MCTA NEWSLETTER
And so the budget process begins…
Commissioner Capps Champion of Champions!
UNPLUG! A Very Important Message from Your Deputy Fire Marshall
Quote of the Month – “I’m a pushover” – Commissioner Heard. 😀
Island Crossing Storage facility in Hobe Sound which was to be built on Bridge Road just west of US1 was voted down, while Storage Rentals of America also to be built in Hobe Sound (on Osprey and Dixie) was approved. Commissioner Capps explained that the later was a final site approval which didn’t allow for as much “discretion” [with the approval] as the former which was an amendment to a planned unit development or PUD. It will be interesting to see what ends up there as the attorney for the failed application pointed out various less than desirable possibilities could legally take its place.
Commissioner Capps then displayed his forestry prowess and explained that a “champion” pine tree is the largest of its kind. And cautioned the developer of Storage Rentals of America that they were privileged to have such a tree on the property which they were developing and how to ensure it wouldn’t be damaged during the build out. 🌴
Newfield in Palm City will receive an amendment to their open space easement in part to facilitate the building of an FPL substation.
The county will apply for a reimbursement grant for the MS Poop boat pump out program (read more on the program here: https://www.martin.fl.us/martin-ship-pump-out-operation-program). It is anticipated that FDEP will reimburse $99,000 out of the annual budget of $133,000. So, the math dictates that the County will pay $34,000 in order to pump out boats regardless of where they are registered.
Florida’s Inland Navigation District is allotting a grant for $100,000 for a hybrid living shoreline project to stabilize Boy Scout Island which has lost 77% of its area through erosion. This is stage 1 design and engineering. More grants will be necessary to finish the project. The spoil island is open to the public as all FIND projects must be.
The County will apply for a Children and Families $1.2 million over 3 years grant toward a health program.
The Sheriff’s Department requested that the County apply for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grant for a laser scanning system to be utilized at traffic crash scenes. The grant is for $21,112.
There are adjustments to the 2026 budget. One to allow for the proceeds from the sale of the Palm City land which Commissioner Ciampi in 2024 requested that the County purchase to save it from being developed.
The other adjustment is to allow for a $25,000 contribution from Coastal Waste and Recycling in Hobe Sound. This money is to be used for the maintenance of SE Suzanne Drive where the company is located.
A continuing contract of $3,000,000 over 5 years was accepted for technical engineering. Also accepted was a continuing contract for general contracting services not to exceed $20,000,000 over 5 years which includes anything to do with a building ie. remodeling, detailed repair that cannot be done in house and is too small to be considered a capital improvement.
The Deputy Fire Marshall, Chris Hanson, made a very important presentation regarding the dangers of lithium batteries. Among many important tips is to UNPLUG your devices when they are fully charged or thermal run-away is possible. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME to view the presentation here:
https://martin.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=24
Your tax referendum “Martin County Forever Land Acquisition Sales Tax” scores again by purchasing 3.29 acres which will give the public access to Atlantic Ridge State Park.
Commissioner Vargas challenged the process or, as she perceived it, lack thereof, for choosing the company which will build the new Public Works complex. She was dismayed that it was a non-competitive bidding process. Normally the MCTA would agree with her. However, this is a public private partnership (P3) with a proven company (they just built the new Indiantown High School). The company has guaranteed to build the project for $533 per sq ft vs. $700 per sq ft. It is a comprehensive guarantee promising that the building will be completed in 18 months rather than 36 months. Any overrun will be absorbed by the company…guaranteed! This MUCH NEEDED complex will consist of 114,000 sq ft plus 4,000 for hazardous material storage, 10 acres of miscellaneous storage, 300 parking spaces and on and on. It will withstand 180 mph winds. The guaranteed price is NOT TO EXCEED $74,000,000. Also, because the County paid off a lot of debt last year, they are able to self-finance saving $45,000,000 over the 20-year life of the loan. Because of this and the guarantees along with the recent happy experience with the builder, MCTA approves of the whole thing. We only wish it would have happened years ago. Apparently, even though the current public works buildings which were built in the early ‘70s and feel like a gentle breeze could blow them over, building a $10,000,000 club house on a municipal golf course was more important! Let’s get this project built! Bonus! The county will be saving the $250,000 annual fee from leasing the property at the airport where the current complex resides. Commissioner Heard even admitted to being “a pushover” for this project! Oh, come on Commish. We all know better! 😀
MCTA was ecstatic to hear Commissioner Ciampi remark that any county-owned land that can be sold to the private sector should be sold to the private sector rather than the County just concocting other uses for it. MCTA asks you to remember that land is capital. It is the financier of a new generation. Public owned property steals opportunity, tax revenue and comes with a set of its own problems such as never-ending maintenance costs. Commissioner Capps is asking the Commission to consider raising the exotic removal allocation from $600,000 a year to $900,000 due to the recent land acquisition from the sales tax referendum. It’s not just nice to buy land, its costly in more ways than one. Commissioner Vargas recommended a bit more research to pinpoint an actual true estimate of this cost.
Sewall’s Point will be purchasing .23 acres very close to their town hall from the County for $50,000.
There will be a Hampton Inn built in Palm City near the turnpike entrance and the big box Tractor Supply store. You know…where Costco was originally supposed to go. Just sayin’. 🤔
The process for determining next year’s budget has begun with each department head presenting their Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). The long and short of it is that FARB or Fixed Asset Replacement Budget is the focus. Meaning that staff is looking mostly to take care of the assets already in place. Overall, the plan is to spend $36.9M on capital improvements next year resulting in a 1% increase in budget ad valorem revenues over 2026. Keep in mind that the CIP amounts to only 7% of the total budget consideration. And will include $21.4M in grants. While the MCTA believes the CIP is on target and conservative this year, we also want to explain the complexities of each department. That will require much more space than we have in a newsletter. So, we have decided to take a tour of each department over the next few weeks and report on each separately. Hopefully this process will not only interest you (more than you think it will) but also give you some insight into the workings of your county government.
A quick summary of CIP review of increases or decreases over 2026:
Airport CIP Impact increased by $970,000. Remember the airport is an enterprise fund, so expenses are paid for by fees charged to users.
Office of Community Development increased by $1,065,350. This money largely comes from taxpayers living or owning businesses within the Community Redevelopment Areas.
Fire/Rescue Department decreased by $1,096.
Public Buildings & Law Enforcement increased by $127,090.
Library Department increased by $75,000.
Parks & Recreation Department increased by $500,000.
Coastal increased $110,000.
Ecosystems increased $149,000.
Public Transportation increased $12,190.
Roads decreased $1,000,000.
Stormwater Management increased $100,000.
Solid Waste decreased $903,000.
Utilities decreased $42,835,250.
Miscellanous increased $312,432. MCTA disapproves of anything labeled “Miscellanous” for transparency consideration. This category includes communications and data center equipment.
The public hearings for the final budget approval will take place in September. We encourage you to pay attention to the process and educate yourself and your neighbors, so you are informed on this important use of your hard-earned tax dollars!
Key 2026 Budget Meeting Dates:
Budget Workshops: July 13 & 14, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. (Commission Chambers).
1st Public Hearing: September 15, 2026, at 5:05 p.m. (Commission Chambers).
Final Public Hearing: September 29, 2026, at 5:05 p.m. (Commission Chambers).
Meetings are held at 2401 SE Monterey Road, Stuart. Citizens can provide input during these hearings.
Community Redevelopment Agency
The Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council presented a study of the existing parks, open spaces and unopened rights of way. More additional access to waterways and green/open spaces were proposed.
Concerns were expressed regarding the maintenance of any additional amenities as the County has not been taking proper care of existing assets. Unwanted tradeoffs such as the costs of new amenities taking away from needed paving of roads and the future septic to sewer projects were expressed. Susan Kores, Director of the CRA assured the board that the road paving was already funded and as far as the septic to sewer there are $4,000,000 dedicated to it now. This study was adopted unanimously.
The CRA Matrix Project was presented by Kevin Crowder of Business Flare. He explained it would be a study of the performance of each of the CRA areas to identify strengths and weaknesses.
The CRA has a new Facebook page to increase public awareness, improve transparency and strengthen community engagement and participation.
The CRA capital projects improvements highlighted a Golden Gate landscape vision plan. The plan includes replanting using more sustainable plants that will not hinder views and will increase safety.
Church Street in Jensen Beach now has a 70’ right of way that will allow 2 lanes of traffic and the ability to underground the utilities.
Children’s Service Council (CSC)
Investing in Project LIFT’s Pathway Academy of Innovation program: Pathways to Graduation in Martin County By Laura Haase, Executive Director
What does it take to help every young person in Martin County reach graduation? For many students, traditional school settings provide exactly what they need to succeed.
For others, challenges with mental health, family instability, or other barriers can make it difficult to stay on track.
As a community, it is important that we recognize that not every path looks the same for our community’s youth, but we have options in place to support students wherever they are on their path. By doing so, we give more young people the opportunity to reach graduation and have a successful future.
That is why the Children’s Services Council of Martin County invests in programs like Project LIFT’s Pathway Academy of Innovation. Project LIFT offers an alternative path to students struggling in a traditional school setting. Students work toward earning an accredited high school diploma while also receiving mental health support, mentoring, and hands-on vocational training.
The first year of CSCMC funding for Project LIFT’s Pathway Academy of Innovation program was 2024-2025, and the outcomes are promising. Last year the program served 36 Martin County teens who might otherwise have dropped out of traditional high school. Of those teens, 25 earned their high school diploma, and others remained actively engaged in the program and on track to complete. In addition, 22 students earned an industry-recognized trade certification, giving them a clear pathway into the workforce. This year, the program is on track to serve at least 50 youth. In 2025-2026, CSCMC is investing $157,500 in this program, helping to leverage a total program investment of more than $1.3 million through additional grants and philanthropy.
Research shows that a single youth who drops out of high school can cost society hundreds of thousands of dollars over a lifetime in lost earnings, lower tax contributions, and increased reliance on public systems. When we help a young person graduate and gain meaningful skills, we are not only changing their future, but we are also making a smart investment for Martin County. CSCMC focuses on investing taxpayer dollars responsibly in prevention and early intervention programs like Project LIFT’s Pathway Academy of Innovation to assist youth toward graduating high school and becoming productive members of our community.
