Each week through the Primary, The Breeze will ask the candidates for Cape Coral City Council an issue-related question. In the interest of fairness, each candidate is limited to the same amount of words, about 100, for their response.

This week’s question: Why are you running? What are your top three issues?

District 4 candidates’ answers:

Richard Carr (Incumbent)

VoteRichCarr.com

I’m a candidate for City Council because the citizens deserve better representation! My priorities are:

Transparency: The recent Council’s pay increase without citizens’ participation has fractured public trust. I’m dedicated to restoring that trust.

Infrastructure: We must aggressively find solutions for clean water and roads that support our city’s growing population.

Public Safety: With my extensive background in law enforcement, I believe that “the safest place in the world is the place we call home.”

I’m fully committed to these priorities and I’m ready to serve our great city. I will always remain accountable to the citizens of Cape Coral.

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William Matthews

VoteWMatthews.com

Council has been playing with taxpayer funds like Monopoly money, but running Cape Coral is NOT A GAME! Every decision made in the past six years has been for personal gain. These vampires are sucking the lifeline out of the city, doubling their pay without permission; allocating taxpayer funds to unnecessary projects; hindering relationships with agencies that cost us an essential flood insurance discount; ignoring infrastructure problems that leave residents vulnerable; and sacrificed resident voices by eliminating advisory boards. I am the experienced financial expert that will audit their actions; we can’t afford to continue this harmful direction.

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Jennifer Nelson

NelsonforDistrict4.com

My entire life, I have served my community through nonprofit boards, my nonprofit career, and the five years I served on City Council previously. Helping people and making our city a better place for future generations to stay and lead is very important to me. 

1. Prioritizing our projects like the Yacht Club, funding and a working plan for completion of parks per the GO Bond. Finalize the cost of these priorities that do not affect the taxpayer.

2. We have a younger demographic in our city with young families who shouldn’t have to leave to do things across the bridge.

3. Matching infrastructure with growth. As our population grows, our infrastructure needs to as well. Public safety being first and foremost, so our community remains safe and response times stay quick. Our roads and UEP are imperative in keeping our city safe and thriving.  

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Robert J. Sutter

Facebook (facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558157836677)

Why are you running?

I want to protect your wallet and stop the out-of-control spending!

Top three issues?

1. Parks and Recreation:

– Jaycee Park: I have signed the petition to STOP the city council’s vision for Jaycee Park.

– Cost associated with Parks/Recreation. Cape Coral residents have already paid for our parks. All parks should be free to Cape Coral citizens.

2. City Council Pay Increase: I will NEVER take the stipend!!

3. Public Safety: We need to address how we can better maintain our streets (fixing potholes, mitigate flooding, and bike lane identification). We need to re-look at how we compensate our first responders.