The proponents of Amendment 4 want voters to have the final say on how their communities grow. But we do have a say when we elect a board of commissioners that guides the growth and development of the county to be consistent with the public interest.
As a former Growth Management Department employee, I know how arduous most reviews of comprehensive plan amendments and complex development proposals can be.
Jackie Trancynger (Sept. 21 letter) believes “ordinary people are smart enough to understand the issues and cast intelligent votes.”
I consider myself to be a smart person, but I would not presume to try to install electrical wiring. I would hire a qualified electrician to do the job. Likewise, there are many smart people in our voting community who know very little about the intricacies of community planning as applied by qualified Martin County planners.
Furthermore, Commissioner Sarah Heard herself felt that a recent primary referendum question was too complicated for the average person to understand (Stuart News, Aug. 26).
How can Ms. Heard and her supporters believe that these same people would be any better at interpreting and applying the three volumes of Martin County Code?
Some transplants to Martin County actually believe, following their own arrival to our county, that there should be no further growth in the population. They want to sink proposals that would bring industry to our county. Yet they believe that residents should be able to enjoy top-notch libraries, roadways, utilities, storm-water treatment, parks, etc., along with immediate responses from county staff to all inquiries and complaints.
Passage of Amendment 4 would prevent growth. It would also prevent improvements, cripple the function of county government and keep the bulk of the tax burden on the backs of our retirees.
Kathleen G. Roberts
Hobe Sound
