Sarah Powers, Martin County legislative coordinator, explains her role and why property tax is a top priority

Sarah Powers, the legislative coordinator for Martin County, said her job is to act as the county's liaison to state and federal elected officials and to translate the board's priorities into policy and funding requests. "I am the legislative coordinator for Martin County. So, I'm the liaison between the board and our elected officials at the state and federal levels," she said.

Powers said the Florida legislative session lasts 60 days and moves quickly; during that period she travels frequently to Tallahassee, attends committee meetings and floor sessions, and meets with legislators and their staff to press the county's agenda. "During those 60 days, I'm traveling back and forth, um mostly staying up there," she said, describing a schedule filled with committee meetings and meetings with legislators.

As the staff member who monitors legislation, Powers said she reads and screens large volumes of bills so commissioners can focus on a unified legislative program. She said Martin County's five commissioners do not always share identical priorities, so her role includes identifying which of the thousands of bills filed are important to the county and recommending where to take action.

Powers said the county also organizes trips to Washington, D.C., "at least two times a year when needed" to advocate federal priorities. She described practical travel habits (driving to Tallahassee, flying to D.C.) and said she sometimes carpools with colleagues when possible.

On recent priorities, Powers identified property-tax policy as the "hottest topic." "This past session the hottest topic I'd say was is is still the ongoing discussion on property tax," she said, adding that the county is "very closely monitoring that obviously because property taxes will affect how we operate at the county." She framed property-tax proposals as a budget and operational concern for county government rather than a matter of partisan politics.

Powers also described her local roots and family history of public service: she said she grew up in Martin County, that her grandfather served as a county commissioner, her father served on the South Florida Water Management District Board, and her mother was elected to the school board and served as chair. Those ties, she said, inform her commitment to bringing both policy changes and appropriations back to Martin County.

Powers closed by saying she takes pride in bringing "meaningful policy and, you know, even in dollars" to the county and emphasized the dual focus of her work: policy development and securing funding. The recording concluded with brief thanks and a musical outro.