IN YOUR CORNER

 

 

 

After much debate, the Martin County Taxpayers Association Board voted

unanimously to endorse the four cent per gallon increase in the gasoline

tax in order to fund crucial transportation projects.  We believe that

transportation issues are important to all residents and visitors of

this county and that the Engineering staff has done a thorough job of

analyzing the county's transportation needs. This association

historically has supported the use of user fees in preference to

continual increases in ad valorem taxes. This ensures that the provision

for a particular services is funded by those who need it. For years the

transportation needs of this county have been neglected and several

previously planned projects have been postponed. Limitations on how

these funds may be spent ensure that 75% of the new collections will go

for capital projects. Furthermore, this  levy allows us to keep all of

our existing collections as well as achieve greater access to state

transportation grant funds.

 

However, our approval of this tax increase was not accompanied by an

unconditional endorsement of all projects with their associated budgets.

As with all governmental spending, the budgets provided for each project

should be rigorously scrutinized and justified before their approval.

 

We look forward to reviewing these transportation budgets along with

all other departments.

 

***

Martin Countians have an opportunity to decide how to use $38 million

(approximately $3,300,000 per year) of funds over the next 10 years.

This is the amount the County Commission will need to increase

everyone's garbage fees (a 20% increase) in order to change the way our

garbage is disposed of.  The County currently uses the dump on SR 714,

but  is proposing to temporarily store the garbage at this dump and then

truck it to a landfill, probably in Okeechobee County.  This change will

leave the current dump with at least ten years of unused capacity. We

have seen estimates which indicate residential rates will increase $3.00

per month and the average 8 cubic yard dumpster may cost as much as

$11.00 extra for every pick-up. This use of  money benefits a limited

number of people who live near the dump, and who have every right to

pursue their best interests with the County government.

 

In order to get a better understanding of how this came about, we

requested and received from staff a paper trail of correspondence and

meeting notes on this subject dating back as far as a memo of 11/88 from

the County Administrator to the Commissioners. The correspondence refers

to a land use map for the landfill site on approximately 170 acres while

retaining about a 78 acre buffer.  A year later, objections were raised

by attorneys representing Cobblestone and Stuart West for any further

expansion of the existing Palm City Landfill.  Bear in mind that the

landfill was operating well before these communities were planned and

developed nearby.

 

A task force created by the County Commission recommended "...the Board

focus on utilizing the current facility to capacity and exploring a

transfer station to an out-of-county regional facility for the

future.".  This task force also recommended expanding the physical

dimensions of the landfill and utilizing more county owned property

north of the site.  Again, the attorneys representing Cobblestone and

Stuart West objected vigorously.  At a subsequent Commission meeting,

their attendance resulted in a vote that pleased a vocal minority,

outweighing an inactive majority who had little understanding of what

was transpiring.

 

Further actions by the landfill opponents requested a cessation of

operations before the current site was fully utilized.  When put to a

vote in 1997, the Commissioners at that time moved for the continued use

of the Palm City landfill, using the existing cell only, and for staff

to investigate the viability of purchasing more land elsewhere in Martin

County for another landfill site.  This latter item was changed to a

negotiation for long-term disposal of solid waste, probably to

Okeechobee.  All of this totally ignores the proposal to utilize our

existing site at a savings of over $3,000,000 per year!

 

The number of dollars this will cost from one year alone could clean up

all the major creeks in Martin County.  Projecting this out over the

extended life of the dump and matched with other funds from the State

and Federal Governments, the entire St. Lucie estuary could be demucked.

We could build another regional park or provide high speed internet

access to the businesses of Martin County.  There are a multitude of

possibilities here.  Taxes could even be reduced an average of $25.00

per year for every man, woman and child!

 

While the Commissioners might argue that this new money is from an

increase in the fees charged for garbage disposal, we say a tax is a tax

is a tax, all coming from the same pocket, ours.  Would a unnecessary

tax by any other name smell as bad?

 

Moving part of the operation of a working waste site to another county

certainly deserves to be seriously reviewed and publicly debated.  The

Taxpayers suggest that the Commissioners take their time, reexamine the

relative costs versus the benefits of using the existing landfill to

capacity, and the County Attorney, the legal ramifications, before they

proceed.