LINE ITEM VETO POWERS FOR MAYOR - This item should never have been placed on a referendum for a vote. The current government in Cape Coral is set up for equal power distribution between the mayor and all council members. If the mayor has line item veto power, a minority of the council can control the direction of whatever that item is, because it would take a 2/3 majority vote to overturn the decision of the mayor. If it is the wish of the people to convert to a strong mayor type of government, then that is the item to place on a referendum. This particular item is a recipe for disaster. Having a representative type of local government means all are equally represented. This item allows the mayor's powers to increase beyond the rest of council. If we are to change our type of government, it should be done by a vote of the people and not by small increments.

MY PERCEPTION AND VISION OF CAPE CORAL – My current perception of our city is that people have lost pride in their own city. They feel it isn’t the same paradise that we all loved not so many years ago, before this explosive growth. Cape Coral citizens feel like they are not represented properly by our City Council. They feel as if they are completely disconnected from the people that serve them. The citizens of Cape Coral should be genuinely proud when they enter the city limits and know that they are back home in “Paradise”. My vision is to restore that lost pride. This will take the City leadership becoming an ally with people they serve and restoring the trust that has been broken. Our city is at a very crucial point in its growth and handled properly, Cape Coral will come through this challenging economic climate with a solid plan for the future and the start of a stable tax base to relieve the burden currently on the residents. Controlling spending is part of the foundation for this vision. With the excess revenue not available, we will have to make some hard decisions about what is the right thing for the City as a whole. Our current level of service from police and fire should be the last area we look at to make cuts. To further expand on my vision, I have listed some other issues below for you to review.

UTILITIES EXPANSION PROGRAM – It is my belief the City needs this if it is going to continue to prosper. It is imperative that we find a way to deliver these services and the associated service fees at a fair price for all the citizens.  The utilities expansion is vital to our overall economic development plans and I would advocate that we provide all services from the south up to Pine Island Road. From there north we only provide water and sewer along the major corridors to attract the proper commercial development that will provide a stable tax base for all residents. This plan allows for potable water to be extended to the North Cape sooner providing relief for the residents whose wells dry up each year. My knowledge and experience with construction management will help to ensure that future contracts and bidding procedures provide the best service to the residents of Cape Coral.

PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING – There is no question that we have one of the finest police and fire departments in the country in my opinion. They should have the proper tools and facilities to continue to provide our level of service we are currently receiving. The current economic slowdown has affected a lot of residents negatively and this is not the time to build a building that will serve our needs for the next 20 years. I had originally thought smaller precincts located throughout the city would provide better service, after further review and conversations with police officers, I believe one main building to house all processing and administration would be the more feasible way to proceed. The officers response time wouldn't be increased by the location of precincts, they are already in their cars patrolling the specific districts.
CHARTER SCHOOLS – Yes, this should have been voted on by all the residents. However it did not and now we must make the most of this opportunity. The City of Cape Coral will stand above other Florida cities with a fully functioning and successful Charter School system. This will help boost our economic development plan for attracting industry to the city. We should toughen up admission requirements and raise the level of curriculum above normally accepted standards. “Parents send their children to the Charter Schools not as a cheaper alternative to public schools, but as a better alternative to public schools.” That being said, we must hold the Charter School Board accountable for implementing their business plan and find concrete solutions to the funding issues. I believe we should proceed with the Charter High School now that enrollment numbers have risen, as long as the funding is in place. Everyone working together on solutions will make this endeavor successful.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – This is a very crucial part of the equation for Cape Coral to have a sustainable future. The current infrastructure based plan should be modified to include a waiver of fees, expedited construction process, tax deferrment program, along with  an aesthetic feature. Corporations relocating to our City, need to know that we truly want them here. This starts by offering incentives for job creation in the form of construction fees waived, taxes deffered for 3-5 years, and a dedicated specialist to assist them with the construction process in Cape Coral. With regards to aesthetics a visually pleasing City will entice corporations to relocate here along with our Charter School System. There should be a city wide plan for beautification such as enhanced landscaping, sidewalks, curbing, and artwork(by local artist). The city should set up a recognition program for both residential and businesses. Let’s build up the pride in our City and be the model for SWFL instead of the last chance prom date.

TAXES AND SPENDING – Property tax reforms enacted at the State level and the projected loss in revenue from property values will create an environment where hard decisions need to be made about spending. The current slowdown in residential development eases the staffing pressures of all departments. Cross training of all employees in each department will allow the city to maintain current levels of service. I don’t believe cutting police or fire personnel is an option. Excess revenue from property taxes should be placed in the following year’s budget and any major expenditures should be thoroughly planned and reviewed with public input. There should not be another situation like the PSB coming to a referendum without a more thorough design and public input on the project itself.

RETURN ON INVESTMENT – This is directly related to Taxes and Spending. When we pay taxes, we are investing in our community. With the excess revenue of property taxes from the previous years, we don’t really have any tangible returns that we can sink our teeth into. Over the years, the total amount has exceeded $70 million dollars, where did it go? The budget needs to be reined in and controlled. Excess revenues shouldn’t be used to expand the budget. Fiscal responsibility requires that we properly plan for the future and direct the excess revenue to providing an asset for our community. A community that is aesthetically pleasing will drive economic development.


ACCOUNTABILITY – City Council and City Staff have to be held accountable for their actions. The City staff provides information to the Council and it is usually received without question. This needs to change, explanations for increases in spending, need to be fully justified before requests are made. Deadlines should be met when they are given. Information should be readily available for all residents. Continuing with something just because that is how it was always done is not acceptable to me. City staff has to be completely accountable for the information they provide to the council. The public has to be included on the release of information that is going to affect their lives.

CITY SERVICES AND STAFFING – The current city staff should be more than adequate to continue the level of service we currently have. The statement by staff that some of our “requirements are permit driven”, is exactly correct. My issue with that is the number of permits has dropped and that means we should have more than enough staff in place already. Cross training of staff in all departments of the City will greatly reduce our need to fill open positions and increase the level of service in all areas due to the increased knowledge of staff concerning how other departments operate. The City staff is where most of the citizens and guests of Cape Coral get their first impressions of the city. Building up the morale and self esteem of our current staff will increase the level of service for everyone who has business with Cape Coral.

COMMUNICATION WITH CITIZENS – By providing the proper avenues for the taxpayer to express their concerns is a vital part of government. Citizens input time at council meetings should be expanded and controlled to allow for all opinions being heard at meetings. Notification area around land use and zoning cases should be expanded to a minimum of 500’ instead of the current 300’. There should be regularly scheduled “town hall” type meetings with council members and their respective districts. This should be done on a quarterly basis. Capital projects that are going to require voter approval via referendum, should have public input before moving forward with any designs.

THE GREAT DIVIDE – As it currently stands, there is a tremendous gap dividing the public and our current City leadership. There are many reasons for this division. First, the taxpayer feels their money is getting spent freely on items they don’t agree with. Second, the current administration seems to have a “us versus them” mentality. Third, citizens feel that their representatives are unresponsive to their concerns. Fourth, the taxpayers feel that the current administration is not held accountable for their actions or the production of their actions.

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT – The only way to ease the tax burden on all citizens is to foster smart commercial and professional growth. Properties along major thoroughfares will need to be properly planned and zoned for both commercial and professional uses that properly fit the area. This unfortunate situation is a product of reactive planning and will continue if we don’t make the right planning decisions now. These decisions need to be made with a thorough review of all facts presented and a careful consideration for the citizens that are immediately affected by these changes. The proposed Zemel annexation is a golden opportunity for Cape Coral to increase the non residential tax base. There should be careful consideration to attracting major corporations to move their base of operations here. With the amount of land involved we can attract the right industry.  Every decision will not be easy, but it can be arrived at in an intelligent fair minded manner. To provide a stable tax base for the city, we have to plan for where we want to be in the future and quit reacting to the present.