Cape Coral needs a new form of government
To the editor:
Cape Coral City Government, as I understand it, supposedly works by having specific issues examined by the appropriate Board, Committee or Manager who then makes recommendations to the City Council. The City Council members then make binding decisions, based on those recommendations, but also factor in what (in their opinion) is best for the people of the city.
What I and many others see is a general failure of that process. I can cite many examples, but all you have to do is look around the city to see for yourself. Cape Coral is a convoluted mess of dollar stores, convenience stores, and empty store fronts. Do we have a plan for the City? If so, what is it? The mess referred to above, and unrealistic hodgepodge projects that come and go in the Cape (like the Bimini Basin proposal) clearly indicate that we have no plan.
Our current City Council and those before them have one thing in common. They were and still are made up of amateurs. They are people with no background in city government. They make decisions in matters that are beyond their understanding and expertise. I am not picking on the City Council members; rather I am picking on the system itself. The current form of city government simply does not work. Why do we think former police, firefighters, marketing people, etc are capable of deciding how a city should be run? Isn’t that why we have a city manager?
Maybe it is time for a new form of city government; one where we do not have to rely on amateurs who make decisions that sometimes prove disastrous. Here’s one idea. Develop an actual plan for the city (with citizen input) and make the city manager responsible for implementing it. The City Council should be an advisory group representing the citizens; they should have no decision-making authority. The City Manager should be on a one-year contract. If he or she does not perform the contract is not renewed.
I am sure there are other ideas out there. Let’s hear them. We have to find a form of city government that works better than our current inoperative one.
My hope is that The Breeze concurs. If so, please take up the banner and let’s get a movement started to get this done.
Dick Mullins
Cape Coral