Governments on the Treasure Coast performed well during and after Irma. The reason they could do so was because our local governments have budgetary reserves. Those reserves can pay for storm-related costs such as debris removal, shelters and employee overtime. Imagine what would happen if our counties and cities did not have the ability to manage their budgets with contingency reserves.

If a bill that was considered by the Legislature last year, and will probably be back this year, had passed, cities and counties would not be able to have those reserves. Our communities would not be able to address these problems as fast or efficiently.

In another instance of how important it is to keep governmental decision-making as close to the people as possible …

How would you feel if a commercial business opened in the house next door to you, in your residential neighborhood? It could be a bar or a convenience store. Worse it could be a topless bar or an adult book store. I am sure as your Commissioner, I would hear from you. You would demand that zoning laws be enforced. A bill that was filed last year in the Florida Legislature, but only narrowly defeated, would have precluded local governments from stopping those businesses from opening next to your home, church or children’s schools.

These are just two examples of how Tallahassee is attempting to take away your ability to live in communities that you control through local government.

Whether you call it “Home Rule,” “Self Determination” or “Local Control,” the powers in Tallahassee are in full court press to strip you of those rights. They have already precluded you from deciding whether you want short term rentals, sober homes and the ability to stop media companies from erecting 5G towers within the right-of-way. Now they want to take away the ability of local governments to address millage rates, budgets and other rights and responsibilities that should stay with us locally.

America was built on the concept of individuals who come together locally for the opportunity to form self-governing bodies for their communities. We do not want elites from afar regulating what we can do in our own towns and cities. The people do not want to have those that do not live in their cities dictating to them. If a locality wants to have regulations that ban “short term rentals,” they should be able to do so.

The State’s constant erosion of our right to have the local government that the people want and desire will result in the tyranny of the minority against the people. As long as localities are not infringing on the constitutional rights of the individual or those rightful powers that are reserved to Tallahassee and Washington, then both should stay out of local affairs. This fight is not about one governmental body against another but against the right of the people to live in and make decisions for their own communities.

In my last blog post, I explained why Stuart lacks housing and what the implications of the housing shortage are. In my estimation, Stuart is not even building enough new housing to replace its existing stock. Without ample new housing coming on line, the needs of our community will not be met and will result in economic paralysis. This will minimize our future development as a dynamic cultural and business center. Without adequate population, Stuart will not be able to maintain existing services and viability.

There is a misconception that by adding housing to our existing residential neighborhoods, they will undergo a transformation that will affect the character of those neighborhoods. However, by using zoning overlays, the City can maintain residential neighborhoods with the traits that the residents deem most desirable. Stuart should look to increase housing in those areas that are not presently being utilized for primarily residential use. There are ideal main thoroughfares where we could have housing developed coupled with other economic uses.

For example, from the Roosevelt Bridge south to at least Kanner/Colorado could be one area of redevelopment. Both the Seacoast and the Bank of America buildings are ripe for mixed use development as is the Publix Shopping Center.  Another opportunity for both housing and mixed use development is along Colorado from Kanner Highway to Confusion Corner. The single story aging structures are either vacant or not used for their highest and best uses. That also includes the neighborhood to the east of Colorado. Ocean Avenue should also be explored as a corridor that should redevelop. The hospital, which owns more and more property for doctors’ offices, should begin looking at constructing buildings with medical offices on the first floor and housing for their nurses and other staff above.

Many people think that economic development means only bringing business to Stuart. Well businesses alone will not generate enough taxes to pay for the services that are consumed by the employees of those businesses. Without adequate housing, eventually the businesses will relocate outside of the City. For any city to be a vibrant center, there needs to be a balance between residents, business and entertainment. It has been proven over and over again that without the three legs of the stool, a city atrophies and eventually loses its purpose for being.

Stuart has to be a City that extends its housing for all groups. We cannot afford not to do so. Our goal must be to maintain and encourage a downtown that is appealing to the tourists but also attracts young families to make their homes there. We need workforce housing along with more apartments for the affluent. Stuart can have it all if we do not bury our heads in the sand and ignore what should be a bright tomorrow.

Uber, Lyft, Airbnb are a few of the “new economy” companies that did not exists a few years ago. The companies are new platforms for providing consumers access to services. What does government do to insure that the public is protected when not only new companies are formed but the fundamental way that services are provided has been changed? Is a cab for hire different than Uber? Is a hotel different than renting a room in someone’s home for a night?

Over the past few years, I have given these matters quite some thought. I have vacillated on the need for regulation from yes to no and many iterations in between. There is a public purpose in the promulgation of regulation in pursuit of consumer protection. Is it fair to regulate older forms of business but not require newer platforms of the same type of business to conform? These questions are what confront us as a society and myself as an elected official.

This is how I see the situation today. First, the legislature in Tallahassee should not determine how we regulate businesses that operate within local political borders. Legislators have a tendency to hear from one of their local constituents who is having a problem and then attempt to solve that very local problem by passing a law for the entire state. This is a prime example of bad government and governmental overreach. Governments on the local level understand what its citizens want and do not need mandates and laws from legislators who don’t.

Many times you will hear the argument that companies such as Uber operate throughout Florida and therefore uniform rules should apply. There are two main reasons why that premise is not true. If we took it to a logical conclusion, those companies operate nationwide therefore should Washington have national rules? I am sure state governments would say that is absurd. The second reason is that even though companies may operate state wide and nationally, the company itself does not provide the service but only matches a locally based provider and a locally based customer. Therefore, if any regulation should apply it should be the local government’s responsibility.

In the case of Stuart or Martin County, should we regulate these “new economy” businesses? The answer is not a simple yes or no. A hotel or inn is different than a room in someone’s home. What government does have an obligation to do is to insure that both “businesses” are registered. Even someone making supplemental income by renting that room in their home may not need to install a sprinkler system but should pay the same rate of occupancy and sales tax as a hotel would. For the traveler, it may be two different experiences but each entity is in the same type of business.

Government at all levels needs to look at the array of professions and businesses that it now licenses and sets qualifications to see if it is necessary to do so.  Each profession and or trade that requires individuals to have certification or licenses to work is an impediment to growing our economy and allowing those with limited capital from starting new businesses.  Government should not foster needless regulation but allow and encourage entrepreneurship.

I was speaking to an Uber driver in New York a few weeks ago, and he stated that it took him 9 months to go through the bureaucracy of that city to obtain the necessary credentials for himself and his auto before being allowed to operate. This is unreasonable in today’s world. Our economy is changing. There will be fewer traditional jobs and more self-employed people in the years to come. If we regulate as if the early or mid-20th century economy is still operating, as a nation we will fall further and further behind in the world.

As we look to the future, don’t tie the hands of fledgling businesses by implementing blanket regulations.  The needs of Tampa are different than Stuart. We should not impose yesterday’s standards on today’s economy.  Before passing laws and promulgating new rules, both Washington and Tallahassee should take an example from physicians to do no harm. That is a good rule for any government official to follow.