Town of Fort Myers Beach Councilmember John Mclean pulls out of race to retain seat

Announcement leaves four candidates vying for three seats on board

Town of Fort Myers Beach Councilmember John McLean has announced he is withdrawing from his race to retain his seat on the council.

McLean, who was appointed to his seat by the Town of Fort Myers Beach Council earlier this year to replace former Councilmember Jim Atterholt, cited personal matters in a statement on his decision.

Though McLean has informed the Lee County Supervisor of Elections of his intention to withdraw from the race, he will still remain on the ballot due to the timing.

“We have provided Mr. McLean with the official candidate withdrawal notice. When he submits the required notice to our office, he will be officially withdrawn from the Town of Fort Myers Beach Town Council race,” said Gaby Aguirre, a spokesperson for the Lee County Supervisor of Elections. “If and when Mr. McLean officially withdraws, his name will still appear on the ballot, as it’s too late to remove it.”

In his statement announcing his intention to bow out of the race, McClain said “this deeply personal decision reflects recent events in my life and whether I can fully commit the energy and effort the role requires over the next four years.”

McLean said he has “been honored to be appointed to the LPA and Town Council and have deeply appreciated the role, its responsibilities and the dedication needed to properly serve our residents. I know what is required to be effective, and our town and residents deserve no less than 100% commitment to the task.

Like many others, I have spent the last 4 years of my life rebuilding my home and doing what I can to help our island recover. My goal is to get back to what the plan was pre-Ian; that is to enjoy retirement with my family and friends and to travel extensively.”

McLean said his decision was not influenced by any action or words from any of the candidates or their supporters. “My fellow candidates have treated me personally with respect and professionalism and I respect them for that,” McLean said.

“Regardless of the path we choose or the projects under consideration, I believe that we need to come together as a community,” he said. “I continue to believe that sustaining a school, pool, community center, and cultural center will require more commercial investment. We will need that investment to help reduce the tax burden on Fort Myers Beach residents and homeowners and to ensure that our property values remain strong and resilient. I remain steadfast in seeing FMB thrive and I look forward to serving the town in some other capacity.”

There are three seats up on the council up for election this Nov. 3. Fort Myers Beach Councilmember Rebecca Link will now be the only sitting councilmember running to retain her seat. Councilmember John King is not seeking election. In addition to Link, those running include Fort Myers Beach Local Planning Agency (LPA) Chair Anita Cereceda, LPA member Ed Schoonover, and Protect FMB President Tom Brady.