To the editor:

I am reaching out to every voter in Cape Coral, to please help take our city back from this out-of-control mayor and council. The handling of the Jaycee Park neighborhood community, the first-ever arrest of a citizen at a council meeting (which led to a $100,000 settlement), and their crowning achievement, quietly doubling their salary with no discussion or citizen vote. These are just some of the lowlights of Mayor Gunter and his council. I implore you now, to please vote this election like Cape Coral depends on you. It truly does!

Five council seats are up for election. Five strong citizen voices that can take the power back from this mayor and his quiet stooges on council.

Laurie Lehmann, District 2, and Deborah McCormick, District 3, are two grandmothers and longtime residents. They respect our city’s history and our long-standing tradition of citizen input, through our volunteer citizen advisory boards. They know that community effort, helped make Cape Coral the city we love. The city that made you decide to move here with your family. They are running for office to listen to you as residents, advocating for your neighborhood quality of life.

Charlie Pease, District 5, and Rachel Kaduk, District 7, are two “Cape Coral kids” who grew up here. They left to get their professional education and training, then came back to the city they love, to raise their families. They are bringing their skills, youth, and energy to be the voices for the young families in our city. Charlie and Rachel are running for office to make Cape Coral the great place they grew up in. They will be the strong voices and advocates for the young people and their concerns.

The fifth anti-mayor Gunter vote is the most important. A 4-4 split voting council changes nothing! We will be left with the hated stipend and no hope of reinstituting our citizen advisory boards. Those boards give “We the people” direct access to the city’s data and staff. It allows for complete transparency. They are made up of Cape Coral-loving volunteers, who are only doing it to make our city a great place to live.

Richard Carr, District 4, is that vote.

He was appointed AFTER the hated stipend vote. He recognized how unfair this was to the taxpaying citizens. In fact, he was the only member on council to immediately refuse the stipend money that doubled their pay. Richard is a 30-year resident and is not a politician. He is a retired Fort Myers police officer of 20 plus years on their force. He has extensive degrees and training in law enforcement and administration. He knows what the oath of office means. “To protect the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Cape Coral.”

His opponent, Jennifer Nelson, was elected once before to the District 4 council seat. While in office, she pushed for homeless shelters in our city. As someone with a daughter in Los Angeles, I can attest that has proven to be a money pit for the taxpayers everywhere it has been tried. The current federal government is using them to house immigrants who crossed the border illegally, which has forever changed cities across America. Please, don’t let that happen to Cape Coral!

Five open seats. Five strong citizen advocates to take our city back from this tyrant mayor and tone-deaf council. Lehmann, D2; McCormick, D3; Carr, D4; Pease, D5; and Kaduk, D7. All five personally vetted as real people, not politicians. They are committed to putting we the people back in control of Cape Coral government. As a 34-year resident and former councilman I once again urge you to please vote this election like our city depends on you, it truly does!

Kevin McGrail

Cape Coral