LPA member and Charter Commission Chairman Jim Dunlap has decided not to apply for Jim Atterholt’s open seat on the Fort Myers Beach Town Council. Dunlap and Tom Brady spoke at public comment Monday to voice their interest in the seat.
After announcing his interest Monday, The Fort Myers Beach recall crowd immediately began their attack on Dunlap on social media. They tried to discredit Dunlap by claiming he was not a Fort Myers Beach resident because he had a homesteaded property in Estero which he’s owned for over 12 years.
Dunlap and his wife bought their home on Fort Myers Beach over 4 years ago. Like so many residents of the beach, Dunlap’s home on Egret Street was heavily damaged by Hurricane Ian. And, like so many residents of Fort Myers Beach, the home could not be lived in. Dunlap lived off the island while repairs were made to his beach home. Then, Helene hit, Milton hit and the renovations had to begin all over again. All the while, being on the beach virtually every day and attending to his volunteer responsibilities on the island.
Fort Myers Beach Town attorney Nancy Stuperich confirmed to Dunlap that he was 100% eligible for a Town Council position. Here’s why he’s pulling his name from consideration.
So, if he is eligible, why is he withdrawing his name? “My decision not to pursue this opportunity was evident to me, as it quickly became clear, what these same individuals did to John King and Karen Woodson over the past 6 months, they are now attempting to do to me. The reality is that what has occurred already to me personally, at this early stage in the process, proves that they will never ever be able to satisfy their appetite for creating mistrust and character assassinations, regardless of the individual’s qualifications, past contributions or ability to significantly assist our community in its daily struggle to recover. Given everything our town has endured, continued division, personal attacks and pitting neighbor against neighbor, is not helping, nor constructive to our overall efforts. I will not have my interest in contributing to our community at a more significant level put the town in a position to have to go through that again.”
The pressure is on this Town Council to appoint Tom Brady. They’ve been receiving dozens of e-mails to make the appointment after Brady came in second place during the recall of Karen Woodson and John King. Former Council member Bill Veach even told the council he would drop his appeal of King’s recall if the council appointed Brady. King called that attempted blackmail.
As of Thursday morning nobody has officially filed the paperwork for the Atterholt seat. Once applications are in they will be turned over to the town council to review. The council will then vote on who they want to fill the seat at the town council meeting on February 17th. Three votes are needed to win the seat. Whoever is chosen will take the seat immediately. The appointment would be for 10 months, until the November election, starting February 17th. Then, that seat will be on the November election for a 4-year term along with the John King seat and Rebecca Link seat.