To the editor:

This week’s Breeze had information on candidates running for five of the seven City Council Districts this year, Districts 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7. In two years, the other two Council positions (Districts 1 and 6) will come up for election, as well as the mayoral position. Because voters in the city of Cape Coral can vote in all five District races, it is essential that the voters do vote in all five races.

In December 2023, Council voted 4 to 2 to essentially double their salaries by voting themselves a stipend. One councilman conveniently left the room prior to the vote and was not present for the vote. One council seat was vacant at the time of the vote and was filled by appointment later in December.

The Council called this pay raise a stipend so they didn’t have to go to the Cape Coral voters for approval first. Of the four Council members that voted for the stipend, those running again should be voted out of office. One council member voted no, yet accepted the stipend. One has turned down the stipend after a lot of public outrage.

After the December 2023 stipend vote, the citizens of Cape Coral demanded that Council rescind this stipend. Council said they would put it before the Council again, but no one on the Council proposed it. The citizens then tried to get a resolution on the November ballot, but came up short with the number of signatures.

I believe that all the incumbents in this year’s election should be voted out of office unless they publicly denounce the stipend. Also, the two other councilmen and mayor should be voted out of office in two years when their positions come up for re-election.

This may seem rather cruel to suggest that all of them should be voted out, but they either voted for this doubling of their pay or were complicit in accepting it. One councilman said he would have had to get a second job to support his family if he did not get the stipend. Well, he should have known what the salary of a council member was before he pursued running for the position.

In addition, the City Council and mayor voted to eliminate all six voluntary (read no pay) committees since early 2023. Then the City Council said they have too much work on their hands and they need the stipend to supplement their extra hours of work.

It’s time to show our disapproval of the City Council, including the mayor, and vote them out of office this year and in two years from now. It’s time to clean the slate and start over again with a fresh crop of elected leaders.

The Breeze said last week that they will be asking each of the candidates an issue-related question each week. I highly recommend that the first question should simply be a yes/no question: If elected to the Council, will you support the rescinding of the stipend?

Ken Kendrick

Cape Coral