Cape Coral residents advocate for district residency requirement for council members

Cape Coral’s Charter Commission is set to propose a charter amendment requiring council candidates to reside in their district for a year before running for office, aiming to strengthen the connection and accountability between council members and residents.Richard Leon, chair of the commission and mayoral candidate, believes this change would create a more genuine connection and understanding of the people they serve.”You know, right now somebody can decide that they’re living in district one, and maybe they want to move up to district six because they feel like they have a better chance. They can’t do that under this amendment,” Leon said.District 2 Council member Laurie Lehmann disagrees with the commission’s proposal, arguing that candidates should live in the district for at least five years.Local residents support the idea, emphasizing the importance of transparency and accountability.Juan Reina, a North Cape resident, said, “And that’s, I think, any time you have the opportunity to voice your opinions, it’s really important to. And so the idea of the councilmen that represent us living in the areas that we do is just, I think that’s super necessary, because that’s the only way that you know accurately what the area needs to best suit the people that live in that area.”Leon noted that the challenges facing the city are different from those of a decade ago, with each district having unique issues.Don Apking, vice chairman of the Charter Review Commission, explained that consistency in residency requirements would prevent past problems where councilmembers did not live in their districts.”Well, I think, you know, the problems we’ve had in the past in Cape Coral is documented to where some did, some didn’t. And I think if you get consistency to where they have to live there for a year before they register, that will make certain that there’s no problems,” he said.Apking also highlighted the importance of communication between residents and council members, suggesting that residents should make appointments or send emails to their representatives for more effective communication.”The problem we’ve had in Cape Coral over the years is getting the information out to the residents. And I think the mistake that a lot of people make is they go to city council meetings for the three minutes that they get, when they’d be a lot better off making an appointment with the council person,” he said. The commission’s proposal aims to prepare for the city’s growth and ensure that councilmembers are well-informed about the governance and main issues facing Cape Coral. Apking emphasized the need for councilmembers to make decisions that benefit the entire city, rather than catering to small groups of residents.”You have to make decisions what’s best for the entire city. And what we’ve had recently are these little groups of people, as we call them, naysayers. They’re always complaining about something,” he said. The amendment to the charter will be previewed at the council meeting this Wednesday, as Cape Coral continues to address its rapid growth and the challenges that come with it.DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

Cape Coral’s Charter Commission is set to propose a charter amendment requiring council candidates to reside in their district for a year before running for office, aiming to strengthen the connection and accountability between council members and residents.

Richard Leon, chair of the commission and mayoral candidate, believes this change would create a more genuine connection and understanding of the people they serve.

“You know, right now somebody can decide that they’re living in district one, and maybe they want to move up to district six because they feel like they have a better chance. They can’t do that under this amendment,” Leon said.

District 2 Council member Laurie Lehmann disagrees with the commission’s proposal, arguing that candidates should live in the district for at least five years.

Local residents support the idea, emphasizing the importance of transparency and accountability.

Juan Reina, a North Cape resident, said, “And that’s, I think, any time you have the opportunity to voice your opinions, it’s really important to. And so the idea of the councilmen that represent us living in the areas that we do is just, I think that’s super necessary, because that’s the only way that you know accurately what the area needs to best suit the people that live in that area.”

Leon noted that the challenges facing the city are different from those of a decade ago, with each district having unique issues.

Don Apking, vice chairman of the Charter Review Commission, explained that consistency in residency requirements would prevent past problems where councilmembers did not live in their districts.

“Well, I think, you know, the problems we’ve had in the past in Cape Coral is documented to where some did, some didn’t. And I think if you get consistency to where they have to live there for a year before they register, that will make certain that there’s no problems,” he said.

Apking also highlighted the importance of communication between residents and council members, suggesting that residents should make appointments or send emails to their representatives for more effective communication.

“The problem we’ve had in Cape Coral over the years is getting the information out to the residents. And I think the mistake that a lot of people make is they go to city council meetings for the three minutes that they get, when they’d be a lot better off making an appointment with the council person,” he said.

The commission’s proposal aims to prepare for the city’s growth and ensure that councilmembers are well-informed about the governance and main issues facing Cape Coral. Apking emphasized the need for councilmembers to make decisions that benefit the entire city, rather than catering to small groups of residents.

“You have to make decisions what’s best for the entire city. And what we’ve had recently are these little groups of people, as we call them, naysayers. They’re always complaining about something,” he said.

The amendment to the charter will be previewed at the council meeting this Wednesday, as Cape Coral continues to address its rapid growth and the challenges that come with it.

DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.