Stipend rhetoric ratchets up to recall threat

Jan 25, 2024 By MEGHAN BRADBURY 7 min read

Wednesday was not a good night for Cape Coral City Council.

The Republican Party of Lee County announced it is planning to start a recall of members of the board who supported a controversial stipend and residents turned their back on the board en mass in protest of the city’s plans for Jaycee Park with the formation of a politician action committee announced.

Lee County Republican Executive Committee Chair Michael Thompson began Citizens Input by telling Council that at the Lee GOP meeting last week the executive committee voted 131 to 0 to condemn the city council and mayor for their “use of power to enrich themselves.”

He asked Council to reconsider and reverse their resolution for the stipend, or there would be no funding resources, literature, or support to come from the Republican Party of Lee County to Mayor John Gunter and council members Dan Sheppard, Tom Hayden and Keith Long for any re-election bids in 2024 or 2026.

“If this is really the battle you guys are going to die on, your hill, whatever, God bless you. We are Republicans. We are not going to put up with this stuff,” Thompson said. “If you want to eliminate the voice of these people and create more jobs for you and then name yourselves to it and then say oh wow look at all this work we got all of a sudden we need more money to justify this. You knew what the pay was when you got here.”

To unilaterally take duties away from volunteers “to give yourself a raise because you think you need more money, well good luck.”

“We are not going to put up with that. The people here in Cape Coral may put up with it, but the party is not,” Thompson said. “I am here to deliver a message to you today. On Saturday, we are going to start the process of recalling you guys. And we are definitely not going to be supporting you with re-election.”

The stipend adds $5,000 per month for the mayor and $3,333 per month for city council members in addition to their salaries of approximately $48,095 and $41,920 per year respectively.

Lee GOP Vice Chair Tara Jenner said she has attended a number of the Cape Coral meetings and has heard the citizens but does not think Council has been absorbing that information.

“I’m not seeing a lot of action on your part,” she said. “Anyone who has voted in favor of the stipend — you have the authority to ask for the reconsideration of the vote. Do it tonight.”

Jenner encouraged everyone who attended the meeting who is a Republican to come to the Lee GOP office or go to their events page and see what they have going down this Saturday concerning Cape Coral politics.

“People step up and step out to run against you. I encourage people to step up and step out of their comfort zone. Let’s see what we have out there. Iron sharpens iron. It’s helpful to have a variety of individuals of who we can select. Consider the fact that your individuals in this room are frequent flyers. They heard the last call to action that I have done.”

According to the website, leegop.org, the organization has scheduled a “Cape Coral Residents Only Seminar” to be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, at the Lee GOP headquarters at 12995 S. Cleavland Ave., Suite 239 with room for 50 with reservations available on the website. For Cape Republicans who RSVP’d, doors will open for sign-in at 10 a.m.

“Now is the TIME  to take ACTION,” the post states.

“Learn what it takes to run for office

“How to evaluate candidates

“Get involved as a volunteer in your community and Lee County”

Many others also spoke of their disapproval of the council and mayor receiving a stipend and asked where the funds were coming from, how they can justify the “raise,” and the importance of bringing back all advisory communities as it is a great liaison between the council and citizens.

A resident who identified himself as Smokin’ Joe said by accepting the stipends the council stole from the citizens.

“You lost the trust of the people. (There is a) massive effort to have you recalled. Why drag the town through this? Read the room and move on,” he said.

Former Cape Coral City Council member Richard Leon also addressed the council during Citizens Input. He said the problem lies in how the stipend was done.

“I am sure there will be a lot of people that would have voted for a raise for council. What is also concerning is the conversation that was not had. The public hearing that was not had. That is the issue. Forget the money. It’s the issue of what you are doing behind the backs of citizens. Where did this come from? No debate, no conversation. No idea what this is for, how it was for,” he said.

Leon said they talk to courage, courage to have the integrity to do what is right.

“You can rescind, amend, and outright cancel the stipend today going further. I hope today is the last day we do this. I really hope we come together because the state is ready to step in and they will not be easy to deal with,” he said.

Denise McCleary, who has announced her candidacy for the Florida House, also spoke about coming to the meetings since day one about Jaycee Park.

“As a Democratic nominee candidate, we are trying to help Jaycee Park. This is about Cape Coral, not about a political party,” she said about teaming together to the mission done.

McCleary said a political action committee has been formed, the Cape Coral Preservation PAC, because Council has shown they will not listen to the citizens. She said it is an initiative, a tool, to get issues on the ballot.

They will hold a gathering at Jaycee Park at noon, also on Saturday, to start petition drives to “save Jaycee Park,” and to require the mayor and city council to rescind and repay the stipends. She said CCPPac, the new bipartisan volunteer political action committee, will work to get 28,000 petitions signed in less than 90 days, so they can get the two citizen initiatives on the August ballot.

Following Citizens Input, Councilmember Robert Welsh spoke about the stipend, saying he was the only one that voted against the consent agenda on which it was placed. He said with that being said, the motion for reconsideration would be inappropriate for him to bring forward because he had a “no” vote.

Welsh asked for support from the council to draft language to amend the city’s charter involving a total compensation for city council members.

“Get this process started the right way now — come forward as a vote and be done the proper way,” he said.

Councilmember Jessica Cosden gave him a second, so he could start working with City Attorney Aleksandr Boksner.

“Welsh asked for a second to work with the city attorney’s office to address proposed language for compensation under the charter,” Boksner said. “It would go ultimately to a referendum provided whatever it is proposed has to be approved by the council as a whole.”

The deadline would be July 8 to get it on the ballot for the November election.

Sheppard said the stipend was deposited automatically into his account after the vote, and his portion has been returned.

Councilmember Richard Carr, who was not appointed to Council until after the stipend vote, declined the stipend.

To reach MEGHAN BRADBURY, please email news@breezenewspapers.com