Anonymous by design How We Report Corrections About

Story Timeline

May 31, 2026

Martin County Tax Board Overrides Its Own Expert, Leaves Homeowner With Unexplained Assessment Gap

A 3-2 vote buried a magistrate's written concerns about valuation disparities — and two board members say the process is broken

The Martin County Value Adjustment Board voted 3-2 Friday to deny a waterfront homeowner's property tax appeal — overriding its own appointed magistrate's written acknowledgment that "disparity among ...

Jun 08, 2026

Stuart Residents Can Now Keep Backyard Hens Under New City Ordinance

Commission votes 5-2 to allow up to four chickens on single-family and duplex lots; $65 annual permit required

Stuart City Commission member Bonnie Moser had a confession before Tuesday's vote: she was already breaking the law. "Kids don't know where their food comes from anymore," Moser told her colleagues as...

Jun 11, 2026

Stuart Commission Advances Backyard Chicken Ordinance 3-1 Over Water Quality Objections

One dissenting commissioner cited UF research linking chicken manure to algae growth and fish kills near Frazier and Poppleton creeks

Samantha Smith came to Stuart City Hall Tuesday asking commissioners for the right to keep a few hens in her backyard. She left with a narrow 3-1 vote moving that idea one step closer to city law — an...