In this morning’s Stuart News, a letter appeared regarding the city’s recent annexation of a parcel on Federal Highway. As a member of the City Commission, I did vote for the annexation. Unfortunately, the letter writer is misinformed on several matters regarding that particular annexation and annexation under Florida statute.
Annexation is allowed under Florida statute when a property owner petitions a municipality to be allowed into the city. The municipality then has the option of incorporating the parcel or not if that parcel meets the criteria of the statute and the municipality decides that it is in the interest of the city to do so. Annexation is permitted and encouraged under the law in order to expand municipal services to newly urbanized areas outside the current geographical boundaries of the city. Unfortunately, too many people in Martin County do not understand the differences between municipalities and county governmental functions … including a few county commissioners.
Counties were never meant to be anything other than local arms of state government. That is why each county has a sheriff, property appraiser, supervisor of elections, tax collector and clerk of the court. Each of those functions carries out state duties as recognized by our state constitution and statutes. The state government is making sure that state residents have vital state services throughout Florida. Counties are a political arm or subdivision of Tallahassee.
Municipalities are the local governments. They were meant to provide urban services such as water and sewer, fire/rescue and a host of others. As population grows and demand increases for such services, then annexation of newly urban areas (if contiguous) are supposed to occur. In non-contiguous areas, then new municipalities should be formed in order to provide urban services as outlined by statute. Unfortunately, Martin County wants not only to be a county government but also a municipal one. This is the root of why the county currently has an unsustainable budget.
I most certainly do not want to emulate the unbridled growth to our south. But if you were to look at Palm Beach County, there are 38 municipalities representing the local views of 38 distinct areas. Martin County has 4 municipalities. Instead of encouraging annexation and the formation of more municipal governments to provide urban services, county government is trying to do so.
In all instances of providing urban services, the county is less efficient than Stuart. For instance, it costs homeowners roughly 50% more to hook up to a county sewer than a homeowner in the city. In every instance, from fire/rescue to police to roads, the city provides urban services cheaper and more efficiently.
A city is able to do this for several reasons. The first is because we operate within a compact geographical area with higher density than most of the county. In most cases, the county has taken on the duties and responsibilities of providing services to all unincorporated areas regardless of density. A paid fire/rescue department was never meant to respond to fires or accidents in rural areas…volunteer departments were.
The second reason that the city is able to keep costs in check is because it has a locally elected body in charge that is close to the people. I, as a city commissioner, represent a little over 16,000 people as opposed to the more than 160,000 people in the county. I know the different neighborhoods and constituencies very well. I hear from residents in the supermarket and at the doctor’s office. People see me at the park and at their kid’s school. My cell phone number is on my business card. I am accessible. I try to make sure that every penny collected from the limited number of taxpayers Stuart has is spent in accordance with their wishes.
Finally, since the government is so much closer to the people, we only provide those services that the local population wants and is willing to pay to have. This is in stark contrast to county government where there is no differentiation in what is provided to Indiantown or Rio. Each is a distinctive community, but there is no local representative government or any variation in the tax rate for providing those services whether wanted or not. It costs more to respond to a fire in rural Martin than in Salerno.
The last misconception regarding annexation that should be cleared up is the notion that the property is taken away from Martin County. To the contrary, Stuart and the three municipalities are all in and a part of Martin County. Municipal residents pay taxes to Martin County. We vote for county commissioners and the constitutional officers. Every person and parcel, even those in a municipality, is part of the county.
In the particular annexation referenced by the letter writer in the newspaper, I would say the development that is now proposed for that site is a far cry better than what they could have built under county zoning. Under the county rules, a 24 hour convenience store could have been built. Under the county rules, a restaurant/bar with music could have been located there. The county’s zoning would have resulted in double the retail area that we granted. Yes, it is true under the county’s zoning; the developer would have had a 60 room hotel instead of the 80 rooms that the city allowed. But I am sure the residents of Palm Lake Park would rather have a well buffered hotel than a night spot with music until 2 a.m. Even though we do not represent the Palm Lake residents, the city commission exacted better uses from the developer than what was permitted under county zoning. It was a win for the county because of the increased sales, property and bed taxes, a win for the Lake Park homeowners because of our requirements in uses, buffering and setbacks, and a win for the city in increased property taxes.