IN YOUR CORNER

by the Martin County Taxpayers' Association 09/26/99

From the Stuart News: Governor Bush is telling (state) agencies that they will have to do a better job justifying money they already have before they get more. Our commissioners could certainly learn something budget wise. We have mentioned for years that the only parts of the county budget that get reviewed are the requests for more money. The other 99% of the budget does not have to be justified, which is irresponsible. This may be why the county budget has grown about five times as fast as the county population.

The lack of fiscal responsibility was evident when the commissioners, by a 3-2vote, overrode the plan proposed by administrator Blackburn and voted to hire 21 new Emergency Services employees and give current employees a 5% wage increase. Two of the county's fire stations now overused and require more staff, that fact is unchallenged. The administrator recommended either five additional employees and more overtime or nine additions employees. Hiring an additional twelve more employees than recommended is unnecessary. The need is not there and the added expense is a waste. The wage increase, which is well in excess of inflation, is in addition to previous yearly increases, which were also well in excess of inflation. We are highly in favor of maintaining a fist class Emergency Services department, but we think fiscal responsibility should be as important to our commissioners as it is to taxpayers.

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Impact fees have been adopted but we doubt if that is the last we will hear of them. The school district did not come up with recommendations for new fees in time to have them considered; which was a mistake. The school district administrators have complained that the fees they receive do not cover their costs and have not been increased in years, but they will not be increased unless the district establishes a plan. Since this is a very time consuming undertaking, they should start this study now.

In Martin County the total impact of an average single family home is now estimated to be $11,296 of which the school impact is $4598. Using the current impact fee schedule, the new resident would pay $973 and the existing taxpayers $3,050. This seems unfair to us. We imagine that the new residents will not cause all of the impact on the schools, but find it hard to believe that they will not cause more than 35%. The situation is very different in the non-school picture where the percentage is almost reversed, with the new residents paying slightly more than 65%.

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In 1996, just three years ago, the county initiated a $100,000 study on a proposed "western corridor". The route which was approved would connect Port St. Lucie Blvd. with CR 76A in Martin County. This would move traffic from a main artery in Port St. Lucie to a road that would connect with SR 714 and would undoubtedly involve a bridge to Indian Street, which is a main artery in Stuart. Naturally, the present commission rejected this plan and authorized a study of three alternative routes. Naturally the study will not depend on input from St. Lucie County even though no plan can succeed if they do not favor it.

We deplore the spending of more money on studies until our commissioners admit to some of the facts of life. St. Lucie County is going to act in the best interests of their residents and if those residents are satisfied to use Murphy Road, there is no incentive for their commission to seek any change. Our majority has behaved for several years as if their wishes are the only things that need be considered. The City of Stuart litigation should have taught them something, but evidently it did not. To keep from wasting taxpayers' money we suggest that the first step toward the western corridor is a step toward an agreement with Port St. Lucie. Our commission chair has indicated that such a meeting is planned, so let us call off the staff work until after the meeting. And let us look carefully at the old studies.

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Martin County and the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) plan to purchase most of the remainder of the Sea Wind property. The published purchase price is $22 million, although the property was appraised by SFWMD in 1997 at $16.6 million. If the purchase is completed, $40 million of the public's money will have been paid to one landholder, Westerra. The county plans to use money from the sales tax proceeds that were supposed to "Save our River". This parcel was not mentioned during the propaganda process leading to the tax, and was added to the "Atlantic Ridge" after the tax was approved. We question the benefit to Martin County taxpayers from this purchase and we are dead against the use of county money for this purchase.


W e encourage your comments, criticisms, ideas, or any questions about how your taxes work; call or fax 288-0474 or write to us at PO Box 741, Stuart, FL 34995 or e-mail us at admin@mctaxpayers.org or visit our WEB site, mctaxpayers.org.