Does Cape Coral’s budget match your priorities?
To the editor:
Every budget is ultimately a statement of priorities.
Cape Coral’s newly adopted budget provides a particularly interesting example.
Spending on stormwater and drainage was slashed by $6.4 million, or 13.1%, from the prior year.
At the same time, public safety spending surged by another $13.5 million — roughly 8% in a single year.
Those numbers tell us something about the City’s spending priorities.
Cape Coral is a city where heavy rainfall can quickly expose drainage problems. Residents regularly see flooded streets, standing water and overwhelmed drainage infrastructure.
The city’s own strategic plan, Cape Compass 2035, calls for improving stormwater management, building resilient infrastructure, improving flood control and drainage, and protecting our water resources.
Yet the adopted budget moves in the opposite direction: spending on stormwater and drainage fell 13.1% while public safety spending increased roughly 8%.
Public safety matters. Roads matter. Parks matter. Stormwater matters.
City government has limited resources, and every budget requires choices.
The question is whether those choices reflect your priorities.
Does the City’s priority list match yours?
If it doesn’t, let your Council member know.
Stuart “Wes” Owen
Cape Coral