IN YOUR CORNER

 

The Martin County Taxpayers Association is the oldest taxpayer

association in the state and recently celebrated it's 50th anniversary.

Association volunteers work to educate county residents on issues which

affect local taxpayers and to ensure that we get the most service for

our tax dollars. If you would like to be involved in this important work

please let us know; you can make a difference in our community. Our

contact information is found at the bottomof this article.

 

On Tuesday ,January 22, the Martin County Commission approved with very

little debate the search  for a site to build another mid county fire

station. This hasty action  should be cause for concern for all Martin

County taxpayers, especially  those in the City of Stuart.

 

The City of Stuart and Martin County utilize several inter-local

agreements to provide Fire Rescue and EMS services into each other’s

respective jurisdiction. Such agreements are common between Fire Rescue

Departments to assist each other in minimizing operating, personnel and

capital costs and can be a very cost effective alternative to building,

operating and staffing new fire stations.

 

This has been the case between the City of Stuart and Martin County.

There are areas of the unincorporated area of Martin County that the

City of Stuart is in a better geographic position to provide Fire and

EMS service, and likewise there are several areas of the incorporated

City that Martin County is in a better position to provide Fire and EMS

service.

 

The County Commission is considering funding an additional fire station

in the S.R. 76 corridor with a capital cost of approximately 3.5 million

dollars; annual operating costs are not identified.  The 1/22/02 County

agenda item indicates that the Port Salerno, Tropical Farms and Palm

City fire stations are responding into these areas, but fails to

indicate that the City of Stuart is also responding into this area

through existing inter-local agreements.

 

Last year, City and County Fire Rescue staff met and discussed this

issue. City staff suggested expanding the inter-local agreement to

facilitate relocation of the City of Stuart’s south fire station into

the S.R. 76 corridor in order to continue responses within station’s

municipal response district as well as improving responses into the

unincorporated areas of the S.R. 76 corridor, which according to Martin

County Fire Rescue generate 200 to 300 calls for service annually. The

total cost to the City to relocate its fire station was estimated to be

$750,000, of which $300,000 is currently budgeted to replace the

existing station on the current site. The annual operating and personnel

costs associated with operating this station would not increase beyond

at most adding three personnel.

 

Martin County Fire Rescue is in a better geographic position to provide

similar services to the City’s northern boundaries (N. Federal Hwy.

corridor) through their existing station on Britt Road. It appears that

the relocation of City Station 2 and amending the inter-local agreement

would provide the necessary public services in both areas.  It would

also serve County and City taxpayers by saving money; however, political

gamesmanship and turf protection tendencies by both Fire Rescue

departments are preventing a common sense solution.

 

We believe it is fiscally irresponsible to conduct fire station location

and service studies drawn to political boundaries while ignoring the

merits of Fire and EMS services inter-local agreements. In this

instance, the City and County are in position to help each other.  The

City can save Martin County approximately $2.75 million in capital costs

and approximately $1.0 ? $1.5 million in annual operating costs in

mid-County. Martin County is in a position to save the City a similar

sum in north City.

 

It is in the best interest of all taxpayers, City and County alike, to

have a fair inter-local agreement that maintains the highest level of

health and public safety services to achieve our common goals, rather

than playing politics and duplicating services side by side within

adjacent political boundaries.   We hope our City and County elected

officials are listening.