This morning, our Martin County Commission voted unanimously….5-0….. to initiate the formation of a special tax assessment for all property owners in unincorporated Martin County, and more! 90 new assessment areas are proposed to finance basic governmental operations, long neglected, as our commissioners continue on their legacy building endeavors.

They raised your taxes last September in a unanimous decision: 5 to 0, to establish the 2024 budget on the back of a millage rate increase. Even if a particular commissioner continues to lie about their vote, the video stands true. (I suggest everyone watch the September 27th commission meeting through the entirety of the voting process- you will see unanimous consent to establish an increased millage rate).

We currently expend more than $630 million per year to support 160,000 residents, not including school board taxes. Apparently, that is not enough.

While we offer subsidies to allegedly profitable entertainment ventures, we neglect wastewater facilities in New Monrovia.
While we purchase lands at over-inflated values from developers to appease a vocal yet numerical minority of the county, we simultaneously ignore road paving in Rocky Point.

Who needs road drainage in Palm City when you can just hang out at a beach side restaurant all day? If you’re one of the 2 dozen assessment areas in Palm City, be sure to thank the commission for a Triple whammy on your taxes. Not only did your base millage rate go up, but those in the CRA and all District 5 residents are purchasing 6 acres at $900k per acre because we didn’t forward plan our CRA extension. Since we’re in the grove, we’ll tack on special assessments in November ’24, as well.

I don’t know how to say this kindly, so I will just say it:
The Commission does not care about the affordability crisis that they/we have created. They do not care that your tax bill, property Insurance and power bills are continuously increasing. They have added supplemental taxes to your FPL bills (Franchise fee); they have built their legacies on the image that we are a Howard Huges community flush with disposable cash and flaunting of the fact (driving up home values- causing insurance to soar); and the commission has saddled us with tax rates placing us in the top 3 heaviest taxed counties per capita in the state.

The commission does not care that you are being fiscally priced out of your family homes.

Enough will never be enough, and they will continue to demand more.

Stop supporting these people. They don’t support you!