Transparency needed
To the editor:
I enjoyed The Breeze editorial on Jan. 3 calling for transparency on disclosing meetings between people lobbying for business to city staff and council members that will eventually come to the council for a vote. Transparency in these interactions is crucial for maintaining public trust.
There is also a need to restore transparency by reinstating our volunteer boards. These boards play a vital role in scrutinizing the actions of city staff. While I understand the city manager’s reluctance towards such oversight, it is unclear why the council does not support the reestablishment of volunteer expert committees. These citizen groups serve as an additional layer of oversight, particularly in monitoring city expenses, and their elimination only fosters distrust toward elected officials.
Receiving the September 2025 year-end financials earlier than usual was unexpected and revealing. The report indicated a surplus of $68.2 million for Fiscal Year 2025 in the General and Special Funds. This raises questions about the necessity behind the city’s decision to increase taxes, assessments, and utility rates for Fiscal Year 2026 by $51.5 million — a 13% increase over the previous year’s budget, which itself appeared inflated. Ultimately, these increases impact residents directly.
In January of last year, the council instructed the city manager to provide more comprehensive financial insight, similar to what is available to the Lee County Commissioners. The Lee County financial reports include details on Fund Reserves, Capital Projects, Debt, Investments, and Disaster Recovery, as well as changes over the last two fiscal years. However, the city manager has not delivered this additional information. The only apparent reason is a desire to control the narrative, as information is power.
Apart from holding town hall meetings and respond ing to citizen input, the five new council members have not made sufficient progress in promoting transparency within city hall. With four council seats up for election this year, it is essential that transparency becomes a central issue for all candidates. Both the council and residents require better information to make well-informed decisions.
Tom Shadrach
Cape Coral