IN YOUR CORNER

Our local legislative Delegation, through the Leadership of Ken Pruitt

in the House and Doc Myers in the Senate, provided funding for a

significant number of new projects and programs which could bode well for

taxpayers in the future. This list includes a focus on research and

development initiatives, with $50 million for Treasure Coast education

facilities earmarked in the budget. This should enhance our economic

diversity with better jobs and a lower tax rate. Additionally, our

delegation secured funding for the cleaning up of our local waterways in

the form of $38.5 million for Lake Okeechobee and $10 million for St.

Lucie River Restoration. Both of the projects will directly aid in the

restoration of our precious rivers.

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The lifespan of the Joint School Task Force was originally set from

September, 1999, through March, 2000, if necessary. A professional

mediator was hired at considerable expense, primarily at County

insistence, to facilitate reaching an agreement between the school

district and the county commission on future school sites for Martin

County. The Task Force met seven times for an average of four hours each

time through March, without an agreement being reached. The School Board

agreed to attend one more session in April to finish the work. When this

failed, the School Board then agreed, with great reluctance, to meet again

one more time in May.

The May meeting began with all of the staff members supporting the

Task Force on a recommended agreement. The subsequent meeting lasted

almost six hours, and ended without an agreement. The School Board’s

representatives were so disappointed they would not recommend continuing

for another meeting.

We do not understand why Martin County seeks agreements with other

government entities, and then insists on absurd levels of detail, dragging

the negotiating process out forever, as if deadlines mean nothing.

Treating private citizens this way was one of the factors resulting in the

extensive voluntary annexations into the City of Stuart. Unfortunately,

the School Board cannot de-annex from the county, and must plan its new

schools now, not when the County Commission gets around to it.

Obviously, it is important to reach an agreement on school siting.

Enough time and money has been wasted over the past eight months. The

School Board and the City of Stuart appear to be ready to finish; it is

time for the County to show a modicum of common sense and close this

divisive chapter.

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During the budget process last year, Emergency Services personnel

literally packed the commission room with wives, children, family and

friends, all in bright red T-shirts, and came away with all the goodies

they requested from the county commission, including an across-the-board

increases. This year, the sheriff has announced that his deputies deserve

a 10% across-the-board increase. Some of his reasoning relates back to the

firefighter’s increases of last year, and portends of an emotional wage

tug of war this year. While we commend the sheriff for supporting his

employees, we cannot accept this argument for granting wage increases.

Both deputies and firefighters are valued county employees, whose

respective pay scales should not be dependent upon one another, but upon

fair and impartial comparisons of area pay practices for each grade level,

in each department, in each locale. Such wage surveys rarely indicate the

need for across-the-board adjustments, but more than likely, they reveal

individual job categories that have gotten out of sync and need to be

corrected. Job classifications that have been allowed to fall behind can

be subject to a corrective adjustment in addition to an annual pay raise,

whereas those positions which are already correctly compensated usually

receive a small cost-of-living increase.

The Taxpayers’ Association will support any wage increases that are

properly evaluated and justified, and only ask that our county commission

requires the same objectivity.

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This commission has been notorious in its hiring and then rejecting

consultants and their reports. The airport study contract states that our

commission wants "guidelines for airport development which will satisfy

aviation demands and be compatible with the environment, the community,

other modes of transportation, and other airports." When they began to see

that they were getting what they asked for, the commission decided to hire

yet another consultant; this one is to advise us in the downsizing and

restriction of airport operations. At least, that is what they think they

are requesting of this latest consultant.

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