Botana challenged by Moskal for State House Seat
District 80 covers Fort Myers Beach, Sanibel, Estero, Bonita Springs and North Naples
Since first being elected to the State House in 2020, Bonita Springs Republican Adam Botana has not lost a race for re-election. On Nov. 3, he will find out if he stays undefeated when voters choose whether to re-elect him or opt for a new Democratic face in 80-year-old Estero political newcomer Bill Moskal.
The influence of Botana, 42, has only grown in his time in office. He has been behind two controversial proposals to merge the Fort Myers Beach Mosquito Control District into the Lee County Mosquito Control District, and the merger of the Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District into the Iona Fire District. An original attempt by Botana to merge the mosquito control districts did not pass through committee in 2024 and was ultimately re-introduced by Rep. Mike Giallombardo in 2025.
They merger referendums will be on the Nov. 3 ballot, along with Botana’s seat.
As chair of the political action committee Conservatives for Clean Water, Botana has also directed funds from that organization into mailers to support the merger referendums.
“You have a double taxation,” Botana said of his support for the referendums. Botana acknowledges that a merger of the mosquito control districts would raise the millage rate for Fort Myers Beach taxpayers, but argues “they will have better service.” He said the Fort Myers Beach Mosquito Control District doesn’t have the aerial sprayers that Lee County has to go off island to the state wetland reserves and salt marshes. The district has a contract with the county to do so, which the county increased this year to $80,000 after delays when new terms and a new contract were requested by the Lee County Mosquito District requiring the Fort Myers Beach Mosquito Control District to sign on to a new agreement establishing new borders. “They are a getting a great deal,” Botana said. “Sometimes these districts get too big for their britches,” Botana said.
The Fort Myers Beach Mosquito Control District’s millage rate is half of the Lee County Mosquito Control District rate, and the lowest in the state of any mosquito control district. That means a merger would in effect nearly double the millage rate for Fort Myers Beach Mosquito Control District taxpayers.
Botana originally proposed merging the Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District with the Bonita Springs Fire District in 2023, but after running into opposition, he changed the proposed referendum to a merger of the Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District and Iona Fire District. Giollambardo ultimately introduced the bill in the State House after Lee County’s state legislative delegation approved sending the bill up to Tallahassee. A merger study funded by both fire districts found no significant cost savings or service improvements from the merger. Botana said he thinks firefighters actually support the merger, though it is opposed by the Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District commissioners, Iona commissioners, and Fort Myers Beach Fire Chief Scott Wirth.
Botana said he also objected to a fire training center being built by the Fort Myers Beach Fire Control District. Fort Myers Beach firefighters currently need to travel to Bonita Springs for training, which can be time-consuming, Wirth said.
“My job is to listen to the constituents,” Botana said. “It’s up to the people to decide.”
This year, Botana was able to get a $1 million grant to help fund the rebuilding of the Fort Myers Beach Woman’s Club.
Botana has raised $123,000 for his campaign. He held a fundraiser earlier this year at the Margaritaville Beach Resort on Fort Myers Beach, and top Fort Myers Beach contributions to Botana’s campaign included $1,000 donations from the Tom Torgerson Living Trust, a $1,000 donation from Fort Myers Beach Councilmember John King, and q $1,000 donation from Fort Myers Beach Woman’s Club President Barb Mezeske.
Moskal by contrast has raised $14,844, according to his latest election filings. His donors are largely lower-based denomination contributions from residents in Estero and Bonita Springs.
Moskal calls himself a “fiscal conservative” and opposes the way Botana has raised funds to merge the Fort Myers Beach districts. “He has a lot of influence money that if he needs it he can use it to change people’s minds. To me, that’s wrong. That’s not how you represent the people in your area,” he said.
Bill Moskal, Democratic candidate for State House Seat District 80. Photo provided
“We need home rule. We really need to focus on what the people want. We have to get them out of this notion of complacency and letting it happen to them.”
Moskal said he believes Botana and state legislators should be focusing on the issues that are more important to district residents. Moskal said he believes Botana is more beholden to developers.
“One of the thing that’s really bothersome to my constituents is they are having difficulty with insurance rates and rental increases,” Moskal said. Rentals are getting more difficult to afford, he said. “It’s very difficult for them to afford where they work.” He thinks there should be more incentives to help with affordable housing, and lowering insurance costs.
Moskal has been involved in Engage Estero, an all-volunteer, nonpolitical, nonprofit community engagement association which works to inform residents of key community issues and encourage resident engagement to impact the quality of life in greater Estero.
A native of Michigan, Moskal is a retired health care consulting executive and teacher. He comes from a Ukranian-American family and spent time in Ukraine when he was in the Peace Corps, as well as through his health care and educational work. “So much is being stripped away from them,” he said of Ukraine. “It’s emotional,” he said. He has helped contribute funds for medical supplies and for children in Ukraine, many of whom have lost their parents. “This is way beyond anything rational about who we need to be supporting there,” Moskal said.
Moskal’s former employer owned a home on Fort Myers Beach which was used for employee retreats, which is how he became acquainted with Lee County. He eventually settled in Estero.
Botana says he understand the growth issues facing Lee County and said he supports more affordable housing, and wants to see a new toll road to lessen congestion for commuters from areas of the county like Lehigh Acres. “We need more roads,” Botana said. “One of my employees spends an hour and a half to commute from Lehigh Acres (to Bonita Springs),” Botana said.
Botana owns BayWater Boat Club and BayWater Boat Rentals in Bonita Springs. Botana’s family has also been in the carnival business for decades. Botana travels to fairs and sells cinnamon rolls.
Water quality is the top issue for Botana, he said.
“Water is very important to our area,” Botana said. “My family’s business has been affected by water quality,” he said.
He said the state has spent billions on water infrastructure projects since he was elected.
On the topic of data centers, Botana said “A.I. (artificial intelligence) is like a car. Data centers are alike a freeway. China is doing a good job in spreading fear. A golf course uses more water than a data center.”
Botana said artificial intelligence “is the future.” Botana said state legislation will require data centers to supply their own energy. “We need to have smart growth,” Botana said.
Moskal said he thinks data centers “are moving too quick. We don’t have a handle on the amount of energy they use. I don’t think we have enough research. We don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Moskal said the amount of energy that data centers use is enormous. “Every time you use Chat GPT, you are using energy,” he said. Moskal does think that artificial intelligence can be helpful, particularly in health care.
Moskal said if he gets elected, his priorities would be affordable housing and infrastructure. He said he is pro-development but is concerned about large projects like the 10,000 home Kingston development project down the road from him on Corkscrew Road. He is concerned about whether there is enough water and infrastructure to support such large developments.
“These developers have had a clean slate with no accountability for road construction and access to water. They are building these massive communities and nobody is addressing where this water is coming from,” Moskal said. “I think that is going to bite us.”