District 6 (primary): Kevin McGrail
1. platform: My platform consists of my belief in our need to maintain the quality of life Cape Coral residents enjoy and to create an environment favorable to growth and economic prosperity.
“Quality of life” for residents is the cornerstone of Cape Coral’s present and future progress. Key issues today are keeping crime rates low, maintaining safe neighborhoods, preventing the creep of blight across the City, and supporting the reasons we take pride in our community.
Cape Coral must develop a cohesive plan for attracting business, respecting the needs and concerns of residents. Infrastructure and building projects bring new jobs, and optimizing our current and potential revenue sources with smart fiscal leadership contributes to much needed diversification of our tax base. Today, Cape Coral residents pay nearly all the tax revenues this City collects – Business growth helps alleviate this burden while also directly creating prosperity right here in our community.
2. top three issues:
n Expanding the business tax base in our community.
n Preventing blight and increased crime in our neighborhoods.
n Meeting citizens’ needs within the constraints of a limited budget.
3. leadership role: The mayor sets the agenda and manages the pace of Council meetings. Council members, together with the mayor, are responsible for overseeing the health, safety, and well-being concerns of Cape Coral residents AND balancing our budget.
4. UEP: We are a community that needs to pull together in our mutual best interests, now more than ever. I have consistently favored utility expansion as a means of supporting our current and future growth. As proof that infrastructure supports growth, consider businesses and jobs now on the Pine Island Rd. and Veterans Pkwy. corridors, which would not be in Cape Coral today if we waited then for a “better time”.
Our current square-footage assessment method best meets the needs of the program and residents. The City now offers several payment options to minimize out-of-pocket costs at this challenging time.
5. budget priorities: Core services -police, fire, roads – are our most essential budget priorities. Taxes must be kept as low as possible while providing for needed services and residents’ quality of life.
I recommend we continue the “LEAN” program, which to date has produced 10 to 1 return on our investment. City employees contributing $50 monthly to their health plan is projected to save the City $1 million annually without overly burdening our valuable public servants. I also suggest evaluating cost savings through consolidation or privatization of City departments where possible.
6. potential conflicts: No, at this stage of the campaign I am entirely self-financed and have no ties with any issue-related organizations.