Draining Fort Myers Beach’s government swamp

Dec 21, 2016 2 min read

To the Editor:

This letter is the first in a series that will identify and detail the Town of Fort Myers Beach’s political swamp problems in hopes of future correction (draining). I believe that the “Drain-the-Swamp” political movement that is currently starting at the federal government level will sweep our nation in the next several years. So, let’s get started right here, right now in our town as we surely need a “swamp draining”.

What has happened to our “Government Lite” founding principal? Over the last several years, Town Council has voted to balloon the town’s operational staff and vehicle count to about three times what it was only 10 years ago! Citizens rightfully became alarmed at this obvious excess!

More recently, we became more alarmed at the Town Council pushing the Torgerson development project that violated our Comprehensive Development Plan and would change our town culture forever. We stood up last winter and were able to halt this secretly-conceived development plan. Whew!

Simultaneously, Council put forward the “Cadillac” All-Streets Stormwater Construction Project to cost us $30 Million to build and another $30 Million to maintain for the next 20 years. We citizens stormed the Town Council meeting last Jan. 19 to make the Council listen to our “NO” position and stopped that plan – remember? Then, Council mandated $19.98 a month stormwater fee, one of the highest in all of Florida!

Now, 11 months later the Cadillac Stormwater Construction is back on the table with a $34 Million budget. How did the council get this outrageously over-designed and expensive Cadillac Stormwater Plan reconstituted for approval and construction again? Council member and town employee swamper work at its most despicable.

Citizens, please contact council members or come to council meetings to help us fight Cadillac Stormwater again from the fiscally irresponsible “swampers” on our Town Council. We must demand that such an expensive Town project be put to referendum vote and not just “adopted” by our council.

Mike Baker

Fort Myers Beach