TCPalm Editorial Board recommendations 2024: Stuart City Commission races

More: Martin County Primary Election 2020: Candidates reply to questionnaires

TERM: Four years

GROUP 2 CANDIDATES: Becky Bruner, 67, and Laura Giobbi, 74

GROUP 4 CANDIDATES: Troy McDonald, 56, and Sean Reed, 34

ISSUES: Growth and development, water quality, budgets

Remember a few months ago when Stuart was named best coastal small town in America ? USA TODAY readers tapped Stuart based on amenities, such as access to the St. Lucie River; its parks, such as Flagler and Shepard; its museums, and its restaurant-lined downtown.

It's not the first time Stuart has done well in national "best of" rankings, nor will it likely be the last.

In light of that, in the upcoming races for commission seats, an obvious place to start is with the question: Does the city need to make major changes to its government or is it generally heading in the right direction?

Without doubt, people grumble about the local traffic, or some of the commission's recent decisions, or how difficult it is to get a parking space downtown at certain times of day. But are Stuart residents really unhappy with how the city is being run overall?

A referendum on local residents' satisfaction

Elections for the Group 2 and Group 4 seats will go a long way toward answering those questions.

In Group 2 , Bruner, currently serving as mayor, is challenged by Giobbi, a "semi-retired" insurance agent who has served a couple of years on the city's planning board.

This is a tough race to call, because both candidates came up lacking in their questionnaire responses and in their interview with the TCPalm Editorial Board.

Both gave brief answers to questions asked. The substance of those responses suggests neither candidate spent adequate time preparing to be interviewed.

When asked about her goals for the next four years, Bruner frequently responded with descriptions of actions the city had already taken, not all of which were responsive to the questions.

For example, when asked whether changes needed to be made to Confusion Corner, Bruner went on a tangent about how U.S. Rep. Brian Mast helped secure funding for a new railroad bridge over the St. Lucie River.

A difficult choice, for the wrong reasons

Giobbi wasn't really any better, though. In one particularly egregious example, when asked about Stuart neighborhoods that might benefit from redevelopment, she mentioned Rio. Rio is in the unincorporated area of Martin County, not inside Stuart limits.

Even from her short time on the planning board, she should know that.

Giobbi's best argument for replacing Bruner seems to be a concern about too much growth and development, but she didn't identify specific actions she or the commission collectively could take to make improvements in that area.

It's difficult to make a recommendation in favor of either candidate, but voters have to make a choice. Given that Bruner is in the seat now, it would be better to keep her there than take a chance on an unknown quantity.

McDonald's experience gives him clear edge

In the Group 4 race, McDonald, the incumbent, and Reed, his challenger, are both much better prepared than the Group 2 candidates. Like Giobbi, Reed focused much of his attention on growth and development.

However, the case both challengers try to make is a tough one. Sure, Stuart has been having more development than it did in the 1950s or the 1970s, but in comparison to its urban neighbors to the north and south, it's still a fairly small town.

Interestingly, two Martin County commissioners running for reelection suggested most of the county's growth has occurred inside the Stuart city limits, but that assertion doesn't pass the eye test.

For the most part, there's little land available in Stuart for new development, while signs advertising development projects have sprouted like weeds along the unincorporated stretch of Kanner Highway and other roads outside town.

McDonald has generally done a good job of balancing competing interests when controversial issues have come before the commission, including his stint last year as mayor. He's also fought for local transportation projects at the regional Metropolitan Planning Organization, which gives him a much better understanding of the traffic and parking issues than his opponent.

While there are a number of areas where McDonald and Reed differ, Reed hasn't really spelled out a clear case for why a national award-winning city needs to make a change. McDonald is the better choice.

TCPalm’s candidate recommendations are decided collectively by its Editorial Board. Recommendations are based on nonpartisan criteria that prioritize the best candidates for our local community.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: TCPalm Editorial Board recommendations 2024: Stuart City Commission races