Category Archives: Other

THE CUSTOMER IS NEVER RIGHT

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When I was in Ireland recently, I received an email from my credit card company stating that my card had been frozen due to the hacking of a merchant that had my card information in its database.

It wasn’t anything I had done, nor did it matter that I was overseas and had notified my credit card company prior to leaving. Here I was with an email that informed me to contact the card company by phone immediately. I called the credit card company at the 800 number and was immediately re-routed to India. I had to have a text message sent to my cell phone in order to verify my identity by use of a special pin. “Zeke,” my representative, asked the usual…last 4 digits of my social, security questions and the card’s number with its 3-number verification code. I was told that a new card would be sent to me immediately and that my card had been cancelled.

They wouldn’t tell me which merchant had been hacked or if any other information was compromised. I tried to explain that I was away from home without a method of payment. I did have an American Express card, but it isn’t as widely used in Europe. All my pleas were to no avail. Luckily, my wife’s card on the account had not been cancelled.

A few days after I returned, a new card came in the mail, and I was left with the task of changing the many automatic payments that are charged each month to the new card. I immediately applied for another card with a different issuer to have as a backup. A supposed economic catastrophe averted.

This morning, I received a dreaded text from the same card issuer while I was sitting in my son’s kitchen in New York enjoying a cup of coffee.  The text informed me that my card had been placed on hold. The culprit this time was Facebook that had charged for ads that I had indeed authorized.

I immediately called the number provided with the secret code that identified me. My friend in India, “Adam” this time, elicited once again my last 4 social security digits, security questions, the card’s number and verification code. Adam asked me my name, and I told him my first and last, but I neglected to give him my middle initial. A full-scale alert was averted when I knew that middle initial upon further questioning to make sure that I was actually me.

This time I was able to prevent my card from being cancelled once I verified all. He insisted on running through my other information including a home phone number. When I told Adam I no longer had one, there was another moment of panic before he accepted that fact and removed the number.

Later, I signed on to Facebook to verify the ads were paid. Facebook was not about to rerun the charge through the old credit card. I had to provide a new credit card which I had from the new issuer. It immediately went through. About an hour later I went to place another ad but couldn’t because…does it matter?

The Facebook dilemma will be solved. Because what I boost on Facebook is of a “political nature,” all must be approved by their censors. I understand that. I could be a Russian bot!

It just seems to me with credit cards, banks, Facebook, and every other large institution we deal with, being the customer doesn’t mean much. Algorithms, secret formulas, and the hard and fast rules that must be followed by the misnamed customer service reps, are more important. The adage that the customer is always right is no longer valid. Isn’t that a shame?

 

Buying A New City Hall

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From the June 29th Friends & Neighbors Newsletter. To receive your free subscription send your email to thomasfcampenni@gmail.com

The City will purchase the “Wells Fargo” building on East Ocean across from Memorial Park for $7 million. The City will give a $200,000 deposit that is refundable if the seller cannot provide 18,000 square feet on the first and second floor by June of 2021. The seller has until July 2020 to fulfill this requirement and closing will happen within 90 days of that fulfillment date. With the vacant 18,000 square feet, the City will then have a place to move City Hall.

 

Is it a good deal? It depends. The City is certainly paying top price and the price is based on a cap rate that considers the rents being paid currently. If 18,000 square feet are now vacant or occupied by the City, then that amount of income is no longer available to pay for debt service. If the market tanks due to a recession (overdue at this point), then the price is too high. The City has a handshake agreement with someone to sell the strip center for townhomes. If there is a recession that will probably go away.

 

Commissioners Meier and Matheson stated that they were committed to moving City Hall to that building. There was no ambiguity or hesitation. Commissioner Leighton must agree since it was her motion to go ahead with the purchase that was seconded by Meier. Mayor Bruner was silent on the question though she voted yes. Commissioner Clarke hemmed and hawed and said she wasn’t there for the earlier discussions. Consistency is not her forte. She was recorded as the only no vote.

 

The idea of a New City Hall is the Moby Dick of Stuart and Commissioners, City Managers, and Main Street become the obsessive Captain Ahab in going through this exercise every few years. I don’t quite understand why. Some believe that a new hotel will be built on the current site. Others that the land will be part of the park. There is a possibility that if this moving miracle were to happen, a few parcels could be carved out with a new street between the expanded park and the tracks. Development would occur there.

 

It will be a momentous battle because there are many residents who will be in opposition. Will any benefit be worth the political fallout? This is the same Commission that backed out of the ballfields being redeveloped and, in that case, most of the people were non-residents. I believe there still needs to be a referendum that is passed by the voters.

 

If I were still on the Commission, I would go ahead with buying the building. While the price may be higher than what could have been negotiated, Stuart can pay more since the investment horizon is longer than the typical buyer. I would then want to see it financed in the most cost-effective way be it bonds, mortgage, or another investment vehicle. The building should continue to be fully leased to tenants until the financing is paid off. At that point a decision can be made whether to continue it as a source of revenue or whether City Hall should be relocated.

 

The Wells Fargo building was built in 1972, which makes it only a few years younger than the current City Hall. Does it make sense to move from one obsolete building to a rapidly approaching other? Both will require renovation in the near future. What is painfully obvious to anyone with commercial real estate experience is the lack of critical thinking in this area. There needs to be a more thoughtful and businesslike approach to the City and its real estate investments and properties. I believe the City is leaping forward without having analyzed the investment sufficiently.

A Valuable Commodity…Land

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Last Sunday, I was driving on Kanner Highway from Federal Highway to I-95. Anyone who regularly makes that drive can see that change has occurred in the past few years. Once undeveloped lands have morphed into gas stations, single-story buildings and fast-food outlets.

Kanner is a main road and that is where development should happen. Yet, I can’t help but think that what is being built there is not in the best interest of the County and its residents. If we are going to build new buildings in a formerly undeveloped area, that development should provide enough real estate taxes, jobs, and new homes to make it worth the loss of the green-space.

What the governments of Martin County allow seems to be mired in a 1960s development pattern that encourages sprawl and the use of cars. Don’t get me wrong…I love having Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen, but did it have to take up over an acre of land to sell chicken?

Cleveland Clinic has built a 4-story surgical center on Kanner and Willoughby. When it was approved by the Stuart City Commission under the Martin Memorial banner, it was supposed to pay real estate taxes. If that remains true and the project will result in many high paying jobs, then it was a good trade off for a valuable commodity (i.e., vacant land). Popeye’s or Taco Bell are nice additions to the County, but the few jobs created are low-skill, minimally paid, and the real estate taxes are insignificant.

I challenge our governments to rethink their Land Development and Zoning Codes to allow for much greater density on these major thoroughfares. The Wawa being built now in Stuart on Federal Highway is not the best use for that property. You could call it redevelopment since the old bank building was bulldozed to make way for a newer bank branch and gas station. But, has the taxpayer received a maximum benefit?  Remember the 7-11 property, which is owned by the City of Stuart, situated across from the Kanner Highway Wawa?  It went out of business. I suspect that at least one or maybe two gas stations will close near the new Wawa within a year or so, resulting in a difficult re-use of those properties.

Governments need to encourage denser infill development and redevelopment along these major transportation corridors. If we are to preserve western Martin County as open land, then sprawl should be the last thing we want to see. Smart development needs to consider the cost of land, not only to the developer for his proposal but also to the community.

Single-story fast-food restaurants or standalone strip malls are a sea of unused parking lots for most of the day, surrounded by unattractive buildings. Martin County has probably 30% too much retail space and some of that space is functionally and physically obsolete. Shopping centers and malls that are not attached to offices and homes waste valuable real estate. Our future development should not have the characteristics of the mid-20th century as we enter the third decade of the 21st.

If we cluster development to have small villages instead of suburban sprawl beginning now, we will not have to spend resources later correcting these inefficiencies. For government, it is more cost effective to provide services vertically than horizontally. Government will also collect more real estate tax per buildable foot, as well as save a valuable commodity…undeveloped land.

WE NEED TO GET IT ON THE RECORD

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FROM THIS WEEK’S FRIENDS & NEIGHBORS. TO SUBSCRIBE TO YOUR FREE COPY SEND YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS TO TOM@TOMCAMPENNIFORSTUART.COM

All the above is vividly on display with the illogical fear of Treasure Coast Classical Academy’s (TCCA) temporary home on 34th Street in Palm City. Ms. Defenthaler’s resolution regarding that location came back after a few changes. Once again, it appeared that the sky was falling and that terrible, terrible things could happen.

We live in Florida where every year we can have a devastating hurricane that could kill thousands. Our roads are completely inadequate for evacuation. Many of our homes could not withstand a major hurricane’s direct hit. There would be massive property losses. Yet, 850 people a day move to the Sunshine State.

TCCA temporarily being housed on what was once a private school that is on the same road as Palm City Elementary (PCE) is creating what has been described as something akin to the apocalypse. PCE Principal Robyn Monte even brought up the spectrum of dead children because of delays in first responders getting to the schools. Both the Sheriff and Fire/Rescue have signed off on the TCCA plan.

Will there be more traffic…absolutely! But this is temporary and, according to the TCCA plans, they should move to their permanent location over the Christmas break. Even if the new TCCA building is not ready until spring which is probable, it is not the end of Martin County as we know it.

Defenthaler stated that this resolution is to document the Board’s concerns in case something happens. Anderson was quite correct to assert that these concerns are already part of the record. Anderson did add that the County should have changed the zoning on the private school site when it originally closed. That would be very hard since I can see a “Bert Harris” claim being made to restrict that facility’s existing property rights.

DiTerlizzi had it right when he said the County does not do things precipitously. If the various departments that looked at the plans signed off, then the codes were complied with. Powers thought the resolution was more opinion than fact.

Roberts had several changes to make the resolution more concise and cogent. Ms Defenthaler accepted the changes. Roberts passed the gavel and seconded the motion. It passed 3-2 with Powers and DiTerlizzi voting no. What happens to the resolution now? What does it mean? The vote reflects the differences in the Board’s ideologies.

The staff and parents from TCCA didn’t even bother to attend the meeting. I was later told that they considered this meaningless. I tend to agree. This is one more reason why the school choice movement will grow, and Tallahassee will continue to tighten control on local school boards and bureaucracies.

The final resolution can be found at:

https://documentcloud.adobe.com/link/track?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A385f9ecb-6ff3-48d0-b6e0-61580995c156

 

When Are We Old Enough?

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I am a libertarian.

My philosophical bent leads me to the belief that government should stay out of our lives as much as possible. As an adult, if I want to take drugs that should be my affair. The same goes for drinking alcohol or the smoking of any product. As long as I am not hurting any other individual, I should be free to do as I please.

Society does have an obligation to make sure that children are protected, and I agree with that limitation. But when does a child stop being a child? What is the age when a person is old enough to decide to poison himself?

I grew up in New York. At that time, you could legally drink at 18, and there was no age restriction on the purchase of cigarettes. Like many other kids, I did both those things years prior to leaving high school. To place things in an historical perspective, at that time, 50% of the population smoked instead of the current 15%.  People smoked everywhere, including during congressional hearings and we even did so during college classes.

More people drank to excess since the laws regarding drunk driving were seldom enforced, and it took a much higher blood alcohol content to be considered impaired. It was more socially acceptable to a greater segment of the population than now. Society has changed.

Raising the age to legally purchase products does prevent young people from using those products; 80% of lifelong smokers begin before the age of 18. Studies have proven that drinking has a different effect on teenagers than on older adults. Does that mean the state should prevent the use of tobacco and liquor to promote a healthier state? We have tried that prohibition with illicit drugs and alcohol a century ago without much success.

Is it the government’s responsibility to prohibit self-destructive behaviors? If so, America should have many more gun control restrictions than it currently has. The United States has a puritanical nanny streak that goes back to the Pilgrims.

Our society loves to tell a person how to live his/her life (though that is a topic for another day). I want to concentrate only on what age people should be considered “old enough” to make their own decision.

In the last state legislative session, there was a movement afoot to raise the age to 21 for the purchase of tobacco and vaping products. It failed and, as a libertarian, I am happy about the result. I think it is absurd to allow people to vote, marry and join the armed services but then suggest they are not capable of deciding whether to have a drink or cigarette.

In the last half century, we have decided that childhood should continue into a person’s 20s. Because of our irrational healthcare system, a man or woman can continue to be on his/her parents’ health care plan until 26. When is a person old enough to make his/her own decisions about everything and stand on their own two feet?

Being a libertarian, I believe the government should give all individuals as much personal freedom within as few parameters as possible. Shouldn’t there be a greater emphasis on personal responsibility? I understand that government needs to have a minimum standard age in order to protect children. Eighteen sounds about right.

At 18, you may still be financially tied to your parents, but you are now either working or in college or maybe both. Are you more likely to do a stupid thing at 18 than at 21…absolutely! You are also more likely at 25 than at 35. We should not be using government and laws to enact prohibitions that need to be left to the individual’s judgement.

Staurt’s CRA Has A Problem

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The area encompassing Stuart’s CRA (Community Redevelopment Area) is large for a city its size.

Not only is it large, it encompasses different neighborhoods with different economic and physical needs.  The CRA was meant to arrest blight and to bring economic development by investing tax funds collected within those areas in improvements such as infrastructure to enhance revitalization. Those are worthy goals and should be supported.

I believe Stuart has become complacent in how those funds are being used. Two agenda items from the last Community Redevelopment Board Meeting (CRB) are illustrative. In both instances, it seemed that staff could not wait to give away tax money for rather superfluous projects. The projects had the added benefit of being easy to administer for staff and requiring no imagination to put into effect.

The first was spending $277,000 to put a median on 3000 feet of Federal Highway from the Roosevelt Bridge to Northwest Baker Road in the northern part of the City. When I read the agenda item, the first thing I noticed was the following:

“The Community Redevelopment Agency allocated funding in the amount of $100,000 for the Federal Highway Gateway Beautification Project in the CRA Budget for FY 2019. The CRA contracted with engineering consultant Kimley-Horn to prepare landscape design for the Federal Highway Gateway Beautification Project.”

This project already exceeds what is in the budget by a substantial amount. It then goes on to state how the expenditure is broken down:

“Funding Source:
Total Project Cost – $277,179

  • Design Cost – $33,440 (under contract)
  • Estimated Construction Cost – $243,739”

Stuart has already spent a third of the budgeted amount of $100,000 on design. Then it will need another $244,000 to complete the medians and landscaping. However, not all funds are coming from the CRA:

“Funds to come from the following funding sources:

  • CRA – $143,739
  • City’s Tree Funds – $100,000”

In the spirit of finding the funds somehow, staff is tapping the Tree Fund which is what developers pay into when mitigation is needed for removing trees and not replacing them on site. If you notice the cost is still at $177,000 more than what was in the budget.

The rationale to do the project is to cut down on supposed accidents and foster a sense of neighborhood. This is a commercial corridor.

I am not saying it isn’t something that should be done. Many things should be done. It is a matter of spending limited tax resources to achieve the best outcomes. But if this is a City priority, then something is wrong. And I mean very wrong.

The second item was allocating funds to businesses within the CRA using the Business Improvement Reimbursement Program. This is where businesses within the CRA can apply for up to $10,000 of matching funds to pay for the costs of exterior improvements. The purpose is to allow business owners in “blighted” areas the funds necessary to improve their facades.

According to the agenda item, the last project was:

“On January 28, 2019, the CRB/CRA approved an application for the replacement of obsolete and deteriorated windows at the Geary Professional Building in the amount of $10,000.  This project was completed.”

This building is on East Ocean across from the Court House.

The grant requests this time included Luna’s for a new awning and Colorado Inn for new windows. The Inn did not receive the grant because no one was present. This is not a criticism of any business owner that takes advantage of a lawful program. I would do the same thing.

But is that the purpose for the use of tax dollars. You are taking money from neighboring commercial owners and residents to give to other owners and residents? One of the recipients said that he was so glad he had met the CRA administrator on the street so he could be told of the program.

Both these examples show the un-seriousness of how the CRA program is administered. There doesn’t seem to be an objective; but, rather, just people checking boxes. The tram no longer has a funding source. It will be $90,000 short. I would argue that a better way of spending Tax Increment Financing (TIF)dollars is the continuation of the tram using those dollars while a permanent solution to the shortfall is found.

I would argue that TIF should be used to make sure that sewer to septic is advanced within the CRA. Athletic and other projects are advanced at Stuart’s Community Center. That actual infrastructure is built above and below ground. Blighted properties purchased, rehabbed and then sold back to the private sector. I can think of a multitude of uses that would be more important and more within CRA guidelines than giving businesses funds and putting in landscaped medians on state roads.

Implementing these things would require a real plan…not something that is drawn up to check a box. This would take a vision not just lackadaisically going from project to project. Where are the Commission and City Manager in this? Government too often does the easy thing. I believe it does so because it is not their money. The only skin they have in the game is the next election or to hang on until retirement.

Our City deserves better than that!

 

 

 

 

 

Understanding Your Real Estate Tax Bill

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This was published as part of a series for the Martin County Taxpayers Association. To see more go to: https://mctaxpayers.org/

Owners of property in Martin County receive a real estate tax bill. When we examine the bills we receive, we care most about the total amount we are obligated to pay. The bill itself has many different lines that distinguish the component amounts that create the total tax for each property. This article will explain those different lines that are enumerated on your current property tax bill.

Every tax bill, regardless of where you live within Martin County, has the County’s General Fund line. The millage rate is currently 6.5971. The tax collected in the General Fund goes to pay the operating budget for that portion of government such as the Sheriff, Administration, and Commission. These are governmental functions that service the entire County whether you live in Hobe Sound, Stuart, or Jensen Beach.

In addition, unincorporated Martin County has what are known as Municipal Service Taxing Units (MSTU). There is one for Fire/Rescue at 2.6319 mills, the second is Parks & Recreation at .1615 mills, and the third Stormwater & Roads with a .2935 millage rate. The reason they are only charged in the unincorporated areas is because incorporated cities, such as Stuart, provide those services within their boundaries and those properties are charged for those functions through the municipality.

Further, there can be a Commission District millage rate. The amounts that are raised in the District through that tax are used at the discretion of the Commissioner within those districts. Municipalities that are within a Commissioner’s District are not included in these taxing districts. The tax only is applied to the unincorporated areas. Therefore, those discretionary funds cannot be spent within the municipality’s borders. Currently, Commission Districts 1, 3, and 5 have this discretionary millage.

There are 4 millage rates for the Martin County School District. School districts in Florida must set their rates for their General and Capital Funds according to what rate is prescribed by Tallahassee. The state also will allow an additional amount, known as a discretionary rate, for the District’s General Fund. Florida will further permit the School District to ask the voters for approval of an additional half mill. Last year, Martin County voters approved that amount in a referendum for 4 years.

On the 2018 tax bill the School Board rates were the following:

General Fund: 4.1140

Discretionary Fund: .7480

Capital Outlay: 1.500

Voter Approved: .5000

The School Board further received a ½ cent sales tax increase for capital expenditures in a second voter-approved referendum that is independent of the millage rates and will be collected for a term of 7 years.

If you live within one of the municipalities, there is an additional millage rate which is levied by the municipality’s governing board (e.g., the Stuart Commission). Theoretically, the reason to incorporate is to have additional governmental services not provided by the County. The rates for the municipalities are:

City of Stuart: 4.75 plus a debt service rate of .2462

Town of Jupiter Island: combined rate of 3.7621

Town of Ocean Breeze: 5.475

Town of Sewall’s Point: 2.87

Town of Indiantown: 4.2623

The City of Stuart also has a 2-tier fire fee. The fire fee goes to maintaining the Fire/Rescue Department. The minimum paid by every property owner in the City regardless of assessed value is $108.35 per parcel. The second tier is determined by the assessed value of the parcel.

There are other agencies that also tax property: The Children’s Services Council at a rate of .3618, the Florida Inland Navigation District at a rate of .0320, and finally, the South Florida Water Management District at a rate of .2936.

As you can see, your real estate tax bill has many component parts encompassing several taxing districts. In order to give you a better understanding of how much overall tax is paid per area see the charts below. Remember that each mill levied equals $1 on every $1000 of assessed valuation. Your individual tax bills may include exemption amounts on your assessed valuation. Assessed Valuation and exemptions will be discussed in the next article in this series.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Drainage Districts
(Rate is per Acre) Pal-Mar Water Control District$22.00

Hobe St. Lucie Unit 1$75.16

Hobe St. Lucie Unit 2$75.75

Hobe St. Lucie Unit 3$78.37

Hobe St. Lucie Unit 4$123.61

Hobe St. Lucie Unit 5$5.78

Troup-Indiantown Water Mgmt. Dist.$35.00

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Duties of Citizenship

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Most of us have relatively little interaction with city or county governments. That is until we are in trouble and need police or fire/rescue, need a permit of some sort, or want to make a complaint. In some ways, it is too bad one of those situations will be our introduction to city hall or the county administration building.

We are all responsible for government performance. We cannot treat local government services as we would shopping in a store or as if we were consulting an attorney. For government to be at its best, every citizen should be ready to contribute time and energy to make it work.

We should view being a citizen as an active responsibility. Involvement is key to having good government. If we allow our municipality and county to govern without our input, we are asking for a bad outcome. Citizens need to take advantage of the opportunities afforded for civic involvement such as serving on community boards and other volunteer opportunities.

If citizens are not involved, mistrust begins to develop between government employees and the people they are there to serve. Residents have a civic responsibility to be part of government’s workings. I know that only a few will be able to devote hours to being involved but taking one of the citizen’s academies (see links below) offered will open your eyes to how your government operates.

We can’t have good government without everyone being part of the government. Go to your local council or commission meeting and see how you are being represented. How can you vote to keep someone in a job if you have no idea what they are doing in your name? In the larger governments, that Council Member or Commissioner is being paid a salary and receiving benefits such as medical and pension. Like any employee, they are not anxious to lose their jobs and citizens are the ones those employees report to.

Ask questions of staff and elected officials. Make sure that they understand what is coming before them. From my own experience, I can tell when an elected official or appointed board member has not looked at the agenda package that they are supposedly voting upon at that meeting. The public should not let those acting in our name off the hook for this inattention.

But, when staff, elected officials, or appointed board members are not prepared and do not take their positions seriously, our governments run much less efficiently and our taxes increase. It is the citizens that allow the carelessness and inattention to detail to continue, and then those same citizens whine about the result. In order to hold people accountable, you must have some understanding about how and what those people are supposed to accomplish. That takes involvement and knowledge.

It is incumbent on all citizens to spend an hour or two monitoring and understanding government. If you have more time, you can volunteer. Meet with your elected officials and question their decisions and understand their motives. It probably is a bad sign if a Commissioner doesn’t want to schedule an appointment with you, the constituent. The more you know, the less you will be fooled.

 

 

Here are links to two citizen academies. Stuart Police Department also has one.

https://www.martin.fl.us/CARES

http://www.sheriff.martin.fl.us/citizens-academy.html

 

Sarah’s Trial

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From the April 20th Friends & Neighbors Newsletter. To subscribe to your free subscription send email to thomasfcampenni@gmail.com

 

SARAH’S TRIAL

 

Sarah Heard’s trial ended in an acquittal on all charges.

 

I am of mixed feelings about it. I am happy that she will remain on the Commission. If found guilty, she could have been removed by Governor DeSantis. Though he would have been on stronger ethical grounds than his other removals, I still would have thought that removal was a mistake. Heard was just re-elected even with the charges and trial pending. It is undeniable that the voters had spoken.

 

More importantly, she was found not guilty. The jurors in the case voted that she had not violated the public records laws as charged. Whether you agree or not with the verdict the matter is now closed. It is time, at least in this instance with Heard, that all of Martin County moves on.

 

Commissioner Heard is a dedicated elected official. She thoroughly reads the agenda packet and understands the issues. When it comes to watching taxpayer dollars, no other Martin County Commissioner comes close to scrutinizing the bottom line like Heard. I don’t agree with her being consistently against any new projects, but, at times, she brings up points that should be investigated and discussed.

 

Unfortunately, because of her opposition to almost all new development, she doesn’t have the influence she should. Many development people consider her a “no” vote, so they do not try to change her mind. She might be able to get something of importance to her with these projects if her vote wasn’t so predictable.

 

For the next 3 plus years, Sarah Heard will be a County Commissioner. She may even be there longer if she runs again and is re-elected. There are no term limits for Commissioners which is something that should be changed. I know she will continue to be a fiscal conservative. I just hope she is more balanced in her outlook on development projects especially in the CRAs and within the USB.