreement. Do we want to continuously argue with entities that are so much bigger and have larger budgets than we do? We have had inter-local agreements in the past that Martin County has ignored such as Willoughby Extension.

Stuart could always find ways to save money. The ultimate savings would be by un-incorporating. We wouldn’t need a city hall then. We could be like Rio, Jensen Beach or Indiantown without self-governance… without a say. Try calling a county commissioner when you have a problem and see how fast you get a response. The more local government and home rule available to citizens, the better for all of us.

This big rush to decide on proceeding with administrative consolidation is because the Martin County School District must design a new administrative building and build immediately at the High School Avenue campus. Time is ticking and supposed decisions must be made in a hurry. I see Stuart under no such time constraints.  Even if we needed a new building immediately, how do we pay for it?  What do we do with the present City Hall?

Some would say we can either borrow short term or bond the $3 million dollars needed to build this new building. Once we develop or sell the old City Hall site, we could pay off the bond or mortgage (let’s assume by some miracle a referendum allowing sale or lease passes.) As a commissioner, I would not vote to move forward with this project. I do not believe we should become part of any consolidated campus site irrespective of costs and financing. Even if a mystical-magical phantasmagorical hotel developer appeared tomorrow, I would not be in favor of selling our present City Hall.

Does that mean we should never move City Hall? No it does not! I want to see Stuart have an integrated plan for the entire downtown area consisting of the “Old Downtown Area”, Flagler Park area, Colorado Avenue and Ocean Blvd. The plan should include the eventual building of a municipal garage. There are ways to reconfigure streetscapes that would foster development of new building sites. The sale or lease of those sites by the City could allow for the money to build a new City Hall. Where the present City Hall is located would be part of an expanded Flagler Park and access to the water would be maintained for all the people.

I believe in good relations with all the governmental entities in Martin County. I do not believe in perceiving to be or actually being a department of any other government. Stuart’s government has a different culture than Martin County’s government. We relish in our small town atmosphere. We like our quaintness and “Old Florida” panache. This is what we need to promote as we grow. We do not need to turn into another generic South Florida town.

I am not about to vote in favor of spending your money to promote the dreams of others. Any change must further the City, its residents and taxpayers.

 

Does It Matter?

Posted on by

At Monday’s CRA Meeting I was the only board member who voted against extending the “Paint Up Program”. The program using TIF funds gives grants to individual homeowners and businesses to paint the outside of their properties within the CRA. The last time this came before the board, I did vote for it. I thought it was a good program and in many ways it is a good program. Upon further reflection this program came into conflict with my philosophy of using public funds to subsidize work to improve private property.

This program does comply with all applicable laws and regulations governing CRA’s in Florida. My objection is not the legality of the program but the philosophy behind it. I know that to governments $17,000 is not even a drop in a bucket. The amount is not what is critical. it is whether public funds should be used to a enhance private party. There is a noble goal attached to the project but the principle is much more important.

Will the funds being spent in this way add to the value of the property thereby increasing the amount of tax that is being collected? Maybe…and that is the reason CRA’s are created to end blight and ultimately increase tax collection. This program is open to anyone regardless of income. Would I feel differently if there were income limits? Perhaps…But should I?

A noble purpose for having a program does not in itself make the program acceptable (the ends justify the means.) Since I believe that public funds should not be used to enhance private property then logically I could not support this program. If the funds had been used for street paving or sidewalks, I would have no problem.

Does that mean in the future I will always uphold that principle? I hope so. However, as I admitted, I did vote for the project in the past. To some this may seem like a small matter. if you believe something is right, you should uphold it. I promise to try and do just that in the future.

Stuart Lawsuits Won’t Clean Our River

Posted on by

I live on the Saint Lucie River in Stuart. I see the devastation that the release of water from Lake Okeechobee brings literally to my backyard. I hate it! As a Stuart City Commissioner, I lobby our representatives in Tallahassee and Washington to clean up the mess that is the Saint Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon.

In the Stuart News, a guest column appeared by Mac Stuckey, a Martin County resident. He demands that the City of Stuart hire an environmental attorney and staff to file complaints, make noise and I presume to commence lawsuits against Florida, Washington and anyone else that has some blame. He mentions that we would do so because of Stuart’s police powers to pass ordinances for the welfare of our citizens. Under that authority, the city has passed ordinances to limit the use of septic systems and fertilizer. Mr. Stuckey states that this will not even make a dent. He is largely correct. I agree with him because the Indian River Lagoon and the St. Lucie River comprises hundreds of miles of shore line, and Stuart only has approximately 2 miles bordering these waterways.

On the Treasure Coast alone, there are 13 municipalities and 4 counties which border the Lagoon, River and Lake. The Lagoon itself is a much larger area including, but not limited to, Volusia and Brevard counties, and I don’t know how many cities and towns. What I don’t understand is why Mr. Stuckey believes that Stuart, with 16,000 residents, should spend $500,000 of our taxpayers’ dollars to hire staff to commence law suits, etc., when the problem is much bigger than just our one small community.

Stuart is proud of its environmental record such as completing our 15 year BMAP in the first year. Just last week, the commission passed a resolution supporting a compact formed by the League of Treasure Coast Cities, The League of Sun Coast Cities and League of Space Coast Cities to lobby for these very things mentioned by Mr. Stuckey in Tallahassee and Washington. We also support Martin County’s (Stuart is part of the county and our residents pay county taxes) participation and leadership in the Indian River Lagoon Council.

The tactics that the article promotes will not accomplish anything except be a burden to Stuart’s taxpayers. It is much more practical to work with organizations like the River Coalition, which meets in Stuart’s chamber, to achieve progress. Not being an attorney, my first reaction is not to begin expensive and fruitless litigation. I prefer working with other governmental entities and private groups to further a solution.

The people can vote against their current state and federal representatives in the upcoming elections if they are not satisfied with their performance in this matter. This problem did not occur overnight and will not be solved in a day. A constant amount of political pressure must be applied at all levels of government to achieve those goals outlined in Mr. Stuckey’s guest editorial. While Lake Okeechobee releases are a significant problem for Stuart, litigating with the United States and Florida governments would only lead to tax hikes for our residents and businesses.

Since 1956 the year that Mr. Stuckey came here, Stuart has not grown much in population or land mass as compared to other cities on the Treasure Coast. The City of Port Saint Lucie, which today is the 9th largest city in Florida with over 170,000 in population, did not exist. Fort Pierce is on the Indian River Lagoon and has three times our population. The City of Stuart’s median income is $24,000. What Mr. Stuckey proposes would be close to spending 5% of our entire budget.

This problem needs to be tackled as a region…a state…and a nation. I believe the political process would be more successful than litigation. We need to express ourselves through the ballot box not the courthouse. The voters give the elected representatives the power not the special interests. Let us stop thinking in terms of party affiliation instead of governing philosophies. More of us need to become involved in government and civic organizations. Participation and lobbying of our governments in Tallahassee and Washington would be much more productive.

Our County Commission Races

Posted on by

Martin County is in the midst of elections for three county commission seats. All three of the current commissioners, John Haddox, Doug Smith and Anne Scott, are running for re-election.  Each incumbent has two other candidates vying for their respective seats. Who you should vote for depends on what positions and qualities you want to have in a county commissioner.

As a city commissioner and resident of Stuart, it is very important to me what each candidate’s views on city/county issues are. For example, will the candidate, if elected, work with Stuart to move the city and county forward for the benefit of all residents. The recent vote on the Willoughby extension is illustrative. The city and county has a binding agreement for the county to complete the road. The city, as part of our agreement, paid the county over a half million dollars toward the project. Stuart, further as agreed, obtained rights of way and did wet land mitigation work. Chair Scott, along with Commissioners Fielding and Heard, voted not to go forward. Why then would I vote and support Anne Scott for re-election when she voted not to proceed on this project and reneged on this agreement? How can I trust Ms. Scott on any other agreement we would make.

Over and over, Commissioner Smith has voted against the city’s interest in his tenure as a county commissioner. He has shown a total disregard for issues affecting our city even though he represents a portion of Stuart. Similar to some other county commissioners’ views, he forgets that we are not a ward of the county. Stuart is an independent municipal corporation. His misunderstanding of a city’s role would lead me to support Jacqui Thurlow-Lippisch. She is a Sewall’s Point councilperson and former mayor. She understands what municipalities stand for and how both governments can work together for the common good.

In respect to the District 5 race, Commissioner John Haddox understands what cities are about. He has reached out to me as a city commissioner. John has the ability to look at issues individually and base his decision on the facts before him. What more can you ask of a commissioner? I don’t always agree with John, but I know he has no hidden agenda. He understands that governing should be without prejudice and pre-conceived notions.

Every elected county commissioner should base their votes on what they perceive is best for the entire community. You will never have a commissioner agree with you 100% of the time. There does need to be commonality of interest. Ultimately, they should represent your interests more often than not. If you believe a candidate does, then you should elect or re-elect that individual.

RailRoads Different Yesterday and Today

Posted on by

If you are an American, you can’t help but be nostalgic when you hear a train whistle. It is in our DNA to wonder where that train is bound whenever we hear that plaintiff hollow tune.  How many old men become young boys when they remember Christmas and their Lionel Train sets?

For over a hundred years beginning in the mid nineteenth century, trains meant freedom. It was the way America travelled. Our everyday mundane life was swept away.  White coated waiters were synonymous with dinner in the diner and nothing could be finer. Trains not only took you from hearth and home but brought you back to your loved one. Some of us can still remember taking a trip on a train, dressed in our Sunday best. Some spent the night sitting up because we couldn’t afford a berth never mind a private compartment.

The railroad was what gave life to Stuart and all the towns up and down the line.  It enabled growth and economic prosperity. The train connected the town to the outside world when there were no phones and no highways. The tracks coming down the center of town meant progress and served as a statement of arrival. Civilization, convenience and conviviality all met at the depot. Anyone coming or leaving had to pass through. News was gathered and sometimes made. Children dreamt of an outside world that perhaps someday they would see by hopping aboard the 11:33.

But we no longer live in 1850 or 1900 or even 1968 when the last passenger train went quietly away. The Stuart depot is long gone, and I can’t even imagine our city ever having one again (even though the promise is sometimes hinted at by railroad officials). Passenger trains have always been money losers. Even in the Wild West days, the railroad made their money by freight and by selling the land that they received free from the government to new settlers and immigrants along their right-a-way.

Perhaps BrightLine or All Aboard Florida or FEC or the Fortress Group have found a secret way to make people moving pay. I suspect not. I suspect like so many things that modern Stuart faces…it is really all about greed. They claim that they own the land. They are private. They are a capitalistic, free market enterprise. But in truth, they are just one more pig at the taxpayer trough. It is easier to buy political acquiescence and influence than to have a truly great new idea. Like all crony capitalists, they are looking for one more handout…one more welfare check.

The railroad whistle no longer has the romantic sound that it once had for me. The train will not take me to faraway places or introduce me to new and exciting adventures. I have grown up. What is also true is that Stuart and the rest of the Treasure Coast have grown up as well. This venture will only cause us harm. It brings nothing but expense, inconvenience and will act as a noose around our necks. We need to make sure that those in Tallahassee and Washington pay a price, regardless of party affiliation, for their actions.

This is not a done deal.

Stuart and A Micro Transit System

Posted on by

Since we choose to live within the geographical boundaries of Stuart, our property taxes are a bit higher than if we lived in unincorporated Martin County. For that small additional amount, we receive enhanced municipal services such as shorter police response times. It is far easier to obtain permits or open a business within city limits than in the county. Stuart is the county seat and in actuality the only full service municipality within Martin County.

Martin County provides what they term “public transit.” The system operates Monday to Friday from about 7am to 7pm. It does not run on the weekends or holidays. There are three routes within the county and an express route which travels four times a day to the Gardens Mall in Palm Beach County.  For the most part, you rarely see more than one or two people in a bus at any time. There are definitely reasons for the lack of ridership.

Stuart’s downtown trams move about the same number of people per year than the county wide system. For any public transit system to be successful in moving large numbers of riders, there needs to be a few essential elements. First, it must take the riders where they want to go. Depending on the demographic served, transit provides a way to bring people to where they are employed, shop, have appointments or are entertained.

Second, the system must be reliable. The public has to know they can safely return home and not worry about missing the last bus because it leaves at 5:00 pm. Therefore, frequency and the duration of the hours of operation are important. This is especially true if you are counting on public transportation to take you to and from work.

There also needs to be enough people or density within the geographic framework of the transit district to allow for the system to operate efficiently and be sustainable. Unfortunately, unincorporated Martin County lacks every element to having a full functioning public transit system. However, the City of Stuart has all the elements in place.

We are geographically contained. Our routes can be relatively short in duration allowing for the frequency needed to move a large number of people. A public transportation system can allow seniors to remain in their homes longer and be self-sufficient. Whether it is to visit a doctor or to the grocery store, seniors will be able to do that. A system can allow a person to leave his/her car home and go to work …no parking space needed. Teenagers can have the ability to visit a friend, go shopping or get to an after-school job without parental involvement. Someone can use the tram or bus to eat downtown and safely return home without the worry of parking or a having that extra glass of wine.

Our entire city becomes more desirable and livable. It can be an example for other cities to follow.  Imagine attracting young and middle aged families and singles because it would be necessary to own only one car. Teens and seniors would have the ability to get from Point A to Point B allowing for independence for these two diverse groups. Stuart could be known as the most livable city within Florida.

A commitment would be necessary by all residents that a true public transportation system is achievable and doable. It will not be accomplished tomorrow but will take a decade to be fully implemented. The city would also need to come up with funding sources. New routes would have to be thought out and be integrated with existing ones.

Stuart currently has a system that serves the needs of downtown.  The vast majority of our residents have not used that system. I believe it is time to have every resident be able to use a true micro-transit system within Stuart. We can have a future that serves our existing population and one that will be able to attract new residents. Then we would truly be a full service city.