STUART — The Stuart City Commission began discussing how to spend its share of Martin County’s half-cent sales tax, with one potential project, the future of the former high school building on Ocean Boulevard, drawing particular attention because of interest from the local arts community.
The half-cent sales tax, approved through a county referendum, is intended primarily to support environmental protection and related infrastructure projects.
“The half cent sales tax is derived from the Martin County referendum that has its chief goal to protect water quality within the county’s unique characteristics of a sales tax referendum,” said Ruth Holmes, environmental attorney for Stuart. “Municipalities may only spend their share of the revenues to finance, plan and construct infrastructure and to acquire land for public recreation, for conservation or for protection of natural resources.”…