Category Archives: Other

Amendment One & the Real Estate Tax System

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Once again, the Florida Legislature is attempting to give a tax reduction by taking it from local government.

In November the voters will be asked to pass a constitutional amendment so that a little more than 10% of those properties being homesteaded can save a few bucks. This is a bate and switch that will raise taxes on business and seasonal residents. The very economic sectors that keep Florida’s economy humming.

It is impossible not to comment on the entire Florida real estate tax system when looking at Amendment 1. While there could be as many as 18 constitutional amendments on the ballot this November, Amendment 1 is a legislative initiative to give a third Homestead Exemption. Like all constitutional initiatives in Florida, it must pass with 60% of the vote.

It is estimated by the Florida League of Cities that, if passed, this amendment would benefit 12% of the homeowners in Florida. It would have no effect on the school taxes levied. School Board taxes in many instances are higher than municipal and/or county taxes paid by a homesteaded homeowner or condo owner. Anyone who has a home with an assessment of under $100,000 would see no benefit. There would be no benefit to any resident paying rent. There would be no benefit to any non-homesteaded property owner. There would be no benefit to business property owners.

It is anticipated that Martin County will see a loss of $6,500,000 in real estate tax collection. The County is already anticipating a millage increase. The passage of this amendment may precipitate a larger increase in the tax rate. One Florida Senator who is in favor of passage said on the Senate floor that localities can just raise the millage to make up the difference.

Since roughly 88% of the properties in Florida will see no benefit, this is a “tax shift” and not a reduction. The Florida Legislature has for the past decade tried to reduce “home rule” authority.  Using artificial property tax cuts, local government’s ability to pay for services become more and more constrained. At the same time the Legislature has increased mandates without adequate state funding.

The property tax system in Florida is broken. As the tax burden has shifted to fewer and fewer property owners through the use of exemptions, caps and other legislative sleights of hand, there has been a disconnect for a substantial number of people between services demanded and the costs of such services. This situation is becoming more and more unsustainable.

Besides being poor tax policy, it is bad social and economic policy. Two identical homes owned by residents that are side by side can have two different tax amounts based on each property’s exemptions and caps. This disparity results in thousands of dollars in tax differential. Economically, by the shifting of the tax burden to tenants, business owners and nonresidents, you inhibit growth and the creation of new business. “Ad valorem” means a tax levied as to the value of the property assessed. This clearly is no longer the case in Florida.

It would be better for property taxes to be left to localities to levy. Further a millage rate should be applied equally to as many taxpayers as possible. An unequal system of taxation has developed because of the subversion of what ad valorem taxes should be.

Amendment 1 is not a tax cut but a tax shift. It should be defeated in November.

 

One More Time

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Once again, I am writing about the state of our water and environment.

I am one of many residents of the Treasure Coast concerned with this. Being concerned is not the same as having much of an impact on fixing our water quality and environment. There is not a single person who would say that having toxic algae threaten our quality of life is acceptable.

Some of this is due to development here and some because of agriculture around the lake and along our own canals. Most is for the economic benefit of Central Florida/Orlando with the added complication of the dike, South Florida developments and protection of what’s left of the Everglades.

It does not really matter what I and most residents believe. We are just background noise to the people that do matter in this battle. Big Agriculture and Big Developers are the forces with money and therefore those that pull the strings. These are the individuals and companies who can make or break political careers. They are the kingmakers who can spend millions to put individuals into office. Do you believe they are not looking for something in return?

Money manipulates our politics. It decides who can run for office and be elected. With the demise of political ideology that parties ascribe to in practice if not rhetorically, any party or politician can be used by these forces. They are experts in thwarting solutions if those solutions would prevent them making a buck. This is the state of our politics and elected officials.

Some of this nefarious behavior is subtle while other action is overt. Depending on circumstances, our elected officials attempt to be seen as pro clean water but do nothing to further real solutions to the problem. Competing goals and ideas make it seem as if something is being done, yet the status quo remains.

Whether you call yourself a Republican or Democrat, Liberal or Conservative, we all want clean water and a sustainable environment. The variable to obtain what we want is how much we are willing to do to further that goal. As consumers, are we willing to pay more for the products we buy? As taxpayers, are we willing to pay more for government to clean up the environment? As residents, are we willing to pay more to live on the Treasure Coast, Florida and the United States?

A clean environment requires sacrifices. Are we willing to do what is necessary to have what we want?

NAACP NEWSLETTER

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Martin County NAACP (Unit 5085)

               Newsletter and Community Calendar

                                                        P.O. Box 41, Stuart, FL 34995

                                           720 SE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Suite 5

                                                                  Stuart, FL 34994

                                                                   (772) 600-5784

                                                           MartinNAACP@gmail.com

News

Martin County’s first NAACP office opened on 12/02/18.  Call for Office Hours.

Martin County Branch wins Youth Group award at quarterly state meeting.

  Awarded for most participation by a youth group.

 

Membership Committee- Started a Voter Registration and Vote by Mail Initiative.  If your church group or club would like a Voter Registration presentation or a registration package that you can use to present yourself, call the office.

Primary Election Voting: August 28th     Last day to register for General Election: October 9th

Get a sample ballot from our office or the Supervisor of Elections office.

If you are 18 on or before the election date, you may vote.  Voting dates: Aug. 28th and Nov. 6th

 

Please encourage all of your friends and neighbors to vote- it’s your easiest way to exercise your First Amendment right to free speech and your best way to participate in your government.  Keep your ideas in front of our elected officials all year long- that’s your right, too!

Community Calendar

Monthly Meetings– Executive Board Meeting: 1st Thursday of month at 7:00 PM at NAACP office

                                             Community Meeting: 3rd Thursday of month at 7:00 PM – Call for Location

Upcoming Events-

Back to School Bash August 4th from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM (set-up at 8:00 AM)

Events include haircuts, shots, food bank representatives, school backpacks & supplies.

Let’s Talk Business August 6th, 7:00 PM at NAACP Office

Learn how to set goals to help develop your ideas.

Established business people welcome to share stories of success and provide encouragement.

 

Walk for Unity Reggie D to stop at NAACP Office August 11th, around 2:00 PM

Call for time to meet and walk with Reggie from County Line Road and US 1 to Stuart.

Light food & drinks and tour of Stuart as Reggie D continues on to Seattle, Washington.

August 12th Send-off at 1:00 PM from NAACP Office for 96 day, 3,200 mile journey.

Annual State Conference and Freedom Fund September 6-8, 2018

Caribbean Festival October 6th Port Salerno

Miracle on 10th Street   December 8th, 10:00 AM – 3 PM, 10th St. Rec Center

            Need Toy Donations and Sponsors

Political Tricks

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Florida has an overabundance of politicians, regardless of party affiliation, that are irredeemable.

Term limits are adopted and what happens? Representatives run for the Senate and Senators run for the House, making 8 years become a lifetime. Campaign contribution limits are established and then go by the wayside because of unregulated PACS. There is no end to pols telling us they are in our corner while ignoring our will. Just look at how clean our waters are.

But the most egregious trick that pols use to stay in office is the write-in loophole.

In 1998, Floridians went to the polls and passed a constitutional amendment guaranteeing all voters could participate in a primary if the winner would face no opposition in the general election. In 2000, the professional politicians, who cannot stand not to be collecting your tax dollars in salaries and perks, instituted a brilliant idea to thwart this amendment’s intent. A state agency under the guise of making it easier to run for office then revolutionized the concept of the write-in candidate.

Write-in candidates do not pay filing fees or collect signatures to get on the ballot. They usually do not send out mailers, participate in voter forums, knock on voters’ doors or do anything else a candidate would do. They are simply on the ballot to make sure that half the electorate have no say in who represents them.

Sometimes these fake candidates are the spouses or other relatives of someone running for the position. The write-in candidate will campaign dutifully with his wife while at the same time purporting to be a political opponent. This makes a mockery of our democracy. It is a sham similar to Putin’s state-allowed opposition.

This issue is not about party politics but about dirty politics. It happens with the same frequency in Democratic as in Republican races. It is a tool to keep self-serving pols in office by disenfranchising a majority of voters within the district. It contributes one more reason for citizens to be cynical about the electoral system.

Recently Sherry Plymale, a Republican, and Dave Aronberg, a Democrat, were both interested in ending the write-in. Sherry was a Constitutional Revision Commissioner and Dave a concerned citizen and elected official. They worked to introduced an amendment that would have ended the practice. It was narrowly defeated by the members on the last day of the Commission.

There shouldn’t need to be a constitutional amendment to make sure that Florida voters are not disenfranchised. That should be the job of the Florida Legislature. Oh! I forgot for a moment. The members of the legislature are politicians first and public servants second.

FREINDS & NEIGHBORS JUNE 23RD

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If you want to know more about Martin County’s Governments Subscribe to my Friends & Neighbors email by sending your email address to tom@tomforstuart.com. It is free!!

COUNTY GOLF COURSE

During Commissioner comments, Commissioner Smith made a motion to sunset the Golf Course Advisory Committee (GCAC). The motion passed 3-2 with Commissioners Heard and Jenkins dissenting.

In some respects, the GCAC had never lived up to its potential since the BOCC ignored their advice and comments. There were several vacancies since Commissioners had not bothered to appoint members. The Commission disregarded the GCAC recommendations anyway. So, dissolution was probably a good thing.

The Commission not only ignored their own committee but also two reports done by CBRE and the National Golf Foundation. The Commission has also spent money on designing and re-designing the course, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. I don’t understand why government hires consultants, pays them huge fees, and then ignores the results if the results do not match their own desires. On a different matter a few weeks ago, one Commissioner stated that he would listen to the experts. I guess that doesn’t apply to golf courses.

The Martin County Taxpayers Association has issued a report regarding this issue. I hope the Commission will read and digest that report. Isn’t it time to do what the majority of the residents and those that play golf want?

Like so many things, government should provide an inexpensive way for residents to enjoy the game. They should not be competing with the private sector. Politicians should stop trying to build monuments with their names attached. Government employees should stop trying to aggrandize and expand their departments at the taxpayers’ expense.

 

School Board Annexations

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On Thursday evening, the Stuart Local Planning Agency will consider the School Board’s request to annex two high schools and one elementary school into the City.

The schools are Martin County High School, Jensen Beach High School and Felix Williams Elementary School. What is the reason, after all these years, that the School Board is making this request? It is to give the School Board more options in providing school security.

School security issues and who provides security will be a contentious problem for the next several years. Mandates by the “Lords of Tallahassee” better known as the Florida Legislature, will necessitate millions of dollars more in expense for the Martin County School Board. Will Stuart or the Sheriff provide security? The City can only do so if the schools are within its jurisdiction.

What are the advantages and disadvantages to Stuart of the proposed annexations? As to the two high schools, I see only disadvantages. First, it would be a grave mistake to agree to provide the necessary SROs for both schools. It would take time to find and train the additional officers. It is also a long-term commitment by the City to those officers that are hired. If the School Board decides in two years to contract with the Sheriff or form its own force, what happens to those additional officers?

In addition to the possible providing of SROs, Stuart PD would need to respond to any law enforcement calls such as a disturbance during a Friday night football game. Stuart’s Fire/Rescue would now need to answer any calls. Even if Martin County Fire/Rescue responds through an interlocal agreement, the County must be reimbursed by the City for doing so. The School Board pays no property tax. These additional burdens will be paid by Stuart’s taxpayers.

Further, all three schools pay City water and sewer charges. They will continue to do so but at a reduced rate if they become part of Stuart. This will result in Stuart being paid 25% less in those enterprise funds. All City users will have to make up the difference.

While I am not in favor, I can see the argument for annexing Felix Williams. The prime benefit would be it would allow Stuart to annex other property surrounding the school if those property owners wished, adding tax revenue for the City. The high schools do not provide this option because of location.

I can even understand the argument that by Stuart PD now having jurisdiction at Felix Williams, relationships between officers and students can be developed. Those would be very expensive relationships.

The City of Stuart is a relatively small place geographically. It has 10% of the overall Martin County population. For too long a disproportionate share of the Martin County tax burden has fallen on Stuart’s taxpayers. A Department of Economic Opportunity study has shown that 21,000 people come into the City daily. Stuart is not reimbursed for the additional public safety or public works needed. Since sales tax, gas tax and other taxes are based on population, it does not matter where those taxes are generated within the County.

A few City Commissioners believe that Stuart should bear an unrealistic share of these governmental costs. Their belief is based on outdated facts that Stuart is in the same position that it was 60 years ago in relationship to the County. Stuart then had more than 40% of Martin County’s population. There was no Palm City. There was no shopping anywhere but downtown. Stuart could sway Martin County elections. Not anymore.

If Stuart is to survive, the City needs to shepherd its resources. One Stuart Commissioner has said that it is not always about dollars. Well it might not be about any one Commissioner’s dollars, but it is about all the taxpayers’ dollars. If this passes the LPA, the Commission needs to look at the big picture. These annexations will bring no additional revenue, only additional expense. I believe it is an easy choice if you care about the Stuart taxpayer.

Our Entire Environment

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Spring brought us more rain than usual and now the algae blooms are visible from my back yard on the St. Lucie River.

It seems that the even years (2014, 2016 and now 2018) are our time for outrage. The outrage that gives us the moral courage to stand up for our ecological environment. But, like the waters of the St. Lucie River flowing into the estuary to dissipate in the ocean, our courage to tackle the green algae will too.

This is one more battle that residents and citizens must engage in to protect our environment. In this case, I am not just speaking of environmental issues alone but rather our overall environment. The environment means our rivers and streams as well as our farms and yards and includes addressing chemicals and effluent wastes that contribute to our environmental problems.

Our political leaders manipulate the system to goad us into idiotic disagreements instead of informed debate. False issues are introduced to dissuade the American people from concentrating on what is important. Reality no longer intrudes into our political discourse.

All of this contributes to our deteriorating environment. The green algae that flows past my house is the direct result of the inability of our political institutions to correct the known causes of pollution. This is symbolic of our nation’s dysfunctional society on the federal, state and local levels. We would rather have a nonsensical screaming match on NFL players and the national anthem than true dialogue on problems such as the pollution that invades the St. Lucie River.

How do we right the ship of state? When will we address our political, social and ecological environmental issues with the seriousness they deserve? The United States is now the place of the “reality television show” instead of reality. The “real politic” of Kissinger, Brzezinski and Powell has been cancelled in favor of the “Gong Show.”

In the meantime, the St. Lucie flows green. Our national budget flows red. And the psyche of our United States is the color of confusion and disaray.

Elected or Appointed?

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On this year’s ballot, voters will have a choice regarding whether Martin County should continue to elect its school superintendent or have the superintendent appointed by the School Board.

Only Florida and Alabama continue to have elected superintendents; Mississippi just ended the practice. In Florida, it is up to the voters in each school district to determine whether to elect their superintendents. Out of 67 districts in the state, 41 continue to have superintendents chosen through elections. The larger districts, including Miami/Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and St Lucie, all have appointed superintendents. The Martin County School District ranks higher than those other four do.

The most compelling reason to have the superintendent appointed is that the school board members can search throughout the country to find the most qualified candidates. This would result in someone who has all the right credentials being selected. Right now, you must be 21, live in the district and not be a felon to be qualified to run for superintendent. By having an appointed superintendent, the politics are removed from the position. Since the superintendent reports to the board, if enough friction develops between them, the board can remove the superintendent.

It is quite true that elections are messy. They are to some extent popularity contests. Unqualified people are elected to positions of authority all the time. Voters make mistakes. But those mistakes are usually corrected at the next election. Besides, is some friction between a board and superintendent necessarily a bad thing?

As citizens and voters, we are slowly giving up our rights for expediency’s sake. Our local governments are run by supposed experts instead of having the people choosing strong mayors and county executives. Billions of tax dollars are in the hands of unelected people. This is not democracy. We are a little less free because of it. I don’t even believe that we are necessarily in more capable hands.

By voters giving up a little more in the name of “better government,” we become a little more removed from our government. Any bureaucracy, whether a private business or a public entity, works best when the shareholders, taxpayers and citizens are as close to the levers of power as possible. To enjoy the fruits and benefits of a democratic society, it is imperative that citizens are an integral part of the process.

And we shouldn’t decide the question based on a like or dislike of any one elected superintendent or school board member. That would be like saying we don’t want to elect the president anymore because the current one is not our choice or very good at the job. As a nation and a people, we don’t believe in setting up a dictatorship so that our nation runs efficiently.

It is hard to decide whether an appointed or elected superintendent is best. There are good points to both sides of this argument. After I have examined the pros and cons, I am going to be voting in favor of electing the superintendent. I believe that the people will get it right more times than not. If we entrust our nation to elect someone president with the only qualifications being an age requirement, being born in the United States and a resident for the past 14 years; then I think we will survive electing a bad superintendent once in a while.

Indiantown Plans

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The Village of Indiantown is the first new municipality in Martin County in over 50 years.

That brings the grand total to five municipalities within the County — with perhaps another, Hobe Sound, on the way in November. Compared to the counties to our south (Palm Beach County 39, Broward 32 and Miami-Dade 34), that number is hardly impressive. With that said, Indiantown’s incorporation is a big step forward, bringing real local government to that western community.

It is exciting to see the Village taking the steps necessary to control its destiny. For far too long, Indiantown has been stymied by being just an insignificant, unincorporated piece of the greater Martin County pie. What the residents and property owners of the area wanted to see happen was constantly being prevented. When the seat of your local government is miles away, the County Commissioners may not always put your interest first.

Indiantown is slowly feeling its governmental way. It had its first visioning session last Saturday. The Village Council and the community came together to brainstorm under the guidance of The Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council. Many things were discussed from communication with residents to enticing manufacturing back.

One of the central themes is Indiantown’s affordability and how it would be nice to have law enforcement officers, fire/rescue people and teachers live in the community. That is a noble goal but not easily attainable when none of the people working in those jobs are presently the Village’s employees. Perhaps, if permissible under Florida law, the Council may want to require that their executive staff live within the Village boundaries. At least they can require the village manager live there, as Stuart does with their city manager.

As Indiantown begins to put its government together, it will have to be cognizant of its finances. Building a city is a multi-generational undertaking. It is akin to building the pyramids. The present Council will not be there to see most of what they are laying the groundwork to achieve. That is the challenge and the fun of what is happening in Indiantown. I wish them well as they move forward.