STUART (CBS12) — Residents in Stuart are rallying to save their Brightline station, as the future of the station on the Treasure Coast remains uncertain.

The Stuart Commission backed out of the deal last month, but officials say there’s still a chance for renegotiations and the possibility of striking a new agreement.

At the heart of the matter is a $60 million question: Who pays for what?

The community isn’t ready to give up its chance for a Brightline station in Stuart, and city leaders say they’re right there with them. They say their issue isn’t with the station itself, but with the deal.

On Monday, dozens of residents gathered outside Stuart City Hall, wearing yellow and holding signs.

“I feel like I’ve been bamboozled. I feel like it’s wrong. I feel like angry,” said Kathy Cook, of Stuart.

They are protesting recent city decisions that threaten the future of the Brightline station.

“Right now I drive to Miami to see my family. I’m seventy years old. Not sure I should be on I-95,” Cook said.

“I drive to West Palm, which takes me about 45 minutes to an hour depending on traffic. And then I take the Brightline train to Miami three times a week,” said Diego Jarrin, a Martin County resident.

Eleven-year-old Roman Bianco joined her grandmother to show how this issue impacts multiple generations.

“We’re like, oh my god if the Brightline station comes here, we can actually take trips around places,” she said.

Stuart City Commissioner Christopher Collins isn’t holding back about the situation, pointing to a dramatic shift in the Brightline deal as the reason for the city’s hesitation.

He explained that what started as a 50/50 split between Brightline and Martin County in a 2018 agreement has now turned into a financial burden for Stuart, with new terms removing Brightline’s financial obligation.

As a result, Stuart faced a staggering $45 million bill, while the county owed up to $15 million.

“My issue is not with the station; my issue is with this deal,” Collins said.

Stuart is considering renegotiating terms closer to Brightline’s original 2018 proposal.

Months ago, Brightline chose to work with Stuart over Fort Pierce, but after the agreement was essentially discarded, Fort Pierce city leaders expressed to CBS12 News that they remain open to becoming the next stop. However, they won’t make any moves until all aspects of the current deal are resolved.

WPEC-CBS12 is a news partner of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.