Candidate: Shannon M. Martin

Shannon Martin has served as the District 3 City Council representative since 2010, and she was appointed Vice Mayor in 2016. When she was first elected, the United States and the City of Port St. Lucie were experiencing the worst economic downturn since the Great Recession. The City had many issues to overcome, and Vice Mayor Martin is proud to say that she was a part of the recovery process that brought the City to where it is today. 
While she has served on the Council, the City has significantly lowered its debt and reduced the millage rate for five years in a row. Vice Mayor Martin is committed to continuing to support lowering the tax rate. In addition, during her years of service, the City has started the Floresta Drive improvement project and completed the Crosstown Parkway, as well as other road improvements included in the Half-Cent Sales Tax Projects list, which was approved by the voters of Port St. Lucie. Furthermore, she notes, that the promise of the city’s Southern Grove jobs corridor has become a reality with Cleveland Clinic, TAMCO, Fed Ex and Cheney Brothers. She is excited about future economic opportunities on the horizon that will bring hundreds of more jobs above the median wage. 
During the past few years, Vice Mayor Martin has championed the Parks & Recreation Department’s 10- year master plan. She spearheaded plans to bring two new neighborhood parks to underserved areas of the City: Woodland Trails Park in southwestern Port St. Lucie and Winterlakes Park in Torino. She also has been instrumental in the design and concept plan for Pioneer Park, which will be a one-of-a-kind children’s playground in the City’s Port District. Pioneer Park is expected to begin construction in the first quarter of 2022. She also has supported and advocated for plans to bring an adventure park to Port St. Lucie. 
A strong supporter of the PSL Police Department’s efforts to keep the City’s crime rate low, Vice Mayor Martin is proud the City has continued to be Florida’s safest large City. She understands the importance of providing recreational opportunities for young people to keep them out of trouble. She was a driving force behind the addition of a new police district for western Port St. Lucie, and she is committed to further strengthen the police department’s traffic unit. 
Looking to the future, Vice Mayor Martin is eager to begin the master planning and redevelopment of City Center on Port St. Lucie’s east side. In addition, she is working hard to see that Port St. Lucie Boulevard South is finally widened all the way to Becker Road. Construction will begin this summer on the first two phases, and she is working to accelerate construction of phases 3 and 4.
Vice Mayor Martin remains passionate about helping Port St. Lucie reach its full potential. She has faith in the City’s momentum and the direction it is headed because of its citizen-driven Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan is updated annually by the City Council based on citizen input. It helps set the vision for the city’s future and prioritizes projects, allowing Council, staff and citizens to work together as a cohesive team. She also wants to ensure that the City will continue to be fiscally responsible considering its growth, while continuing to make sure every dollar spent is not wasted as the City Council addresses the needs of our citizens. 
As a member of the St. Lucie Transportation Organization (TPO), Vice Mayor Martin works with other elected leaders to ensure future road connectivity and public transportation services will be adequate to serve the growing population. She also serves as a board member for the St. Lucie County Fire District, the Vice Chair of the Humane Society of St. Lucie County, and the City’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. She is a past board member for the Boys and Girls Club of St. Lucie County. 
Vice Mayor Martin is honored to serve as a Port St. Lucie City Council member, and she has loved the City since moving here in 2006 with her family. She is a paralegal by profession, and her husband Aaron is a City police officer. They have two children, an 18-year-old son and a 17-year-old daughter.