Hobe Sound

to a major, busy city. Same thing with Boca Raton.”

“Let’s leave Hobe Sound a nice little town like they did Bruce Montefusco, a when I moved in,” added 40-year resident of Hobe Petersen. “Incorporating Sound, is part of a vocal it — they say there’s not group that opposes incor- another level of govern- poration. ment, but incorporation by

Montefusco, along with definition is another level of 17-year Hobe Sound resident government. Who needs it?” Bill Petersen and 15-year Underwood said he disresident Mike Underwood, agrees not only with the have held their own meet- idea of incorporation, but ings and also have passed with the way the pro-incorout information at pro-inporation group is presentcorporation meetings to ing its case to residents. present their side. “Most of the people I’ve

“We’ve talked to a lot of talked to, and I’m talking people who have moved about 85, 90 perc e nt, to Hobe Sound specifically are telling me one of two because we’re not incor- things,” Underwood said. porated, because we don’t “Either they don’t like it, have a government,” Monor they do like it but they tefusco said. “We don’t have don’t really understand to deal with tons of rules what it is. It has not been and regulations. I’ve been laid out in a sensible way. here long enough to see There’s a lot of confusion Jupiter grow from a hamlet as to what it is and why the people are doing it and how it’s actually going to be of any benefit.”

Underwood laments the divisions that the issue has caused among residents. For years, he said, people would talk about the weather or fishing.

But now, he said, incorporation is a constant topic of conversation, and people are taking sides.

“There is a divided community, no question about it,” he said. “It’s an ‘us/ them’ sort of mentality, not too much different than national politics. I resent that. I resent that big time. I think they brought something down that does not need to have been brought down.”