The Cape Coral Charter Review Commission proposed that the City Council move to a single-member district election, rather than the at-large election system they are in now. That failed on day one.
As the council went around-the-horn to see which of the 7 items from the Charter Review Commission they should discuss further or drop completely, moving to single-member voting districts didn’t make the cut. Currently, candidates have to live in their district but get voted on by all eligible voters in the city.
The consensus seemed to be that until Cape Coral is completely built out, electing council members at large is the way they want to keep things. Council member Bill Steinke said the city is not ready to move to single-member districts. “It should remain at-large. Because of the inequity of services available throughout the city. The city does not grow with equality.”
Council member Joe Kilraine said he’s a hard no on single-member districts, “until we’re built out.”
Council member Rachel Kaduk said that while she believes council members should be elected at-large, she would prefer to let the voters decide.
All charter changes first need to be approved by the City Council then by the voters in a referendum in 2026.
The city is allowed to put a total of 9 charter changes on the 2026 ballots; 5 in the primary and 4 in the general election. Each item has to be no more than 75 words. In addition to eliminating the single-member district recommendation, the council also kicked out a recommendation to get involved in voting a fellow council member out. The Charter Review Commission recommended allowing the city council, with 6 votes, to be able to remove a fellow member if they “committed conduct constituting grounds for the forfeiture of their office.” The council decided to leave that issue up to the courts.
The council will continue to discuss the remaining 5 items, including raising the pay of the council and mayor, then give the city attorney direction so he can draft referendum wording if any of those 5 – or any the council comes up with on their own – make the final cut.
Again, Cape Coral City Council removes it’s citizens from making a decision on how they are governed. Let the citizens vote on this charter change. When Council members believe that they can’t win their district but can win at-large, they will deny single member districts. It happens…Mike Greenwell (RIP) lost his district, yet won his election because the vote is at-large. Reconsider your positions, Council, and let the citizens decide on how they will be represented!