To the editor:

I have addressed the following the Cape Coral City Council:

Dear Mayor Gunter and City Council Members,

I agree with Mr. Bashaw’s editorial in the recent edition of the Cape Coral Breeze, the time has come to have single district voting for council in Cape Coral.

Districts vary widely. District 6 is dealing with the major expansion of public utilities and dramatic growth to name a few issues. District 7 has Pine Island Road running through the middle of it and is experiencing a dramatic increase in apartment building construction, new businesses and large increases in traffic and congestion.

I live in District 2, where our main concerns are the Chiquita Lock, limiting future development of high-density housing projects in our single-family neighborhoods, traffic impact studies, the future widening of Chiquita Blvd., potential development of Redfish Pointe, and median beautification.

My point is, I would not expect your typical citizen in Districts 1, 5, 6 or 7 to be fluent in what is important, and impacting District 2, and vice versa.

Attracting and keeping strong and qualified candidates, and only requiring them to campaign in the district they are running in is imperative. This will allow them to do less fundraising and will help minimize the special interest groups’ influence that have previously dominated our city elections, is critical to us growing as a city.

It is long past due to allow citizens to vote for their district city council candidate only. I urge the members of City Council to get this referendum on the next ballot and put this issue in the hands of the voters, not the special interest contingent!

Steve Collins

President, SWCCAC