The deadline to file to run for Fort Myers Beach Town Council is this Friday. Last week both Anita Cereceda and John McLean filed to run bringing the total to five candidates. There are three seats that will be on the November ballot.
Cececeda and McLean join Rebecaa Link, Ed Schoonover and Tom Brady on the ballot.
Cereceda is the former Mayor, she had several stints as Mayor and has been involved in Fort Myers Beach politics for decades. She is also the current chair of the LPA, which she would have to resign from if she wins in November.
McLean is currently on the Town Council. He was appointed to the seat to replace Jim Atterholt who resigned at the end of last year. At the time of his appointment, McLean was a member of the LPA.
Link won her seat in the recall election last year. She narroely beat out Tom Brady (by less than 10 votes). Link took Karen Woodson’s seat. Woodson and John King were both recalled. King kept his seat when a judge ruled the petition to recall him was flawed.
Link’s seat, John King’s seat and John McLean’s seat are the seats that will be on the ballot in November. Fort Myers Beach is a non-partisan election and there is no primary. All five candidates go on the November ballot. Voters will be asked to vote for up to 3 candidates. The three with the most votes take the seats.
We plan to interview all the candidates and host several debates between now and November.
Watch Ed Schoonovers interview HERE.
Margaritaville did it & so can London Bay. They just never intended to.
It was their responsibly to bid accordingly to establish a profit margin within the Comp Plan.
It’s not the town’s issue if they screwed up.
LB won’t discuss the Charlie’s property; another sign of their ill intent.
Stay strong FMB!
Ask all 5 candidates how they would have voted on the Seagate project as passed. A plain Yes or No, no willy nilly business.
I watched BTR’s Schoonover interview late. Here’s this resident’s response to that interview and some of his comments:
Shoonover wants shovels in the ground? He has no clue what it takes to get a shovel in the ground for a development the size of London Bay. London Bay needs to pre-sell “x” number of units to even START construction. London Bay still has to sell 2 units in Grandview and Gulfside 12 still has to sell 5 units. London Bay will never break ground within 5 years the way luxury condos are currently selling. When does Shoonover think the first bar will open on this property?
Shoonover never attempted to say how he would unite the town. It doesn’t seem like that’s a major issue for him. We just need to “GET OVER IT!” That’s lovely!
Shoonover’s happy medium is 12 stories because no one can see around his house so why do we need to see around London Bay? He must not remember why the Town was created in the first place.
Just because you can ASK in the Comp Plan doesn’t mean it MUST be approved. The residents against London Bay are against over-developments like Diamond Head, the reason the Town became a Town in the first place. Margaritaville built to plan, so can London Bay. LB would have broken ground by now if they had. Variances are meant for minor changes, not double digit floor heights.
The Recall was 67% against over-development. The 50/50 Schoonover is talking about are canned, form letters that London Bay asked all of their residents to fill out for them. Some are not even residents of FMB, they are residents of London Bay’s Estero properties. 67% of actual voting residents are against over-development, not 50/50, that was made very clear in a Recall Election 9 months ago.
Shoonover wants more hotels and restaurants. We all do on the south end. First, the first bar or restaurant at London Bay won’t be open for at least 10 years. Second, what is he doing to help open more restaurants on the south end? Why don’t you go to the owner of Santini Plaza and try and negotiate lowering the rents? Right after Ian 90% of those tenants were planning on coming back. Santini raised the rent and look what happened. Why can’t someone put restaurants in the spots where the chiropractor, Munch Box or the Medical Office was? Stop complaining about residents that want to stick to the Comp Plan, and negotiate deals with plaza owners that already have brick and mortar buildings available. You’re running for TC yet you have no plans except to vote yes for London Bay. Figure something out as a candidate.
Shoonover talked about Gulfside 12. Not only are the residents of Gulfside 12 impacted, but what about the people just to the north that live off the Flamingo Beach Access? Coquina Condos and the neighboring residents will be in the permanent shadow of the 15 story condo building? Those people will never see sun in their pools. Who wants to own a multi-million beach house whose pool is in full shade all day?
If you want to run for government, you have to have more thoughts about the better good of the Town than just bars and restaurants, “get over it” and “I don’t know” for raising money. How about raising taxes and fees on tourism? We went to Key West last year and our taxes and fees on our room were more than double our nightly rate. We still went, they will complain at first, but they will come. You’re not getting this resident’s vote.
Carol, I agree with you 100% and I will add one additional comment, if that is ok. If London Bay is so concerned about the south end not having restaurants, why wouldn’t they build a restaurant where Charlie’s was and the add a small sales office on the end for the condos. No, they want to make Charlie’s just a sales office. They don’t care about the residents, the restaurant is just a talking point that the found out the residents wants to hear. They will keep bringing that up as a threat that we are not going to see any restaurants on the south end. They know their time line and they know there will be several restaurants by the time they get to building the restaurant within their project.
How do you get 67% when less than 49% of the Town’s Registered Voters participated, per Lee County Elections Office? 1,652 votes out of 3,376 people voted in the Recall, again from the Lee County Elections Office. Facts over Fiction!
Are you going to run?
LOL “The recall was about over-development.”
Gee, that’s not what the allegations in the recall petition said.
Oh that’s right: just a bunch of allegations about ethics/sunshine violations by two TC members.
Cereceda, Brady, and Link are the obvious trio that best represent the island mantra by leaps and bounds. Responsible development.
If anyone watched Schoonover’s interview, he clearly does not have the island’s best interest in mind. He said LB was ready to put a shovel in the ground. Doesn’t seem like he understands that even if approved, that won’t happen for years yet due to preselling units, etc. And most importantly, the tiki bar hasn’t even been approved by FEMA, and probably won’t be due to being outside the CCCL. That caveat seems to be missed because everyone is so desperate for a tiki bar. And nobody has talked about the poor neighborhoods that are going to be covered in shadows. I can guarantee that the people in the surrounding area didn’t buy there saying they want to sit on the beach in a shadow from a skyscraper!!
Cereceda, Brady, and Link would be a great team on the Town Board.