Category Archives: Martin County

Stuart and A Micro Transit System

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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.

Thoughts on Consolidation

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I am eagerly awaiting the report on the fire/rescue consolidation from the consultant. At the same time, I am becoming more and more concerned with the current conditions at Martin County’s Fire/Rescue Department.  The county commission and their department have been at  a contract impasse since last December. Both sides are at odds over a variety of issues critical to maintaining a functioning department. As time progresses I am uneasy about Stuart becoming involved with what appears to be an economic and, perhaps, operational nightmare.

The city has completed contract negotiations with our fire/rescue department. I believe the final contract represents a fair and equitable deal for both the employees and the city. I attended some of those bargaining sessions, which are open to the public, as a silent observer.  I can report that, though at times tense, both sides conducted themselves professionally throughout. The outcome is while employees received increases; our operating costs are still less than Martin County’s.

According to the Martin County Firefighters and Paramedics’ Union president, the county has already expended 107% of the overtime budget. The city and their firefighters/EMS employees, by working together, have decreased our own overtime costs substantially. According to the county’s union, the county is on track to lose 20% of their employees by May of 2016. This fact has been disputed by the county administrator. On the other hand, the city has not had employee attrition anywhere close to the county’s level, and our rate has remained fairly constant from year to year.

From what I have been told, Stuart’s two fire-rescue facilities are the most active within Martin County.  The vast majority of the calls are accident and medical related. We had only a smattering of house fires last year with a few brush fires. The City of Stuart has a paid agreement with Sewall’s Point to answer their fire/rescue emergencies, and those responses are counted in our statistics.

As a city commissioner, my only concern is how any consolidation or merger will affect Stuart’s residents and taxpayers. As of today, each commissioner and the management staffs have had briefings on the consultant’s progress but nothing has been given to us in writing. When a report is finally issued, I will need to study the data to make sure that whatever the recommendations are they will be based on using similar criteria. Currently, the budgeting and management criteria are accounted for differently within the city’s and the county’s budgets.

There are differences in health, PTO  and pension obligations. How the entities  pay to have equipment replaced and what happens to those funds in the future. Administration, finance, payroll and legal expenses are accounted for differently (Stuart allocates proportions of those expenses directly in the Fire/ Rescue budget while the county does not). In making a financial determination, not only do these costs have to be equalized for a merger or consolidation today, but we will need to know what will be the costs to Stuart’s residents, businesses and taxpayers going forward. The county already is near its millage cap so how we pay for any new department or consolidation is critical to analyse and understand.

Another question to be answered is how Stuart will do best operationally. As I said above, we have very good service. If you call with a medical emergency (the overwhelming majority of calls are just that), response times are excellent and the care received is outstanding. We currently have a station on either side of the tracks and, with the BrightLine looming, that is an important consideration. If Stuart were to give up operational control, we may not have a station on both sides of the tracks to respond for all our residents in the future.

Any decision made will be critical to how Stuart evolves and develops. If we disband our independent department, we won’t be able to return to having one. If Stuart does decide to consolidate or merge, it will be important that the new department be formed in a way that gives Stuart’s 16,000 residents some meaningful political representation into both operations and financing aspects of the new department.  Looking at the county fire/rescue department situation today, it gives me pause going forward.

Currently, as a Stuart commissioner and a resident, I know what our department costs and how it responds. To change that, I would have to be convinced the outcome for the city would be better for response times, financially and operationally. This will probably be the most difficult decision that I will make as a commissioner since I was elected. It is not a decision that I will take without much thought and deliberation.

Here We Are Once Again

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“Here” we are once again. This year a little earlier than usual we have arrived “here”. We are in a place where we really do not need to be though all the same “here”.  How often can we be “here” without destroying our way of life and the why we live in Martin County? The killing of our estuary seems to be as inevitable as the water flowing to the ocean via the St. Lucie. So we find ourselves once more in this predicament.

Washington and Tallahassee keep promising to do something. The governor wants the Corp to stop the discharges from Lake Okeechobee into the Caloosahatchee and the St. Lucie. But the governor has done nothing more but paid lip service to our plight. He is not a serious man when it comes to this “problem”. I wrote President Obama three years ago about our river and six months later received a form letter back siting his accomplishments on protecting the environment throughout the country but no acknowledgement of the Indian River Lagoon’s impending death. He is not a serious man when it comes to this “problem”.

Senator Rubio held a press conference here in Stuart. He sat in our city commission chamber and listened to the experts. He promised to fight to end these discharges. The senator was going to come back and report bi-monthly. I guess becoming president became more important. He is not a serious man when it comes to this “problem”.

Representative Harrell and Senator Negron have modestly proposed measures that may bring some relief to the “problem”. Will it be enough help to prevent the death of the rivers and estuaries remains to be seen? We, the people of Florida, did our part; we passed a constitutional amendment to spend money on this “problem”. Unfortunately the powers that be in Tallahassee would rather use the funds for other things and ignore the will of the people. Citizens are only an impediment to the pols getting what they want.

Every year the beauty that is Stuart and Martin County becomes a little less so. Another reason that we are living in this place is gone. The concentration of political power in both Tallahassee and Washington allows for the flaunting of the people’s will. Are we mad enough to really do anything about it? Or will our anger revert to type and once again be manipulated by party hacks and labels. We, the voters, do the same thing over and over and somehow expect a different outcome. In the meantime “here” we are once again.

 

Nothing Is Perfect

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Each of us believes we have the answers to the problems besetting our county, state and nation. We are convinced that the other person’s ideas are not only wrong but dangerous. Some impugn the character and motives of people whose solutions disagree with their own. If an alternative solution contradicts their ideas, a few would rather see nothing done.

This denigration of motive and character of those with whom we disagree leads to paralysis in solving the problems that confront us. A good example of this is the problems affecting Florida’s waterways. From our natural springs to the Indian River Lagoon to the Everglades, there are no easy, quick or inexpensive answers. What we cannot afford is to continue a war among us which results in nothing being accomplished.

I would love to have the Kissimmee go back to what it once was. Imagine how pure the water would be if the ranches and farms along its banks would return to savannahs and the towns and cities would all disappear. Lake Okeechobee’s wall could come down, the canals disappear and the area south be returned to swamp instead of developments, farms and sugarcane. Do I really have an expectation that this dream will come true…sorry to say, the answer is no. That leaves two alternatives which is doing nothing short of achieving 100% of one’s own solution or working with others to have more modest yet realistic outcomes achieved.

To me it doesn’t mean we stop advocating and working toward restoring the natural flow to our waterways. In the interim we need to use any means necessary to prevent further denigration of those waterways. An example is the Caulkins’ Water Farm off the C-44 canal. Having seen the farm first hand, I now understand better the negatives and positives to moving forward with this use. The farm is on the canal and has the pumps and gates to allow the water to flow to the farm immediately. Their research shows that its 3200 acres can hold about 45% of the excess water in the C-44 from Lake Okeechobee releases. It would prevent that water from contaminating the Saint Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon.

The water farm is not the final solution to this problem. It is a stop gap measure in the fight to save our waterways. An ultimate grand plan will only be achieved if we accept small steps in going forward. Let’s press on with the goal of moving the water south. The way to do so is by not making more enemies but by making and converting more people into friends for our cause.

County-City Relations In 2016

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Where are Martin County and the City of Stuart heading in 2016? I hope we will be more in alignment with common goals, but I would tend to doubt that. Unfortunately, on almost every issue that confronts the city, the county has a different point of view than the city. Much it has to do with the majority of the county commissioners not fully understanding the legal relationship between the two entities.

The majority of the county commission has the perception that we, at the city, are their subordinates. This could not be farther from reality. Not only is Stuart completely independent, but that independence is derived by a charter granted by the legislature. Any shared funding (such as sales tax revenue) is determined by state statute and is not within the fiat of the county commission to decide.

The county is a political arm of the state which has constitutional offices providing statutory services such as tax collection, voter registration, courts and legal records, property appraisal and the sheriff. Counties were created to allow state governing functions to occur closer to citizens. Counties were to provide a basic framework of government for unincorporated rural areas with few people. Municipalities were where the bulk of commerce was to take place and people were to live.

Unfortunately, what happened in Martin County (as in a few other counties) was an exponential increase in population without the formation of municipalities. This has led to the county providing municipal services to rural, suburban and urban areas regardless of the individual area’s need for such services. While Rio or the Martin Downs Blvd Corridor of Palm City may require a professional fire/rescue response, the ranches of the western county may need only a volunteer level of service. Yet, because of the urbanization of services, both receive the same level of response regardless of cost or need.

The entire urbanization of county government has resulted in some county commissioners feeling that they are in competition with Stuart. We actually are two different forms of governmental entities that should provide different services to our mutual constituents. The failure of some of the county commission to recognize this fact has led to friction between our two entities. From CRA expansion to annexation, the county’s attitude has resulted in resentment on both sides.

As an example the county commission requested a joint meeting with the city commission regarding the CRA expansion. Under the law, the county has no right to block the expansion, but they do have the right to present to the city how they would have used any increase in tax receipts if no expansion occurred. Instead, the county commission had their staff give a presentation that had nothing to do with anticipated use of those particular funds. They further showed a total disrespect for what was supposedly a joint meeting by allowing public comment on an issue that had nothing to do with the CRA expansion. It showed to me a complete lack of understanding of what their role is under our system.

Without this understanding of what the county’s responsibilities are as it pertains to municipalities, we will continue to have difficulties in 2016.  Each of us should be carrying out our respective duties for the betterment of our mutual constituents. Not all our county commissioners regard Stuart as an enemy. Some realize that Stuart can provide services more efficiently and inexpensively because of our urban density. An annexation or CRA expansion ultimately benefits the entire county. With this subset of county commissioners, we can work to benefit all in the county.  This is not a zero sum equation of I win you lose. Rather each entity has strengths that can add value without taking away from either the municipality or the unincorporated areas.

Do We Need “Open Carry”

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As a kid, I would play “cowboys and Indians” or “soldiers” with my siblings and friends. All of us in the neighborhood would be involved. Even girls could be Dale Evans and fire a gun. Right after Christmas or a birthday, we would have new toy guns but as the year went by sticks or broom handles would substitute for our lost or broken make-believe weapons. We were kids running around the sidewalk or park making explosive sounds and playing dead.

Then one day, I was no longer interested in playing with toy guns. I grew older and other things occupied my time and imagination. But somewhere in the back of every man’s mind is the little boy who wants to play at being that cowboy again…Wyatt Earp with a six shooter in a holster strapped to his hip. For what else could explain why the third most populous state in the nation is so obsessed with guns and especially what is known as “open carry.”

I believe in second amendment rights. Law abiding citizens do have a right to own and possess fire arms. I have a concealed weapons permit. I can’t remember the last time I carried a weapon outside my home; but I want the right to do so. I should be able to defend myself and my family if needed. But I am not a law enforcement officer nor do I desire to “play” one in real life.

So why do we need “open carry” in Florida? Do we really have some inordinate fear or vulnerability that we would need to have a Glock 43 holstered at the hip? Will this make us safer as a an individual or a society? I think not.

Law enforcement professionals receive hours and hours of training in the art of firing and holstering a weapon. Proper procedure and technique is drilled into them before being sworn and throughout their careers. Because of their training, officers are better able to know when the use of deadly force is appropriate. The average person does not have this extensive training, and the vast majority of us do not have the required temperament.

Florida leads the nation in concealed weapons permits at 1.3 million. When a weapon is concealed, the carrier has an advantage. The person can defend himself if necessary and if he believes his life is in danger. No one knows you are armed. You are far more able to walk away from situations that may not, at its inception, be life threatening. Once you take it upon yourself to openly carry a weapon, you may be putting yourself in situations where you are provoking a problem.

What happens during a traffic stop and the police officer sees you are carrying a weapon? Now, when the officer approaches, if you have a weapon in your glove box or concealed on your person, you have an opportunity to calmly tell the officer that you pose no threat. If you carry in the open, that stop may become quite deadly. Misunderstandings occur. With guns in the mix, there is a far greater chance of deadly force being used.

You know the first thing Wyatt and his brothers did when they became deputies or marshals in a place was to make sure no one was carrying a gun within town limits. Common sense dictates some sensible measures for the common good. Crime has never been lower. In Stuart or Port Saint Lucie or anywhere on the Treasure Coast, will we be better served by the openly carrying of weapons? I think not. Let’s leave the make believe to the kids and the law enforcement to the professionals.

What Annexation Really Is!

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In this morning’s Stuart News, a letter appeared regarding the city’s recent annexation of a parcel on Federal Highway. As a member of the City Commission, I did vote for the annexation. Unfortunately, the letter writer is misinformed on several matters regarding that particular annexation and annexation under Florida statute.

Annexation is allowed under Florida statute when a property owner petitions a municipality to be allowed into the city. The municipality then has the option of incorporating the parcel or not if that parcel meets the criteria of the statute and the municipality decides that it is in the interest of the city to do so. Annexation is permitted and encouraged under the law in order to expand municipal services to newly urbanized areas outside the current geographical boundaries of the city. Unfortunately, too many people in Martin County do not understand the differences between municipalities and county governmental functions … including a few county commissioners.

Counties were never meant to be anything other than local arms of state government. That is why each county has a sheriff, property appraiser, supervisor of elections, tax collector and clerk of the court. Each of those functions carries out state duties as recognized by our state constitution and statutes. The state government is making sure that state residents have vital state services throughout Florida. Counties are a political arm or subdivision of Tallahassee.

Municipalities are the local governments. They were meant to provide urban services such as water and sewer, fire/rescue and a host of others. As population grows and demand increases for such services, then annexation of newly urban areas (if contiguous) are supposed to occur. In non-contiguous areas, then new municipalities should be formed in order to provide urban services as outlined by statute. Unfortunately, Martin County wants not only to be a county government but also a municipal one. This is the root of why the county currently has an unsustainable budget.

I most certainly do not want to emulate the unbridled growth to our south. But if you were to look at Palm Beach County, there are 38 municipalities representing the local views of 38 distinct areas. Martin County has 4 municipalities. Instead of encouraging annexation and the formation of more municipal governments to provide urban services, county government is trying to do so.

In all instances of providing urban services, the county is less efficient than Stuart. For instance, it costs homeowners roughly 50% more to hook up to a county sewer than a homeowner in the city. In every instance, from fire/rescue to police to roads, the city provides urban services cheaper and more efficiently.

A city is able to do this for several reasons. The first is because we operate within a compact geographical area with higher density than most of the county. In most cases, the county has taken on the duties and responsibilities of providing services to all unincorporated areas regardless of density. A paid fire/rescue department was never meant to respond to fires or accidents in rural areas…volunteer departments were.

The second reason that the city is able to keep costs in check is because it has a locally elected body in charge that is close to the people. I, as a city commissioner, represent a little over 16,000 people as opposed to the more than 160,000 people in the county. I know the different neighborhoods and constituencies very well. I hear from residents in the supermarket and at the doctor’s office. People see me at the park and at their kid’s school. My cell phone number is on my business card. I am accessible. I try to make sure that every penny collected from the limited number of taxpayers Stuart has is spent in accordance with their wishes.

Finally, since the government is so much closer to the people, we only provide those services that the local population wants and is willing to pay to have. This is in stark contrast to county government where there is no differentiation in what is provided to Indiantown or Rio. Each is a distinctive community, but there is no local representative government or any variation in the tax rate for providing those services whether wanted or not. It costs more to respond to a fire in rural Martin than in Salerno.

The last misconception regarding annexation that should be cleared up is the notion that the property is taken away from Martin County. To the contrary, Stuart and the three municipalities are all in and a part of Martin County. Municipal residents pay taxes to Martin County. We vote for county commissioners and the constitutional officers.  Every person and parcel, even those in a municipality, is part of the county.

In the particular annexation referenced by the letter writer in the newspaper, I would say the development that is now proposed for that site is a far cry better than what they could have built under county zoning. Under the county rules, a 24 hour convenience store could have been built. Under the county rules, a restaurant/bar with music could have been located there. The county’s zoning would have resulted in double the retail area that we granted. Yes, it is true under the county’s zoning; the developer would have had a 60 room hotel instead of the 80 rooms that the city allowed. But I am sure the residents of Palm Lake Park would rather have a well buffered hotel than a night spot with music until 2 a.m.  Even though we do not represent the Palm Lake residents, the city commission exacted better uses from the developer than what was permitted under county zoning. It was a win for the county because of the increased sales, property and bed taxes, a win for the Lake Park homeowners because of our requirements in uses, buffering and setbacks, and a win for the city in increased property taxes.

What Is Our Future

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Most of us, including myself, have an innate fear of the new. We look to the past as if life were better “then”. People were nicer, the grass was greener and there was a certainty of right which we see as missing in the present. How it was is usually seen through the prism of nostalgia without the facts and basis of reality. As R. A. Salvatore wrote in one of his books, “How many people long ‘for that past, simpler, and better world’, I wonder, without ever recognizing the truth that perhaps it was they who were simpler and better, and not the world about them?”

Fearing the new, while natural, is limiting if we allow that fear to stop us from obtaining our rightful and true future. Time does not stop. The future will become the present in a second and then the past a second later. By inclination and training, I believe in the study of history. To quote Shakespeare, “What is past is prologue.” We should be cognizant of our past but not dwell within it. Life is not static; it is dynamic. Good or bad, our future depends on seeing clearly and acting in the present so as not to be consigned to a doubtful and unsustainable future. The continuation of Stuart as a city is not pre-ordained. To have a future, Stuart must work and plan to achieve it.

Martin County and Stuart are at a crossroad. Some would take us headlong into a future that looks like 1960’s American sprawl with one story shopping centers and dwelling upon dwelling on one acre plots, without care or thought to the roads and other infrastructure needed. This type of development leads to a devastation of our environment and a banality of our souls. The United States no longer looks like the Brady Bunch family and never really did.

Another faction would bury us in a past that was adequate for a city and county of 30, 40 or 50 years ago. This was a supposed idyllic time, where everyone was content and and the kids all played baseball in our parks. There were 60 distinct businesses in East Stuart and downtown had a Rexall and department store. But in truth, those businesses in East Stuart were products of segregation and shopping downtown with limited choices was more a chore than a pleasure.

Both those visions of the future are shaded by a past that was not idyllic. We cannot build a future on a history that never was. We have to learn from the factual past. Residents must recognize the social, fiscal and technological realities of today in order to take us to our rightful tomorrow.  That tomorrow should be sustainable and affordable for our county, city and …. our children.

We can remember our past and build upon it but not to the exclusion of the steps necessary to have a future. Martin County cannot afford to have no growth. The growth can occur within the Urban Service Boundary by doing infill development and repurposing old one story commercial and residential structures. Stuart needs to increase population and become geographically larger. The number of current residents cannot afford to sustain the operations of the city. We need growth, and we can do so without sacrificing our Florida charm or heritage.

Our county, and especially Stuart, will not look the same in coming decades. As a community and government, we can either have a modicum of control or abdicate our responsibilities for a viable future. I believe in a Stuart and Martin County where people will be able and want to visit and live. A place where there are jobs and opportunity. Those things cannot be accomplished by wishing for a past that we think we remember. We cannot afford to base our future on nostalgia or unrealistic economic dreams.

Can Martin County Represent All of Us?

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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.

Be On Guard!

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As another legislative session approaches in Tallahassee, it is once again time to be on guard for legislation that, if enacted, will diminish local control. Local control is so very important because it places decision making as close to the citizen as possible. The U.S. is not a direct democracy but rather a representative democracy where the voters elect representatives to make policy and law in their names. The farther political power is removed from the citizens, the easier it becomes for those representatives to disregard the will of the people. Local control allows the people, through local representatives, to initiate solutions that best fit their localities.

Our entire system of government is one of balance. In our federal structure, no one branch can become too powerful as to be tyrannical. The ongoing struggle between states’ rights and federal supremacy is to limit the power of both. This results in a competitive tension that serves the people best. However, states and their political subdivisions (e.g. municipalities and counties) are different than the relationship between federal and state governments. Local governments only exist as creatures created by state governments.

We often hear of the Law of Unintended Consequences. This happens when the legislature mandates that local government must provide or pay for something without the state giving the locality the necessary funding to accomplish the task. This results in less money available to do what the locality wants or needs to do. Similarly this can occur when the legislature passes a bill that supersedes local control in a particular area. An example is the case of regulating short term rentals. Why is the state involved in this very local matter? By not allowing local control of rentals the local market may suffer economically. If the citizens of Vero, through their local governmental body, pass an ordinance that all leases must be for at least six months, why should the legislature care? If an ordinance such as this goes against the will of the community, then it would not be enacted. If the local elected body insisted, they would most likely lose their seats in the next election. The constitutional rights of any aggrieved party are protected through the courts.

By thwarting a city from exercising local control within their boundaries, the legislature perverts the very idea of democracy. One size does not fit all. The beauty of the American system is that one citizen can make a difference within his/her community. A single person does have the power to exert influence on local government. As a nation and a state, we must stop the concentration of power in the hands of a few…no matter how good their intentions.

I urge the legislature and governor to stop and think before enacting a law or promulgating a regulation which mandates what a locality must do or is prohibited from doing. They need to ask whether this either real or perceived problem is something that can be handled more effectively and efficiently at the local level. Does the state have a compelling reason and/or interest in preventing a county or city from doing something…whether it is raising revenue or passing an ordinance?

“That government is best that governs least” is as valid today as it was when the quote was attributed to Jefferson over 200 years ago. The farther the governmental body is from the electorate, the less it should impose its will on the citizens. C.K. Chesterton wrote in What I Saw In America “The only purely popular government is local, and founded on local knowledge. The citizens can rule the city because they know the city; but it will always be an exceptional sort of citizen who has or claims the right to rule over ten cities…” We all should remember that.