Florida
Former Florida mayor seeks return to city commission
His goals include making Stuart’s economy one based on tourism.
MARTIN COUNTY — Sensing chaos in the city, former Stuart Mayor Merritt Matheson has filed to run again for a seat on the City Commission.
So far, he has one opponent: Johnny Cealmov.
Matheson served as mayor from December 2021 to August 2022, when former Mayor Christopher Collins defeated him by a slim margin of 95 votes or 2.6% in the election that year. He began his service as a city commissioner in 2018.
“I’m running to bring back integrity, respectful, responsible leadership and stability to the city of Stuart,” Matheson said. “I’d like to stop the chaos that we’ve seen in the city.”
Collins, in his first term on the commission, quit as mayor April 30 to run for Martin County Commission. Stuart Vice Mayor Sean Reed automatically becomes mayor.
The chaos includes going through four city managers in six months and departures of high-level staff, such as the finance director, as well as other finance department staff, Matheson said.
The chaos also includes, he said, the unnecessary lawsuits the city has faced and others it lost, such as one with Polk Street Hotels. It includes, too, the severance paid to former City Manager Michael Mortell, who was fired without cause.
The city remains out of compliance with Senate Bill 180, a state law prohibiting changes to land development regulations between August 1, 2024, and October 1, 2027, because it’s still implementing the changes it made after August 1, 2024.
The state, Matheson said, has reacted to the chaos by taking away Stuart’s ability to govern itself — by enacting laws like SB 180 — which made changes to Stuart’s land development regulations null and void.
What prompted Matheson to run?
Nothing in particular prompted him to run for City Commission this time, he said. The chaos certainly played a part.
Collins’ push to use Martin County Forever funds to buy a historic school building was another reason, Matheson said. Martin County Forever funds are meant for improvements to water quality and to conserve environmentally sensitive land.
Stuart is getting about $2 million a year for 10 years from the Martin County Forever initiative that voters passed in 2024.
“The best way to manage growth in Martin County is grow our conservation land,” Matheson said. He helped lead the work to get the Martin County Forever initiative passed and he sits on the Martin County Environmental Lands Oversight Committee, which helps direct the use of those funds.
What he would like to accomplish
Calling himself a “slow-growth proponent,” Matheson said he follows the law and understands property rights, too, he said.
“The job of a commissioner, more often than not, is choosing the best of two bad outcomes,” Matheson said.
He would like to improve the city’s infrastructure, such as sidewalks, bike lanes and landscaping. And he wants to find solutions to ease traffic. He’s a proponent of other ways of getting around, which might include a water taxi, for example.
And he would like Stuart to become a tourism-based economy, rather than a growth-based economy, he said.
Keith Burbank is a watchdog reporter for TCPalm, usually covering Martin County. He can be reached at keith.burbank@tcpalm.com.
Country music superstar Morgan Wallen is one of the hottest acts on the planet right now and is showing no signs of slowing down any time soon.
His 2026 “Still The Problem” tour has been rolling through the United States and packing seats at every stop, and that wasn’t any different when Wallen made it to the Sunshine State.
His first of two shows in Gainesville, Florida, saw the country sensation playing to a sold-out crowd at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium where the Gators play, and speaking of the Rowdy Reptiles, Wallen had to pick someone for his patented walkout to appeal to the droves of students decked out in orange and blue.
Morgan Wallen performs the song “’98 Braves” at the 2023 Billboard Music Awards at Truist Park in Atlanta, Ga., on Nov. 19, 2023. (Getty Images)
Enter Tim Tebow, the two-time national champion and Heisman Trophy winner. As far as picks go, Wallen knocked this one out of the park.
MORGAN WALLEN BOUNCES BACK WITH ‘I’M THE PROBLEM’ TOUR FOLLOWING CHAIR-THROWING LEGAL DRAMA
When in Rome — or Gainesville, rather — right?
Judging by the crowd pop, I’d say Tebow was about as popular a pick as anyone Wallen could have gone with.
The man has a statue outside the very stadium where the concert was held, for crying out loud, so it’s safe to say Mr. Whiskey Glasses did his homework when choosing his walking buddy.
Tim Tebow appears on the SEC Nation set before the game between the Mississippi State Bulldogs and the Georgia Bulldogs at Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville, Miss., on Nov. 8, 2025. (IMAGN)
While he nailed it with the Tebow selection, Wallen wasn’t ready to fully ingratiate himself with the Florida faithful.
During their walkout, Tebow performed multiple Gator Chomps to fire the crowd up even more, but when he implored Wallen to join him, the multi-platinum singer respectfully turned him down.
That shouldn’t surprise anyone who is familiar with Wallen, who is an East Tennessee native and noted Volunteers supporter.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Morgan Wallen performs onstage during night two of his One Night At A Time tour at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Sept. 22, 2024. (John Shearer/Getty Images)
Any guy who writes a song called “Tennessee Fan” probably won’t be caught dead doing the Gator Chomp, so I can’t say I blame him.
It will be interesting to see who Wallen taps as his walking mate on night two of his stay in Gainesville.
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Rumor has it that Steve Spurrier could be the favorite, which would be hilarious given Spurrier’s history of tormenting the Vols.
Regardless, it’s nice to see a Vol and a Gator being so chummy with each other. A rare sight indeed.
There are six Planet Fitness gyms on the Treasure Coast; two in Fort Pierce, two in Port St. Lucie, one in Stuart and one in Vero Beach.
Planet Fitness will open a new gym in Sebastian at 995 Sebastian Blvd. at the end of June, pending any delays.
The gym will split the space with the new Aldi that opened April 23, according to a Planet Fitness spokesperson.
The Planet Fitness will be 25,000-square-feet and there will be a grand opening event at the end of July with music, raffles, exclusive membership giveaways and more.
Planet Fitness near me
There are currently six Planet Fitness gyms on the Treasure Coast.
Olivia Franklin is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at olivia.franklin@tcpalm.com, 317-627-8048 or follow her on X @Livvvvv_5.
The future of Florida’s new congressional map is now in the hands of a Leon County judge after attorneys for voting rights groups and the state squared off in court over whether the redistricting plan is unconstitutional. FOX 13’s Aaron Mesmer reports.
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