Buying land for conservation may be Treasure Coast's best hope to stop unchecked growth

By: Blake Fontenay, February 16, 2024, Treasure Coast Newspapers

We're barely a month and a half into 2024, and already the Martin County Commission is facing what could be its most important decision of the year.

The commission is scheduled to hear a presentation Tuesday from a group called Martin County Forever. This nonprofit group is interested in preserving about 46,000 acres of environmentally sensitive land in the county.

There's an obvious benefit for those of us worried development will eventually erase what used to be called "the Martin County Difference." Every parcel that's set aside for conservation purposes is one less parcel that will be plowed under for a new service station, self-storage business or subdivision.

Here's the rub: Buying land in Florida is an expensive proposition. Martin County Forever plans to ask commissioners to put a half-cent sales tax increase on this November's ballot.

An investment in an unpaved future

If the commission agrees and voters approve the tax increase, the group estimates about $18.3 million could be raised each year for conservation land purchases. That money could be paired with matching funds through the state's land-buying program to increase Martin County's buying power.

It could be used to protect areas in the western and southern sections of the county that haven't already been overrun by construction, as well as selected parcels along local waterways.

All three Treasure Coast counties have implemented land-buying programs for conservation before, although the ones in Martin County and St. Lucie County haven't been very active in recent years.

Under Martin County Forever's proposal, the sales tax increase ― from 6.5% to 7% on most purchases ― would not apply to groceries, prescription medication or school supplies. The group estimates out-of-county visitors would pay more than one-third of the funds raised for the program.

The group suggests the Martin County Commission approve referendum language that would allow the sales tax increase to expire (unless voters decide to renew it) after either 10 or 20 years.

No time like the present for a positive change

Commissioners have been hinting a referendum like this has been under consideration for many months. In the past couple of election cycles, the idea was placed on the back burner because the prevailing wisdom was people in Martin County weren't ready for a tax increase due to economic conditions.

In reality, there will never be an ideal time to ask for a tax increase. And let's not play semantic games with this by rebranding it as a "revenue enhancement" or a "special surcharge" or any of the other politically deceptive wording that sometimes gets associated with these types of initiatives.

Let's call it what it is ― and have a sensible adult conversation about whether it's a step this community needs to take.

To be clear, commissioners wouldn't be asked to raise the sales tax themselves. They would only be giving voters the option to pay a little extra to protect what so many of them say they hold dear about Martin County.

This wouldn't put developers out of business in Martin County. Indian River County is still experiencing considerable growth, even with its conservation land-buying program in operation for decades. St. Lucie County is, too, to an even greater degree.

Landowners wouldn't be forced to sell their property if the program is implemented in Martin County. They would have another option, besides keeping their land or selling to developers.

Fighting fire with fire

As County Commissioner Ed Ciampi noted last year, essentially every piece of Florida land that's not submerged or otherwise undevelopable is "in play," all the time, with speculators ready to pounce as opportunities present themselves.

"Everyone gets to a number where they'll sell," Ciampi said ― and, possibly aside from a few idealistic holdouts, he's right about that. With land prices rising, the lure of a substantial payday can be hard for many longtime landowners to resist.

Viewed in that light, the land-buying program would be a way to fight fire with fire.

Indian River County voters have approved three separate land-buying referendums during the last three-plus decades. In these programs, the county sold bonds to raise money for conservation land purchases, then repaid the bond debt using an ad valorem charge on residents' property tax bills.

In 1992 and 2004, respectively, voters approved $26 million and $50 million bond referendums. Then by a whopping 78%-22% margin, citizens approved another $50 million referendum in 2022.

Beth Powell, Indian River County's parks and recreation manager, said the program has made it possible for the county to purchase 38 sites covering about 12,000 acres. While the earlier bonds made $76 million directly available, county officials were able to leverage state and federal matching funds to actually spend $138 million, Powell said.

To finance the 2022 bonds, Powell said a charge will be added to tax bills, beginning this fall. For a $250,000 home, Powell said the charge is $43.74 per year.

With a sales tax increase, Martin County residents would pay varying amounts, depending on their spending habits. On a $100 purchase, a half-cent sales tax increase translates into an extra 50 cents.

There would, of course, be details to work out. Martin County officials would need to set up parameters for managing the program. It would seem wise to have some type of citizens oversight panel, with people representing a broad spectrum of interests involved.

Delay will translate into a lost opportunity

Putting this referendum on the ballot wouldn't be a substitute from sensible land planning. In particular, commissioners wouldn't be absolved from their responsibility to strike a balance among competing interests while they're considering land-use cases.

Whether they've done a good job in that regard is a matter of opinion. Count me among those who remain very concerned an ongoing review of the county's comprehensive plan could open the floodgates to even more development than we've seen to date.

Independent of what the commissioners do, there's always the risk the Florida Legislature is going to approve more pro-growth laws that further tip the scales away from land conservation.

While there can always be debate about the proper timing, if commissioners don't get a land-buying referendum on the ballot soon, in a few years, there won't be a point in doing one at all.

This column reflects the opinion of Blake Fontenay. Contact him via email at blake.fontenay@tcpalm.com or at 772-232-5424.