Candidates offer one last message for the voters
By Clinton Burt, cburton@breezenewspapers.comEditor's note: Each week, The Breeze will ask candidates for city council their views on an issue of interest to the voters. Each candidate is asked the same question in a phone interview. This week's question is: What one final issue do you want to emphasize, or clarify, for the voters before election day?
District 6
District 6 candidate John Cataldi, Jr., 69-year-old retired police detective, said he would like for voters to consider the current direction of the city and decide if that is the direction they would like to continue.
"I'm for lower taxes and sensible expansion of utilities," he said. "Those are the two biggest issues and of course utility rates."
Kevin McGrail, a 53-year-old medical technologist, also runing in District 6, said voters should consider the candidates' experience and ability to commit the necessary time a city council position requires.
"There's no question I can handle the duties of a councilman, just look at my past experience lobbying council," he said. "The other thing I try to get across is that I have a very flexible schedule and can give the job the attention it requires."
District 4
Chris Chulakes-Leetz, a 53-year-old USCG-licensed captain, is seeking the District 4 seat. He said the city now has the opportunity to have a council with no ties to any special interest groups.
"Voters can decide if they want to install people that will do the things they have always been done, or go in a different direction," Chulakes-Leetz said.
Delores Bertolini, 75, who is looking to retain her District 4 seat, said she wants voters to consider her record.
"I've always thought of myself as a public servant, not a politician," she said.
District 1
Jim Martin, a 77-year-old a retired aerospace engineer, is seeking the District 1 seat.
He said the only issue at this point is the economy.
"We need to get people back to work to boost the economy and lower taxes," he said.
Marty McClain, a 51-year-old construction consultant, also is seeking the District 1 seat.
McClain said the biggest issue facing the city is a misunderstanding of exactly how much a forensic audit of the Utilities Expansion Project will cost the city.
He said similar audits have cost municipalities for more then the $130,000 estimated price tag attached to the UEP and larger project have cost considerably more.
"I have seen the PriceWaterhouseCoopers audit of Montgomery Watson and it cost more in the neighborhood of half a million dollars," he said.
Mayor's Race
Mayoral candidate John Sullivan, a 66-year-old retired Broker/IT Consultant, said the issue of fiscal responsibility should be paramount as voters go to the polls on Tuesday.
"I don't like the way the government has increased the utility tax and the property tax and created a new tax," he said.
Incumbent Mayor Jim Burch, a 58-year-old land surveyor, said the biggest issue that needs to be addressed is misinformation concerning the city's finances.
"We have lowered our budget, our staff levels and our per-capita costs to 2006 levels. We have done a good job of being very fiscally conservative," he said. "People are upset of the millage rate, but that has less to do with the budget and more with the current economy."
Early voting continues today; the general election is Tuesday.
Cape Coral mayor and city council elections and non-partisan and any registered voter can vote for candidates in any district regardless of where they live.
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grassroots09
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10-31-09 8:21 PM
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The reason we need the audit is to catch the over-spending. There is so much going on that most of you don't yet know about. Sullivan and his followers know about it. Read grassroots09 dot com.
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linda53
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10-31-09 2:23 PM
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Mr.McClain is absolutely correct about the Forensic UEP Audit..... and as Sullivan says.. the RESIDENTS will have to pay it... Why???? where will the residents get this money???? we have had a viable Audit already done..the Ratepayers are tired of carrying the UEP costs.. Its time to continue the UEP while the costs are down...
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DOAshrimp
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10-31-09 2:08 PM
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Mr McGrail How can you work a night shift in Naples, commute in that traffic mess, have a family, and be able to devote your efforts to our city ?? NO WAY !! We already have a part time mayor that cant vote..we do not need another part timer..We need someone that can devote his self to the task at hand.
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lightswitch
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10-31-09 1:44 PM
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The other candidate who has not sold me on his time and availability is Mr McGrail he commutes to Naples, works a midnight shift, is a homeowner and a parent. He is is going to give up his family to do a 100% job as a city councilman? He seems honorable in his intentions, however the road to*****I hear is paved with good intentions. I do not need good intentions I need a city council with good logic, commitment and teeth to accomplish getting done what they say they are going to and need to do!
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lightswitch
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10-31-09 1:36 PM
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There are two other candidates that clearly do not have the time to devote to the job from what they and the media have pointed out. One is Mrs. Bertolini she has a commitment to someone that is more important than I or the City of Cape Coral. She put in her time and I thank her very much but the future holds monumental tasks for the city council and it will need people that are able to give 100% of their time, following up and not waiting for people to come to the meeting with solutions that do not show.
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lightswitch
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10-31-09 1:16 PM
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Mr. Burch your record and the and the things that I see speak voumes. You had your own business directly involved in some capacity with the city. You sell the business and yourself to a bigger company directly involved in the UEP. Bad business, you are on a governmental board and do not vote for a mega major project leaving the taxpayer holding the bag for your ineptness. More bad business for you and the company who probably is not going to get additional business from this city if the tax payers and rate payers have their way. I think they bought a pig in a poke, try putting lipstick on that. You have done enough thank you very much.
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lightswitch
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10-31-09 1:03 PM
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Mr. McClain is opposed to a forensic audit...too expensive? Taxpayers are being crushed by the weight of lies waste and potentially theft, creating a 92% increase over five years on top of the 30% increase we are beginning to feel the effects of. The biggest theft though would be to perform audits and say they are not real and do nothing to correct anything. Sir you are More Of The Same, in other words part of the problem and not the solution! You will not have two votes that I know for sure!
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dragonslayer212
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10-31-09 10:33 AM
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John Sullivan for Mayor Jim Martin for Council District 1 Chris Chulakes-Leetz for Council District 4 John Cataldi for Council District 6
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concrened
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10-31-09 7:39 AM
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2006 levels was peak spending period. Getting per capita spending to a peak period is nothing to brag about. You need to go back a few more years.
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