Election 2026 | Question of the Week 11, Mayor’s Race | Should employee overtime be addressed? Why or why not?
Each week through the General Election, 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 space, about 100 words, for their response.
Cape Coral City Council races are non-partisan races. Council members qualify in their respective districts but are elected at-large. This means all registered city voters may cast a ballot in each race regardless of where they live and the party to which they are affiliated, if any. This year’s General Election, on Nov. 3, features four Cape Coral City Council races: Mayor and the seats for District 1, 4 and 6.
The candidates below are running for the mayor’s seat on the Cape Coral City Council:
Question of the Week: Each week through the General Election, 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 space, about 100 words, for their response.
Cape Coral City Council races are non-partisan races. Council members qualify in their respective districts but are elected at-large. This means all registered city voters may cast a ballot in each race regardless of where they live and the party to which they are affiliated, if any. This year’s General Election, on Nov. 3, features four Cape Coral City Council races: Mayor and the seats for District 1, 4 and 6.
The candidates below are running for the mayor’s seat on the Cape Coral City Council:
Question of the Week: Should employee overtime be addressed? Why or why not?
• Lisa Cohen-Adkinson
Yes, but fix the cause, not just the number. Overtime is a symptom of understaffing or scheduling inefficiencies, not a reason to shortchange public safety or utility crews. I will not support blanket cuts that put our residents at risk. Following Eisenhower’s model of proactive management, we must address the root problem by right-sizing department staffing where city growth demands it. We need a comprehensive departmental review to determine exactly why overtime is being generated. That is smart budgeting, not defunding. Fixing the underlying structure creates stable local jobs and ensures reliable city services.
• Richard Erickson
Yes, employee overtime should be addressed through a fresh audit of hours and costs by department, not blanket cuts. Cape Coral already ran a citywide overtime audit years ago that flagged high hours in police, fire, and utilities, and recent budgets have added positions specifically to reduce overtime. That shows the issue is real and ongoing. Chronic overtime often signals understaffing, but the math matters. Overtime only adds the extra half time pay plus taxes. A new hire brings full salary, benefits, and pension costs. If the extra work is temporary or seasonal, overtime is cheaper. If it’s steady, hiring usually wins long-term. Audit first, then decide case by case.
• Lisa Cohen-Adkinson
If Amendment 3 passes, we must prioritize needs over wants. Cape Coral needs to get back to the basics: Police, Fire, Roads, infrastructure, stormwater and maintaining what we already own. But that doesn’t mean saying no to everything else, it means thinking outside the box. I call them “Vanity Projects.” Want Grandma’s name on a bench? Sell the naming rights for 5, 10, or 20 years. Want to name a section of City Hall or sponsor a community amenity? Let’s create those opportunities. I’m already working with the state and neighboring council members on successful funding strategies. We already have a game plan in the works for Cape Coral.
• Richard Erickson
If voters approve tax relief, they should actually get tax relief. My first move would not be to turn around and raise fees or create another tax. We would protect police, fire, emergency services, roads and other basic needs. Then we would go through the rest of the budget and find things we can cut, delay or do better. We also need to control how fast government grows. Cape Coral should be planning for this now, not waiting until the revenue changes. Everyone saw this coming, but they kept spending and spending. Families have to live within a budget. City Hall should have to do the same thing.