Priorities for Stuart
Stuart is at an important moment.
We have new leadership at City Hall, major decisions ahead for downtown, continued pressure on our waterways, and a need to get back to honoring the plan residents have already helped shape for the future of our City.
Campbell Rich is running for reelection because experience, continuity, and local judgment matter — especially now.
As a City Commissioner and former Mayor, Campbell believes public service starts at the front door: listening to residents, hearing what they want Stuart to become, and working to solve real problems. Sometimes that means addressing something as immediate as a water main leak. Other times, it means working on long-term issues like clean water, downtown planning, public transportation, growth, and regional partnerships.
Campbell’s priorities are focused on keeping Stuart strong, responsible, and true to the community residents love.
Experienced Leadership During a Time of Transition
City government takes time to understand and even longer to do well. Stuart is going through a major transition, with new leadership, a changing finance team, and important decisions ahead that will shape the City for years.
At a moment like this, continuity and institutional knowledge are not optional. They are essential.
Campbell brings firsthand experience as a City Commissioner and former Mayor. He understands how City departments work, how to move issues through the process, and how to connect residents’ concerns with the people who can help solve them. His goal is simple: steady leadership, responsible decisions, and a City government that works together again toward shared goals.
Getting Stuart Back on Track
Stuart has a Comprehensive Plan for a reason. It reflects the long-term priorities of residents and provides a guide for responsible growth, land use, infrastructure, public services, and the future character of our City.
Campbell believes Stuart needs to get back to honoring its own plan and the priorities residents have already set. When the City ignores its Comprehensive Plan, it creates legal risk, weakens public trust, and can cost Stuart valuable support that should be coming back to local taxpayers.
Growth and change are coming. The question is whether Stuart will manage that change thoughtfully, or allow short-term decisions to pull the City away from the plan residents were promised.
Campbell will continue fighting for a City Hall that respects the Comprehensive Plan, listens to residents, and makes decisions that protect Stuart’s future.
Clean Waterways, Muck Removal, and the Indian River Lagoon
For Stuart, clean water is not a side issue. It is central to our economy, our health, our quality of life, and our identity.
The St. Lucie River, the Indian River Lagoon, and the waters connected to Lake Okeechobee are part of what make Stuart home. Residents know the damage caused by polluted discharges, poor water quality, algae, and muck. They also know that restoring our waterways will require persistence, partnerships, science, legal advocacy, and a City Commission willing to keep the issue front and center.
Campbell will continue standing up for clean waterways, real progress on muck removal, and stronger environmental protection. With Stuart’s Environmental Attorney and Campbell’s roles with regional and statewide organizations, he believes Stuart can keep pushing for meaningful progress for the Indian River Lagoon, the St. Lucie River, and the future of our community.
The Future of Downtown, Flagler Park, and City Hall
Stuart has a rare opportunity to shape the future of downtown for generations.
As the City prepares for the move to the Wells Fargo building across from Memorial Park, residents should have a real voice in what happens next with Flagler Park and the current City Hall property. These decisions should not be made casually or behind closed doors. They should reflect Stuart’s character, support local businesses, improve mobility, and strengthen the heart of the City.
Campbell believes the future of downtown should be planned with care. That means protecting the feel of Stuart while also thinking seriously about public space, parking, walkability, transportation, small businesses, community events, and how residents want downtown to look and feel in the years ahead.
This is not just a land-use question. It is a once-in-a-generation chance to renew our commitment to downtown Stuart.
Parks, Youth, and Community Resources
Campbell understands the importance of public spaces and opportunities for young people. As a founding member of the US Sailing Center of Martin County, he helped build a public recreational resource from the ground up — one that has served children, families, sailors, and visitors from Stuart and far beyond.
That experience shaped how he thinks about public service. Strong communities give children places to learn, grow, compete, explore, and belong. Whether the issue is ballfields, parks, waterfront access, recreation, or youth programs, Campbell believes Stuart should invest in public resources that serve families and strengthen community life.
Regional Partnerships and Home Rule
Many of Stuart’s biggest challenges do not stop at the city limits.
Protecting the St. Lucie River, reducing harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee, improving stormwater management, defending local decision-making, and securing support for Stuart all require relationships beyond City Hall.
Campbell serves on the Board of Directors of the Florida League of Cities, where he advocates for Home Rule and legislation that protects local decision-making. He also serves on the statewide Utilities, Natural Resources and Public Works Committee, the Management Board of the Indian River Lagoon Council, and the Treasure Coast League of Local Governments.
Those roles matter. They help give Stuart a voice in regional and statewide conversations that directly affect our residents. They also took years to build, and they cannot simply be handed to someone new overnight.
Campbell is ready to keep using those relationships, that experience, and that knowledge to fight for Stuart’s future.