Question of the week, week seven: Accomplishment goal
Each week through the primary, The Breeze will ask the candidates for Cape Coral City Council an issue-related question. In the interest of fairness, each candidate is limited to the same amount of space, about 100 words, for their response. The question for week seven is: If you could only accomplish one thing during your term of office, what would it be?
* District 2
– MICHAEL S. BOGLIOLE
If there was one thing I would want to accomplish it would be to bring honesty, accountability and citizen trust of our city government.
– JOHN CARIOSCIA – Incumbent
If I had only one thing to accomplish during my term, it would be to successfully change the residential and commercial tax imbalance from the current 90 percent residential and 10 percent commercial/industrial, to 55 percent residential and 45 percent commercial/industrial.
Expanding Cape Coral’s Office of Economic Development would be the first thing I would do, so to accomplish this goal.
This would then shift the heavy tax burden from the residential sector, that has traditionally carried the tax load, onto the commercial and industrial sector.
– KIRK LAGRASTA
My one accomplishment would be for the future growth and development of Cape Coral. I see future corporations and tourism as real revenue diversification in Cape Coral, spurring growth, funding our city’s services and taking the tax burden off our citizens.
We have a beautiful VA hospital located in the northern part of the Cape with infrastructure in place. I would contact medical business enterprises to bring in corporate growth to that area.
I would work with Cape Coral Economic Development and offer incentives to bring new businesses here. I would work with Florida Representatives to bring a Hospitality House so that veterans’ families have a place to stay.
Reducing impact fees and streamlining the permit process is of prime importance.
– RICHARD LEE REPASKY
If I could accomplish only one thing while in office as a Cape Coral City Councilman, it would be to make the issues more transparent to the average residents, so they might show more interest in how their money is being collected and spent, and voice their opinions on these matters.
I believe that all the issues are made complicated on purpose, just to keep the people out of the loop in the decision making process.
When I attend the meetings, I feel that between the city manager, the mayor, and the city attorney, the issues tend to become lost in meaningless verbiage that does nothing to clarify their points.
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District 3
– CHRIS CAMMAROTA
My first goal would be to change the mind set and philosophy of our city leaders from taxing and assessing our citizens to drawing private business and tourism to our community and growing our city to its greatest protiental.
We need to invest in our city by putting our tax dollars into our city so that tourists will want to visit and spend, while they enjoy our great community. Not more tax burdens on our citizens, but more creative economic growth and development.
– JEROME “JERRY” DOVIAK
A great question especially since most of us running for office think of many things we would like to accomplish during our terms.
Mine is somewhat idealistic but genuine and I believe attainable. My one accomplishment would be; “To be part of a professional team of legislators (City Council) under strong parliamentary procedure that has gained the trust and respect of its citizens.”
– MARILYN STOUT
This election cycle is probably the most important in my 33 years living in Cape Coral.
The franchise agreement with LCEC is determined next year. It needs to be fair and equitable for everyone.
On a far lesser note, finding ways to reduce taxes and fees to encourage business growth to lessen tax burden on our residents.
And, finally to beautify medians by providing curbing and more frequent median mowing in the summer when heavy rains bring faster growth.
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District 7
– TIMOTHY W. BARRIER
After four years of service to the citizens of Cape Coral, the one thing I could look back on and be most proud of would be knowing that I had been part of helping to develop Cape Coral north of Pine Island Road.
The Utility Expansion would be substantially complete bringing water and sewer to the area, allowing businesses to now locate there.
Fire hydrant installations would make the area safer and the ad valorem tax ratio would be improved from the current 90/10 to say 80/20.
The new parks that were planned, having been developed, would also improve the quality of life for the residents.
– JESSICA COSDEN
My top priority is laying the groundwork to attract better-paying jobs and quality businesses to Cape Coral. That means focusing on marketing, expanding utilities, and maintaining our positive momentum as a city.
Outside of votes and meetings, it is my goal to be in communication with my constituents and to better inform the public when it comes to our city’s budget.
Statistics are freely available regarding the cost of living in Cape Coral versus surrounding cities, yet most of the people I’ve met don’t realize that we live in one of the lowest-cost cities in the 15-city regional planning area. This sort of transparency is vital.
– SAMUEL J. FISHER
I can be a lighting rod for the middle-class working family. Cape Coral is seeing young professional families move to our city and I can be a voice for a large segment of our population. I see every day the constant struggle between balancing our career and making sure we do everything possible to raise our children right. I know the need to have a safe and educational environment for our children while also having entertainment and recreation as outlets to decompress for adults.
That understanding, that knowledge, that missing link on council, is what will help me accomplish the hardest task, bringing a new voice from a different segment of our population to the table so that we may as a generation play a larger role in developing this great city.
Cape Coral City Council races are non-partisan,citywide elections meaning registered voters can cast a ballot in each race, no matter party affiliation, no matter the district in which they live.