Category Archives: Sustainable Growth

My Governing Philosophy

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My Governing Philosophy

I could not adequately represent the voters and residents of Stuart without having a clear and understandable set of governing principles. By that, I don’t mean the kind of empty platitudes you see on campaign literature. Rhetoric such as “strong leader” or “good government” are nothing more than hackneyed phrases and mean nothing. When choosing a candidate is the voter ever looking for a weak leader or bad government?

When gauging a true philosophy, one could look to party affiliation. In today’s world, a political party is more tribal in nature than a set of principles to guide a decision. Gallup, in a recent poll conducted in early October of this year, shows that 24% of the electorate consider themselves Republican, 31% Democrat and 42% Independent. As we have seen there is a wide gap in philosophy between the Brannonites and the McConnell wing in the Republican Party and an equally large gap between Bernie Sanders followers and those of Hillary Clinton with the Democrats.

So here is my governing philosophy in representing the people of Stuart:

I will always be your advocate with the City’s staff in solving a problem. When voting on a matter, I will do what I perceive is best for all of Stuart over one individual or group of individuals. I will not vote in favor of something just to “get along.” I will not condone the frivolous use of tax dollars. That does not mean I will vote to cut or not raise taxes when doing so is appropriate. We need to pay for services that the City provides in a manner that does not spend down our reserves. That’s one of the reasons I voted against the current budget.

In representing you, the citizens of the City, I will fight for your interests. Even if by doing so I make enemies within our staff, at Martin County government, the state legislature, and my fellow board members. I don’t take campaign contributions, so I am not beholden to anyone. I am not running for a higher office, so I don’t need to subordinate your interest to achieve that goal. I do not work or operate a business within Martin County, so there is nothing to suggest I have an ulterior motive in any vote I cast.

I want to help our existing businesses, and any new businesses that come to town, succeed. We cannot have an economically healthy or vibrant city without a strong and diverse base. But every job created or business opened needs, in some way, to add to the overall good of the City. Presently we have more jobs based in Stuart than residents actually employed in those jobs. We need, through innovative policies, to make it possible for more residents to be able to work and live within our boundaries.

In short, my governing philosophy is you. The residents, voters, and citizens of the City of Stuart are my concern.  All the ethics codes enacted and sunshine laws passed do not amount to a hill of beans if the people we elect have no inner sense of right or wrong. The mark of responsibility is how you act consistently, whether the public is watching or not.

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.

Stuart’s 2018 Budget Should be Studied Carefully

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In my last post, I wrote how the state budget and mandates were affecting local municipal budgets. In this post, I want to discuss Stuart’s upcoming budget for fiscal year 2018. When I look at the trends, I am not pleased with the direction we are heading. I think the City is not looking toward the future but is rather planning no further than the present.

When I look at the total expenditures for 2018, the overall budget is increasing by $172,760. This is a modest increase. However, when delving into individual line items, a different picture emerges. Personnel costs are increasing by $780,064 while operating expenses are decreasing by $169,546 and capital outlays are $483,327 less than 2017. This frightens me because once employees are given raises; it is very difficult to cut pay. Instead, to close future budgets, you lay off employees. Though we do have reserves for the purchase of capital items, once exhausted those funds will have to be replenished.

On the income side, the City has reduced the millage rate a negligible amount from 4.552 to 4.5. This results in a savings of $5 for the median homeowner. The total amount to Stuart’s overall revenue is $110,000. It should be noted that because of increased value of properties, Ad valorem is still projected to increase by $268,000 in 2018. With this projected increase, the City is still collecting $1,000,000 less than it collected in 2009 in the amount of $9,255,000.

As I wrote in an earlier post, next year there will be a new additional $25,000 homestead exemption on the ballot. According to the Property Appraiser’s projections, if passed, this exemption will further decrease Ad valorem tax by an additional $157,000. Further, at some point there will be another recession which will lower property values resulting in less real estate taxes being collected. Because the legislature has enacted complicated rules having to do with how much taxes and millage can rise at any one time, we may once again be forced to impose severe layoffs and reductions in maintenance to our roads and parks because of the City’s inability to levy increases.

I would have preferred that Stuart not cut the millage and instead place the $110,000 into a “rainy day” fund. The median savings per household of $5.00 is in today’s currency the cost of a cup or two of coffee. Further, because of the loss of the $187,000 in rent from the vacating 7-11, any increase in taxes due to property value increases is negated by these two offsets. Unfortunately, I was the only commissioner that thought it imprudent to lower the millage rate this year.

It is my belief that governments should not plan budgets based on political or short sighted goals. Rather, our goal should be to keep both services and taxes on an even keel. Smart and responsible fiscal policies need to cause the least disruption and uncertainty to our taxpayers, residents and businesses. The more we can do that, the better we are serving those stakeholders.

The Battle of the Chickens

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There is a battle brewing in Stuart known as the “Battle of the Chickens.”  I never thought the city commission, and especially the staff, would be spending such an inordinate amount of time over this issue. What is at stake is whether residents in single family homes can legally have chickens in their backyards. There are passionate supporters on both sides of the chicken controversy.

It all began last year when a group of residents approached the city and asked about keeping chickens. Ground Floor Farms, our urban farm, spearheaded the effort. After two or three meetings it was decided to allow Ground Floor Farms to keep up to 30 chickens in a coop that is fenced. The farm was to be ground zero for our experiment. The commission agreed to address back yard chickens at a later date.

I was not in favor of back yard chickens last year. In fact, I thought it was a dumb idea. But over that year, I have visited Ground Floor Farm and spoke to others who sincerely wanted the ability to have a few chickens. I now believe that it is something that should not be banned.

Why should chickens be outlawed? My neighbor has an outdoor aviary. Why is it permissible to have a parrot or other type bird but not a chicken. Dogs or cats are no problem but a chicken is? Why should gallus domesticus be treated differently within Stuart? I just couldn’t come up with a good reason.

The proposed ordinance was adapted from St. Petersburg’s ordinance. St. Petersburg allows 10 fowl of any kind on a lot while Stuart caps the number at 4 chickens. There are no roosters and the coops and runs must be in the back yard hidden by a 6 foot wall or opaque fence. St. Petersburg has a population 16 times our size. There are at least 35 other municipalities in Florida that allow chickens including Sarasota, Pensacola and Tallahassee.

So why is there such a controversy over chickens? It seems that it could be generational. Some baby boomers believe chickens don’t belong within an urban environment. However, as our urban farm has proved the definition of what does and doesn’t belong within a city is broadening and expanding. The proponents are in their 30’s who have young children. They want to give their offspring hands-on learning experiences. Should they have to move to unincorporated Martin County to do so? I don’t think it is good policy to chase the future from the city.

At our commission meeting on Monday, the Realtors Association of Martin County asked that they be given time to study the effects on home prices and investor interest in this “radical idea”. It is hardly a radical notion since it is even legal in New York City and San Francisco. The median price of a home in Stuart since April 2014 (the month of the ordinance taking effect in St. Pete) has risen 43%. The median home price in St Petersburg is 40%. The average price in St. Petersburg has gone from $168,000 to $334,000 in the same time period. Chickens do not seem to be a determinate factor in price increase.

I believe the City of Stuart has more important matters to deal with than chickens. I believe that this is not an earth shattering issue that will cause calamity throughout the town. Presently there are residents who have chickens surreptitiously. This tells me that their neighbors either don’t know they have them or they aren’t a nuisance. This is much ado about nothing. Like golf carts there will be a limited demand for chickens. Besides if it becomes a problem it would be easy enough to change the ordinance.

We do not live in a gated community. There is a certain amount of give and take when living in a city. Stuart is not Celebration or The Villages or even Sewall’s Point. It is a place where people of different races, incomes, back rounds and ages live side by side. The “Battle of the Chickens” may seem funny and in one respect it is. The battle also represents our ability to attract young residents and accommodate the needs of all our citizens instead of just the few.

The Erosion of Home Rule

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It is unfortunate that so many of our legislators in Tallahassee want to take away your right to self-government. They are attempting to do this in the guise of “business friendly” or “less regulation” or “democratic action”.  Apparently we have entered an era of “new speak”. Legislators are deliberately saying one thing while their actions point in an opposite direction. This is a scary time when local government is under assault with the ultimate goal of eliminating citizen involvement.

The two legislative members that represent Stuart, Senator Negron and Representative Harrell, understand the need for strong local government. They truly believe that the state should only be involved in statewide issues. They don’t think that a specific problem in Lee County needs to be addressed by a state law in Tallahassee.  Negron and Harrell think that the citizens of a county or city should have government that reflects their wants and desires. They don’t believe, as do so many legislators, that they know better than the individual citizen.

Currently in the hallowed halls of the capital there are bills that will strip away through pre-emption your rights to self-determination. Why is it that Tallahassee wants to seize control of zoning under the guise of less regulation? Why is it that the Florida Legislature, especially the House, wants to do away with CRAs, how cities can levy taxes, what services we can provide and individual municipalities’ right to have elections as per our charters?

The majority of legislators do not have any local government experience. They never served on city or county commissions. They never dealt with people wanting speed bumps in their neighborhoods. They never spoke with a citizen who can’t get a pothole filled or their garbage not being picked up. They never heard the public at a commission meeting addressing their concerns. They never scrambled to find a few dollars for a recreation program.

They don’t know how a CRA operates yet they can vote to kill the entire program. Members vote on bills from Sober Homes to Short Term Rentals without reaching out to local officials to see how the legislation affects the citizens in their districts. There is a bill presently going through the House that would require that local government could have no unencumbered reserves. The bill’s sponsor has never been elected to anything but his present seat. He never was responsible to clean the streets of debris after a hurricane. Where does he believe that money comes from if not a reserve?

For some in the legislature it is not ignorance of the issues but it is more insidious. There is a pervasive belief especially by House leadership that they know best. Ordinary citizens cannot decide what is in their best interest. That they, the all-knowing legislators, will make sure that you, the citizen, are protected from making bad decisions.

When all power is concentrated in the hands of a few powerful legislators, who will then speak on your behalf? If Walmart decided to open a store in a residential neighborhood, the local government may not have the authority to prevent that from occurring. What about adult entertainment in Downtown, an asphalt plant  on Federal Highway or a 25 story building on Palm City Road; without the ability of local zoning all of those examples could become a reality.

The county and the city can disagree on issues but I never think that a county commissioner doesn’t have the best interests of Martin County at the foremost in any decision. I may disagree with my fellow commissioners on a matter but I do not question their motifs. Local elected officials are the ones who know their constituents and their problems best. Will that legislator from the Panhandle care about our local issues?

Tallahassee’s usurpation of the people’s right to self-government is not a fantasy. It is actually happening and accelerating. Earlier this week I received an e-mail from a resident asking that I do something about train horns. As a local official there is nothing I can do. It is not in my purview. What will happen when I am asked to do something about that strip club that opened downtown? Will I have to say that I can do nothing about that either?

Should Hobe Sound Incorporate?

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Should Hobe Sound incorporate? That was the question asked in an article by Gil Smart in Saturday’s Stuart News. It is my contention that any time citizens can know their elected officials and participate intimately in governing, it is the correct decision. The closer that local government is to the people the better it reflects their will. The smaller the unit of government, the more likely it is that those elected will not be professional politicians always looking toward a higher office or an election contribution.

Incorporation would mean that the citizens of the “Town of Hobe Sound” would elect a municipal council to govern. The Sheriff and Martin County Fire/Rescue would still provide those services. From the consultant’s report, total taxes would remain the same. The key difference would be that instead of being part of the Martin County development wars, the citizens of the town would call their own shots.  Who better to decide how to keep the character of Hobe Sound than local citizens?  County Commissioners can’t possibly know better what residents of Hobe Sound want than their neighbors and friends.

I am a Stuart City Commissioner and, currently, the Mayor. So, it should come as no secret that I believe local government is the best government because it is closest to the people. Most people who get involved at this level certainly don’t do so for the money. We do become involved because we want to give back to the communities in which we live. We are not easily influenced by developers or others wanting to erect projects. In fact, because we don’t need to chase campaign dollars to be elected, we can honestly do what we believe best for our communities. I hear constantly from citizens sharing their thoughts every time I go to the store or eat in a restaurant.

It appears that Hobe Sound has met the standards needed for the legislature to allow for a vote on whether to incorporate or not. There are criteria for incorporation that the legislature should follow as outlined in Section 165.061(1) of the Florida Statutes. What the legislature should not do is substitute their judgment for that of the people of Hobe Sound. Tallahassee should also not be concerned with how Martin County feels regarding incorporation.

If the legislature votes to allow the referendum, then the people can decide whether the “Town of Hobe Sound” should exist or not. I trust the people will make the correct choice. It is my hope that I can welcome the birth of Martin County’s 5th municipality this year and Indiantown should be the 6th municipality. The legislature needs to return incorporation in both areas to the citizens to decide.

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.

On Being a Commissioner

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As the year ends, I am taking stock in what I, as a Stuart City Commissioner, have accomplished in 2016. It has never made much sense to me that you pursue any elected office without identifying what goals you would like to accomplish while in office. I look at being in this office as my full-time job. I feel honored that a majority of voters trusted in my abilities and re-elected me. I don’t want to let down the residents, taxpayers and voters of the City of Stuart.

There are four distinct aspects to being a City Commissioner. All are equally important though the skill set required may be different for each. The first is constituent service. I represent you. So if there is a problem that you are having with our government, I need to find out why you are having that problem and how can we solve your difficulty. That isn’t always possible. Sometimes the constituent is just wrong and/or unreasonable. Other times the problem doesn’t have a City solution because it needs to be resolved by another governmental entity.

Mostly, it just requires that the constituent is put in contact with the correct person in the City. After “Hurricane Matthew,” I read a letter to the editor in the Stuart News regarding someone’s problem with obtaining a permit for a fence. I tracked down where that person lived and his phone number. I then brought the matter to the Development Department to see whether the problem could be resolved. Development did so expeditiously. In that instance, if the constituent had contacted me first before writing to the newspaper, his problem would have been resolved quickly. In this case, I was a Commissioner in search of a constituent…and I found him.

The second aspect is to represent Stuart to the outside world. You can think about it as public relations, but it is more. The mayor is the ceremonial head of government, and he/she will be the public face of Stuart throughout their year in office. I try to be at as many public events as possible to re-enforce the mayor but also to show that the elected government is more than just one person. As a public person, I should participate in other civic and philanthropic organizations and boards. That is why I have chosen to be involved in many Stuart and, especially, East Stuart organizations. It is hard to represent all the people of Stuart if I never see and meet people outside of my personal circle of friends and acquaintances.

The third part of the job is understanding and knowing what is going on in the operation of the City. I would find it impossible to carry out being your representative if I didn’t know how the City fulfills its duties. There is a learning curve when first being elected. As a private sector, small business person, I was used to issuing an instruction and everyone carrying it out. Government is a collaboration. Once you understand that, it becomes less frustrating yet still very challenging.

Since the Commission is responsible for policy, making appropriate policy requires that a Commissioner understands what is possible. The City Manager and staff are critical to moving any policy forward. The nuts and bolts of government resides in staff. The City Commission has only two people that report to us, the City Manager and The City Attorney. No Commissioner gets very far without their buy-in to a particular policy.

The final aspect of the job is thinking about our future. No city is static. It needs to evolve to be relevant. From the services we provide to the way those services are provided, we need to adapt and do so constantly.  How will the City of Stuart take advantage of our changing world to be part of that future in 10, 20 or 50 years?  No part of the United States or the world will look or function the same. What are the trends that I need to know about so that Stuart can be ready to take advantage of those opportunities?

I believe government’s responsibility is to have the necessary infrastructure in place to allow residents, taxpayers and citizens to live and work in our City and increase the number of new jobs and businesses. If we spend the money on the wrong or obsolete infrastructure, then we will not be ready for our appropriate future. If all I do is mindlessly continue what has always been done, in my opinion, I would have let you down. I have and I will continue to act and perform this job in the way I outlined.

Martin County Moving Forward

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Martin County has entered a new era. I don’t know what changes are in store, but changes will occur. While Stuart’s Board of Commissioners has remained the same, the County’s has had some significant changes. I can see some real benefit to Martin County and Stuart, but only if the new majority adheres to what the individuals promised in their campaigns.

As a City Commissioner and a resident, I would like to see the following occur. For both unincorporated Martin County and Stuart, the impact fees imposed by Martin County have inhibited growth within the City’s borders and the Urban Services Boundary. Stuart has given our impact fee consultant’s study to Martin County staff. The study shows that the current impact fees overstate the need for improvements covered by impact fees. The County’s out-of-date study is making impact fees act as a deterrent instead of what the law clearly states is their purpose.

Impact fees are not another tax. They are meant to offset the cost of providing new roads, etc. for new development. Within our municipalities and the Urban Services Boundary, this has already been accomplished. What the fees are doing is making it too costly for anything but the most expensive construction to be feasible. This prevents industry and middle class housing from being built.

Without new businesses, jobs and housing, the existing residential and commercial property owners will bear increasing taxes to maintain services. High impact fees have the consequence of making development in western Martin County more economically feasible, since the costs of land are cheaper. This encourages sprawl. Not something any of us want.

The Martin County Commission needs to embrace the formation of more municipalities throughout the county. Presently, there are efforts in Tallahassee to have both Indiantown and Hobe Sound become independent municipalities. This is a good thing. Why should 5 people on Monterey Road micro-manage the will of every resident in the county. For too long, Martin County has forgotten what a county is and is not supposed to be. It tries to provide the same level of service for everyone regardless of need. This is a recipe for governmental failure and, ultimately, fiscal un-sustainability.

The new majority wants us to believe that independent CRA districts will give the autonomy that is needed. Community Redevelopment Areas are not meant to be a substitute for towns and cities. They are a financial vehicle for urban redevelopment by concentrating funds in a “depressed area” for redevelopment.  They are not meant to be anything more than that. If the Martin County Commission does not understand this basic fact, it will continue to fail Community Redevelopment Areas in both self-governance and fiscal policy.

If Martin County was comprised of more municipalities, then the level of governmental services within each would reflect the wants and needs of those communities. This idea of “one size” fits all is ludicrous. Within Martin County boundaries, there are cattle ranches and high rises as well as sprawling farms and urban areas. This has led to a bloated county bureaucracy and payroll that will only increase over time. Martin County should only provide funding for basic services and constitutional offices. It is an arm of the State of Florida not meant to act the same as municipalities. If we had 15 municipalities in the county, our county taxes would be much lower and the county itself would be much more economically sustainable.

The new Martin County Commissioners should not let their election go to their heads. They are the agents of the people not for the special interests or friends that assisted in their campaigns both financially and physically. Too often, I have seen that Commissioners don’t want to cede authority over the amount of funding and resources under their control. Even when doing so would result in better governance and fiscal policy being enacted.

Lastly, I implore the new majority to remember that only Commissioner Ciampi faced all the voters. Even his election was one by a minority of the vote because there were 3 candidates in that race. We have seen time and again that there is overreach by a new majority. The Board needs to accurately reflect the will of the voters. The voters are not looking to have unvarnished development and the Browardization of Martin County.

At the same time the voters recognize that we do need “smart” growth. That does not mean “anti” growth or “pro” growth. It means looking at what is doable and how to actually achieve it. Give us a way to have the ability for our kids to grow up and stay here. We all want to live and enjoy the Martin County we currently have. The County Commission’s obligation is to provide that path.

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.