Issues

Stuart's small-town character didn't happen by accident. It takes someone willing to say no - and to mean it.

Merritt has spent his time in public life doing exactly that. He's not anti-progress, but he believes new development should earn its place in Stuart - by meeting a high bar, paying its own way, and leaving the city better than it found it. That's a different standard than most commissioners apply, and Stuart residents have felt the difference.

During his time on the Commission, when he believed a project wasn't right for Stuart, he voted no. When he couldn't stop something outright, he fought to reduce its footprint, lower its height, cut its density, and extract every protection for residents and the environment that he could. Developers knew going in that Merritt's vote wasn't a given - and they came to the table differently because of it.

Here's the reality most people don't know: Florida law requires cities to approve developments that meet existing zoning rules. When a project checks every legal box, a no vote doesn't stop it - it just hands the developer grounds for a lawsuit the city will almost certainly lose, at taxpayer expense. Merritt understood that, so rather than casting symbolic no votes that cost taxpayers money and changed nothing, he focused his energy where it actually mattered: using every point of leverage to win real concessions, reduce real impacts, and make developers earn every inch.

Stuart is one of Florida's last authentic small towns. Merritt's record shows he intends to keep it that way.

Some candidates talk about the environment. Merritt has spent years in the rooms where the real decisions get made.

He co-founded the Martin County Forever Conservation Committee - the campaign that asked voters to invest in preserving our natural lands before they disappeared. Voters agreed: 64% approved a sales tax dedicated to conservation land purchases. So far, the county has acquired more than 3,000 acres, with more on the way.

Merritt currently serves as an appointed member on the Environmental Lands Acquisition and Management Oversight Committee (ELOC), which provides independent oversight on those land purchases.

He has also served for years as president of Indian River Keeper, dedicating himself to protecting and restoring the Indian River Lagoon, North America's most diverse estuary. As a governing board member of the Rivers Coalition, he continues that fight, working to stop harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee into the St. Lucie River and preserve the natural resources that define life on the Treasure Coast.

While serving as a city commissioner, he partnered with ORCA (the Ocean Research & Conservation Association) to improve Shepard Park - adding a natural shoreline buffer, a rain garden, and water quality testing in Fraser Creek, along with pervious parking surfaces that reduce runoff.

He also held the line against a proposed “lighthouse” tower feature on a north-of-bridge development that would have broken Stuart's four-story height limit and opened the door to future exceptions.

Beyond the big issues, Merritt spent four years focused on the details that make Stuart feel like home.

He championed the Creek District streetscape, including the mosaic sidewalk art installations that have become a defining feature of that neighborhood. He supported Shepherd Park improvements, including native landscaping, a rain garden, expanded parking, without sacrificing the park's character. He backed the marina north of the Roosevelt Bridge while blocking height-limit exceptions that would have undermined the city's development standards. He also pushed for a neighborhood compost bin program and the distinctive sailfish-shaped bike racks found throughout the city. These small touches reflect a community that cares about livability and identity.

Merritt believes Stuart is one of Florida's last authentic small towns. His record shows he means it.