Here we go again!
Sarah Heard wasted no time as new chair of the Board of County Commissioners to re-introduce policies from the last time she was chair in 2012. Namely, to abolish the Community Redevelopment Agency board of directors.
In 2012, she convinced the board majority to fire all members of the Community Redevelopment Agency board AND all the members of the Neighborhood Advisory Committees (NACs). At the time, there were seven Community Redevelopment Areas: Golden Gate, Rio, Jensen Beach, Indiantown, Hobe Sound, Port Salerno and Old Palm City.
Indiantown’s Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) was dissolved with its incorporation as a separate municipality, leaving the six current CRAs.
Today, during the Jan. 14 commission meeting, Heard “floated” the idea of abolishing the board of the Community Redevelopment Agency, yet again. She wants the decision to be made within the next few meetings as to whether or not to have commissioners again become the Community Redevelopment Agency, which she instituted during her previous chairmanship.
No, it was not a separate topic on the county commission's meeting agenda, but the appointment of new members to the CRA board gave her the opportunity to suggest it. As is her usual practice, however, Heard did not tell the whole story.
Prior to 2012, which is when Heard took control previously as chair, the Community Redevelopment Agency was an INDEPENDENT board. Their budget was based on a percentage of tax funds collected on the increase in property values in each Community Redevelopment Area (called TIF funds). Below a certain threshold, (perhaps $200,000, if I recall correctly) they had autonomy as to how the funds were spent. Above that threshold, they first had to get approval from the commissioners. Grant applications and acceptances also still had to be approved by the BOCC.
After Heard abolished that board in 2012, public outcry forced her to reappoint the NACs, but she refused to reestablish the Community Redevelopment Agency. The county commissioners became the members of the Community Redevelopment Agency. Contrary to her implication otherwise, it was NOT the preferred policy.
In fact, it was ridiculous, as Commissioner Ed Ciampi pointed out today following Heard's comments. He described how county commissioners would have to adjourn as the BOCC then convene as the CRA board, then after 30 or 45 minutes to approve whatever projects were presented, adjourn as the CRA board and reconvene as the BOCC.
After the 2016 election tossed out the commissioners responsible for supporting Heard’s anti-CRA initiative (which resulted in millions in grant monies being returned to the state and setting progress in the CRAs behind by at least four years) the new commission majority reinstated the Community Redevelopment Agency as it stands today, as an advisory board.
The 2016 commission also increased CRA funding, which Heard had cut to its minimum statutory level. A portion of their funds were sacrificed two years ago in order to keep last year’s tax increase to less than one percent, with the promise their funding levels would be restored this year. The NACs should not hold their breath on that one!
The Community Redevelopment Agency comprises former and current members of the six Neighborhood Advisory Committees to serve on a board appointed by the BOCC. They are citizens who live within the defined Community Redevelopment Areas, or are business owners within the CRAs, who decide how a portion of the tax dollars collected within JUST their CRA district is spent on projects within only the area in which the funds were collected, with all CRAs sharing the expense of the county’s cost to administer the program.
(The only exception — The county recently introduced a program to benefit businesses within the CRAs with upgrades such as paint or windows within the CRA boundaries, but the NAC members do not share in the decision making as to which businesses are to benefit, although all CRAs contribute funds. That decision is left up to the CRA board.)
The idea that citizens should be/could be entrusted with that kind of decision-making responsibility is an apparent Anathema to Heard, totally repugnant.
Heard’s complaint was that the commission never knew what the CRAs were doing, but the commission was expected just to approve their budget. She does not know, because she does not attend either the Port Salerno NAC or the CRA board meetings. That's her choice.
No other commissioner, with newly elected Commissioner Eileen Vargas as the only exception, is unaware of what the CRAs within their own districts are trying to accomplish before the program sunsets within the next 13 years or so.
She also does not respect the Port Salerno NAC within her own district, and has attempted to manipulate their redevelopment plan to create her own vision. As a result, many of the NAC members have joined the Save Our Salerno community activist nonprofit or, at the least, have supported their multiple community projects with active participation — as do even other commissioners outside of District 4, Heard's district.
The effect of Heard's disinterest in the Port Salerno NAC is obvious when compared to the beautifully redeveloped areas in Rio, Hobe Sound, and Old Palm City, especially, and all the CRAs generally. The story of Port Salerno's progress in reaching their goals is sad, and apparently, it's going to get sadder.
SOS would like to thank Barbara Clowdus for this well written article on the misfit of Port Salerno and her destructive wishes. Please, as a community help us pull together and fight this. Our opinions matter, our tax dollars matter, speak up with us and keep our community free of Crowley & Sarah. They should never have control of our taxpayer's money without the voice of the taxpayers themselves.
Attend meetings, & if you can't send emails to Comish@martin.fl.us
P.S. The commissioners did recognize the requests for evening meetings. Keep those email requests coming to them! Same address as above.
Help us keep our historical Port Salerno strong!
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