Cape Coral voters may get to decide whether the city’s elected board should decide how much its members should be paid for serving on City Council.

At its Wednesday workshop, Cape Coral City Council will discuss a proposed charter change for Council compensation. The referendum, as proposed, would allow salaries to be established annually by the board via ordinance.

Currently, Council compensation is a city charter provision.

Voters on Nov. 3, 2015, approved a charter change from compensation determined per-voter to a flat rate. The initial base was set at $36,600 per year for the mayor and $32,600 per year for other members of the eight-person elected board.

That referendum also established cost-of-living increases, based on the Social Security COLA, beginning in January of 2017,

According to the most recent numbers posted to the city’s website, the mayor’s position currently is compensated at approximately $45,604 per year, $65,731 with benefits and other wages. Council member compensation is approximately $40,620 per year, $51,565 with benefits and other wages.

The city charter also currently states “The council members and mayor shall receive their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties of office.”

In December, Council added to its annual remuneration by approving stipends for its members.

Approved as part of its consent agenda, Council set its stipend amounts at $5,000 per month for the mayor and $3,333 per month for city council members, retroactive to Oct. 1, the start of the city’s new budget year.

Council members said the stipends were not compensation but an addition to Council salaries and that a portion of the stipend is intended to cover additional duties and expenses Council members are incurring due to growth in the city.

According to the ordinance to be considered at Wednesday’s workshop, a general referendum election would be held on Nov. 5 “to consider the adoption of an amendment to the Charter for the city of Cape Coral.”

It states: “This proposal amends the Cape Coral City Charter by eliminating payment for expenses and requiring the City Council to establish, by ordinance, the total annual salary and compensation for the Mayor and Councilmembers. The ordinance shall not be effective until the date of commencement of the terms of the Councilmembers elected at the next regular election, provided that the election date is at least six months after the date of adoption of the ordinance.”

This is followed by the question “shall the above-described amendment to the Charter be adopted?” with a yes or no answer. A “yes” vote would amend the city charter as described.

Single-member Council districts

Council also is expected to discuss another proposed charter change, this one brought forward by a resident.

A proposal for single-member council districts will be brought forth by resident John Bashaw who submitted a petition to Council.

Currently, council members must live in the district they represent but are elected “at large” by all voters of the city as is the mayor, who may reside in any district.

“The current process, at-large districts, it can dilute the vote power of members within the district itself when a large voting bloc essentially elects the candidate for the district,” Bashaw said. “The residents of the district are not solely electing their representatives. All the other electors of the other six districts are also electing the council members. Large voting blocs can, in fact, determine who represents the district rather than the district residents.”

A change from at-large districts to single-member districts would require voter approval.

“This is a charter issue. Any change to this requires a resolution that would create a ballot referendum that would require a majority of votes by the electors to pass,” Bashaw said. “It’s critical to have the decision. I am not asking Council to make this change. It is not something they can do. This is a charter issue. What I am asking them to do is take the steps necessary to put it before the residents to let the residents make the decision.”

He said he would like the debate to be at the ballot box.

“Council is a critical path step that has to happen in order to get it to the ballot box,” Bashaw said.

Other workshop topics to be discussed include:

• Sun Splash Family Waterpark year in review, which includes the total revenue growing from $4.4 million to $5.8 million.

• An update regarding Hurricane Ian recovery.

• City Council meeting start times.

According to agenda documents, most elected boards hold regular meetings earlier than the Cape’s council, which begins workshops, or discussion meetings, typically at 9 a.m. and regular, or voting meetings, at 4:30 p.m.

• A resolution directing staff to require a utility capital expansion fee study at a minimum of four years.

• New revenue source for the city’s municipal charter school system for a local capital improvement fund, which includes three options.

The city has already worked to modify the financial structure though subsidization by the city.

In January of 2022, the lease agreement between the city and its charter school system was restructured from $3.2 million to $1.5 million; in July of 2022, the city assumed the back office, custodial service and maintenance of the Charter School System; and, beginning in April 2022, it eliminated a 500 Kw public service tax exemption from electric bills, opting to tax full usage.

Options outlined for Wednesday’s discussion include:

A. No change to the Lease between the City and the Charter School System –

C. Look at alternative service delivery for charter schools

• Follow-up discussions regarding boat canopies and possible solutions — keeping current regulations, modifying regulations for alternate structures and provide minimal standards, or again modifying regulations to allow for those alternate structures with high regulation of canopy design, construction, placement and aesthetics.

Wednesday’s meeting will begin at 9 a.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 1015 Cultural Park Blvd.