We would like to acknowledge the work done by Commissioner Heard and Airport Staff in negotiating what appears to a very workable agreement with the FAA over the future of Witham Field. Contrary to recent scare tactics by some detractors, the proposed agreement achieves the County’s major objectives of limiting airport growth, fixing the facilities’ boundaries, and obtaining required safety margins through FAA funded overrun protection measures. The agreement avoids our major concern, Martin County taking what would surely become protracted and expensive legal action against the FAA.

The tentative accord leaves the runway at its current length, but does include continued FAA buy-out and insulation of affected homes. As we have pointed out before, just legally removing 460 feet of airport runway does little or nothing about noise from Witham, and even increases it marginally on homes to the South. Also, the history of similar suits against the FAA indicate the chance of winning is slim and the cost enormous. The Commission needs to follow through and negotiate an appropriate agreement based on the groundwork achieved. No one should want to spend many taxpayer dollars on what would, even if won, achieve little, and almost certainly turn Witham from an asset to a liability.

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For years your Taxpayer’s Association has called on Martin County to hire an independent professional to negotiate labor union contracts. We increased those efforts after sitting in on the last several negotiations with the International Association of Firefighters where we watched Commission directed Staff gave in on most important issues. Specifically, in three separate contracts, including the last one negotiated just before the elections in 2006, the IAFF were given across the board pay increases that more than doubled all salaries in less than eight years. While some large increases may have been needed in the early 2000s, especially to hire the best recruits, the increases received by many senior personnel were certainly not justified. Those inordinately large increases, along with giving away significant management rights, resulted in major personnel problems for the County. These include wage compression at senior levels, overtime costs that are out of control, extraordinary retirement benefits, and limitations on operational decisions, hiring and promotions.

The IAFF situation cannot be significantly addressed until the current contract expires in late 2009. However, the Administration’s personnel recently voted to change from the local Public Employees Union to the Teamsters’ Union of Miami. The Teamsters have already presented a draft contract and will soon begin seriously negotiating their new agreement with Martin County. Needless to say, we were extremely disappointed to watch the Board of Commissioners rebuke the Administrator’s efforts to obtain a professional negotiator for that effort at their 8 January meeting. While we generally object to the use of consultants, this is one case where we believe it was justified. A total cost of $85 per hour worked could well be a bargain, given the potential for savings. Using an outsider would also insulate senior Staff and Commissioners from the animosity generated by hard negotiations concerning those they work with every day. The Administrator and his Staff are soldiering on and may pull off an excellent agreement, but forgive us for being very skeptical, especially with the pressure of an election year.

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Our January 12 th article advocating a YES vote on proposition #1, the Property Tax Amendment, elicited an unusually large number of reader’s questions.

Our answers - IF the amendment passes:

- The 10% maximum yearly property cap cited is on non-homesteaded property and WILL NOT change the current 3 % yearly cap on homesteaded appraisals.

- It adds an additional $25,000 to the current $25,000 basic homestead exemption.

- It WILL allow portability of up to $500,000 in accumulated homestead exemption to those who sell a home and buy a new one anywhere in Florida within two years OF THAT SALE.

- The portability provision is retroactive to homes sold on or after January 1, 2007.

- The $25,000 exemption on furnishings will apply only to commercial property.

- Assessment (taxable) value calculations of property will remain the same.