2022 General - Voter Guide Ranking

  • Candidate
  • Q1
  • Q2
  • Q3
  • Q4
  • Q5
  • DM
  • Rating

Martha Bueno

County Commissioner District 10 - NOP

2022 Clean Water Questionnaire Responses

To read each question, answer and candidate comments click below.

  • Question 1 : Yes
    1) The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is finalizing the new Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM), and while the plan should reduce harmful discharges to the St. Lucie and Caloosahatchee estuaries, discharges will still occur when the level of the lake gets too high. Do you agree the Army Corps and the South Florida Water Management District must send more water south during the dry season in order to minimize the possibility of discharges and their impact on human health and the environment?
    Yes
    Candidate Comment:

    Conservation should be our primary goal for not only Lake Okeechobee, but for all of Miami-Dade county and the Everglades as well. While I would like to answer this question, I believe that I am not informed enough on the issue, and would like to understand the impacts (both positive and negative) prior to responding. In the same fashion, as an elected official I believe it is my duty to do my due diligence before making decisions that will impact my community and the environment, and would seek to meet with experts in their fields, as well as do my own research.

  • Question 2 : Yes
    2) Florida is booming, with an estimated 1,000 people moving here every day. As a result, development is pushing growth further into Florida’s rural and natural areas, imperiling wildlife and natural resources like clean water. Will you oppose changes to your county’s Comprehensive Plan/Urban Development Boundary that would allow non-agricultural development in rural areas outside the urban, most densely developed area(s) in your county?
    Yes
    Candidate Comment:

    I am currently elected as chair to a Community Council seat (Area 11/SubArea 113) and my board has been adamant about keeping the UDB in place. I believe that the local offices, such as my community council board, have been systematically attacked and made smaller by the county commissioners in order take decision making power from neighborhoods and homeowners, and instead be given to the Commissioners so that they may expand the county. Just yesterday the Board of County Commissioners postponed a decision on expanding the UDB, but the issue is precarious. I have committed to keeping Miami-Dade within the UDB, especially as there is so much we can do to eliminate the congestion for new homes, such as making the application process for construction faster and more streamlined. We should also look at relaxing zoning regulations so that more multi-family structures can be built as in-fill, rather than continuing the sprawl out towards the Everglades.

  • Question 3 : Yes
    3) State legislation, FDEP data and the Blue-Green Algae Task Force all report agriculture as the dominant source of phosphorus and nitrogen within most impaired watersheds of Florida. Do you agree industries and property owners should be held to clearly enforceable pollution standards and penalties; including mandatory adoption and verification of best management practices, and to implement inspection programs targeting septic, agriculture and industrial wastewater?
    Yes
    Candidate Comment:

    I believe in holding businesses accountable for their actions. Some of the largest polluters in Florida are being sanctioned by the state, including entire industries.

  • Question 4 : No
    4) Key water bodies along the Florida coast, including the Indian River Lagoon and Biscayne Bay, are plagued by excess nutrient pollution which kills seagrass. This in turn has led to increased turbidity and reduced habitat essential for fish, birds, marine mammals, and other marine species. If elected, would you support aggressive measures to address water quality problems, including (but not limited to) a mandatory septic inspection program, increased investment in septic-to-sewer conversions and upgrades to municipal sewage treatment facilities, increased stormwater pollution controls and tougher fertilizer restrictions coupled with strict enforcement?
    No
    Candidate Comment:

    I can agree with this statement up until the last statement, "Strict enforcement."While I agree that we need to improve and maintain our infrastructure, I also fear adding force. I do not know what is being asked to do with "Strict force" and what that implies.I would like to address the water quality issues of Miami-Dade, while also allowing for a system that does not use force, but rather a reward system. (Discounts on taxes for example for those who comply)

  • Question 5 : Yes
    5) Special interests in Florida spend lavishly to influence elections at the local, state and federal level. The sugar industry, phosphate mining industry and big utilities, among others, spend millions to aid candidates who then back their preferred legislation - too often, at the expense of clean water. Do you agree your campaign will accept no contributions from any source with ties to polluting industries including, but not limited to, the sugar, phosphate and utility industries?
    Yes
    Candidate Comment:

    This is a very easy question for me as I have not taken any money from corporate interests. I will not compromise my morals. Doing the right thing is very important to me and my campaign