Stuart Mayor Christopher Collins filed papers April 30 to run for Martin County Commission in November.
“It’s go time,” Collins told TCPalm after he had filed.
Collins is seeking the District 2 County Commission seat, currently held by Stacey Hetherington, whose term is up. Hetherington declined to say if she’d seek reelection. For now she is focused on her job as a commissioner, she said.
“The city’s struggling, and walking away isn’t leadership,” Hetherington, a Stuart resident, told TCPalm following Collins’ filing and announcement on Facebook. “That’s exactly the opposite of leadership.”
The city of Stuart is in chaos, Hetherington added, laying the blame on Collins, Vice Mayor Sean Reed and Commissioner Laura Giobbi, who constitute the City Commission majority.
Collins stepping down
By the city Charter, Collins was required to step down from the City Commission in order to run for another office.
“When I first arrived at City Hall four years ago, it was very different place,” Collins said in his resignation letter. “Today, I can say with confidence that we are in a much stronger position — through improved efficiency, strengthened leadership and renewed sense of purpose and pride that fills our halls.”
The city now has a team “dedicated to protecting and enhancing your quality of life,” including a top-tier city manager, city attorney and environmental attorney, Collins added.
Writing to commissioners, city staff and residents, Collins said, “I am proud that we delivered on the promises we made.”
Apartment approvals are down 98%, an environmental attorney was hired to help protect the city’s natural resources and commissioners lowered the tax rate, Collins wrote.
But he failed to say that even though the commission lowered the tax rate, property taxes likely will go up for homeowners, the result of property values also rising.
Criticism of Collins
Former Mayor Merritt Matheson — who Collins unseated in 2022 to gain a seat on the commission — criticized Collins after his announcement for the misuse of sales-tax funds designated for improving water quality and the conservation of environmentally sensitive land.
Matheson already had filed earlier this month to run and win back the seat he lost to Collins four years ago.
Matheson leveled his criticism of Collins in an earlier interview, referring to an effort by Collins to have Stuart use those sales-tax funds to purchase the historic Stuart High School building, among other things, on Southeast Ocean Boulevard.
Collins has since dropped that effort to buy the former school and campus following comments by Jim Snedeker of Martin County Forever LLC, which spearheaded the effort to get the sales tax passed by voters.
Rescinding the Brightline deal
Collins was key in leading the City Commission majority to rescind an agreement with Brightline for a station to be built in downtown Stuart.
The vote was unpopular with some, especially downtown businesses. Others applauded the move and those who voted for it.
Collins wanted Brightline to pay for 50% of the cost of the station, but the railroad refused to pay any portion of the project. Martin County has since assumed the project and has a $70 million grant application pending with the federal government.
The $87 million station would be built in the same location that the city had proposed, at 500 Southeast Flagler Ave. in downtown Stuart. Brightline continues to insist it will not contribute to the cost of the station.
Keith Burbank is a watchdog reporter for TCPalm, usually covering Martin County. He can be reached at keith.burbank@tcpalm.com.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Florida mayor steps down, opens bid for County Commission
Reporting by Keith Burbank, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
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