PICCONE

>>> QUESTION: What are your plans to account for the reduction in property taxes? Do you favor increasing fees and adding to the non ad valorem tax rate? Favor increasing the millage rate? Favor increasing sales tax? Favor increasing Gas Tax? Other? Please explain.

No. I do not favor raising the millage rate, increasing fees, adding non-ad valorem assessments, hiking the sales tax, or increasing the gas tax.

Cape Coral residents are already strapped. Property taxes are the largest local burden for most homeowners, and any real reduction has to be paid for with actual work — by cutting waste, not by shifting the pain onto the same taxpayers through different names.

How I will account for lower property tax revenue

• Force line-by-line transparency first. If staff and the current majority claim “there’s no fat left,” they must prove it publicly, department by department, program by program. I will demand that proof and act on it.
• Prioritize core services only. Public safety, basic infrastructure maintenance, and stormwater come first. Everything else — especially non-essential projects, studies, and feel-good spending — gets scrutinized or cut.
• Grow the tax base the right way. Incentivize small and large business to locate in Cape Coral. Smart, controlled growth that brings private investment and new taxpayers without loading more costs onto existing residents. We stop subsidizing special interests and start protecting the people already here. We need more good jobs on our side of the bridges.
• End the status-quo mindset. Too much of the budget is treated as automatic. I will treat every dollar as taxpayer money that has to be justified every year.

I am not interested in creative new ways to extract more money from the same residents. The job of City Council is to live within the means the voters give us, not to invent new ones.

>>> QUESTION: Are you in favor of increasing, decreasing, or maintaining the current budget levels? If so how?

I favor optimizing the overall budget by cutting waste and non-essential spending while fully protecting core services.

Cape Coral does not have a revenue problem. It has a spending problem. Year after year the budget grows, yet residents keep hearing that “there’s no fat left.” I reject that claim until it is proven line by line, in public.

How I will do it

• Demand full transparency: Every department must justify every program and position from the ground up. Automatic increases and legacy spending get zero protection.
• Protect what matters: Public safety, basic infrastructure, and stormwater mitigation come first and stay properly funded. Everything else is on the table.
• End non-core and special-interest spending: Yacht clubs, excessive studies (millions paid to consultants), pet projects, and programs that serve narrow interests instead of the broader taxpayer will be reduced or eliminated.
• Grow the tax base the right way: Smart, controlled private investment that expands revenue without forcing higher taxes or fees on current residents.

I will not vote to increase the overall budget simply because “that’s what we always do.” The job is to deliver essential services efficiently, not to keep growing government. Lower overall spending, protected core priorities, and real accountability — that is the only path that respects the people who actually pay the bills.

>>> QUESTION: Are you in favor of more or less City Projects and spending on same?

I favor less City projects and significantly less spending on them — especially the non-essential ones.

Cape Coral does not need more government projects. It needs the right projects done well, on time, and at a fair cost. Too many current and proposed projects serve special interests, create long-term maintenance burdens, or expand government beyond its core role. I can’t name one project that was delivered on time, on budget, that didn’t have serious prior planning deficiencies and numerous resident complaints. Project problems and failures drive up taxes and fees for everyone else.

My approach

• Core infrastructure first. Focus only on projects that protect public safety, maintain roads/canals/stormwater, and deliver essential services. Everything else must prove it is truly necessary.
• No more pet projects or “nice-to-haves.” Building yacht clubs, oversized parks amenities, or feel-good developments is not a core government function. Private investment and user fees should handle those — not the general taxpayer.
• Demand full justification and oversight. Every major project must show clear resident benefit, realistic cost, and long-term maintenance plan before a single dollar is spent. “We’ve always done it this way” is not a reason.
• Cut the waste, finish what we start. Stop starting new projects while existing ones run over budget or sit unfinished. Hold contractors and staff accountable!

I will vote against expanding the list of City projects and the spending that comes with them unless they are proven essentials. Residents deserve a City that maintains what it already has and stops adding to the bill.

>>> QUESTION: Do you intend to freeze hiring Govt employees totally? Only replace those positions vacated through attrition? Continue to hire? Expand due to increased projects and services needed?

I favor a hiring freeze with limited exceptions — only replace critical positions vacated through attrition. No expansion.

Cape Coral government is already large enough. Adding more employees just because “projects and services are increasing” is the wrong answer. The right answer is to get more done with the people we already have by cutting waste, improving efficiency, and stopping non-essential projects that create the demand for more staff in the first place.

My position

• Hiring freeze as the default. No new positions unless a clear, public, line-by-line case is made that the work is essential and cannot be handled by existing staff or better processes.
• Attrition only for non-critical roles. When someone leaves a non-essential position, that spot stays vacant. Replacements happen only for true public-safety and core infrastructure roles that directly protect residents.
• No automatic expansion. I will not vote to grow headcount simply because new projects or services are being pushed. If a project requires more permanent staff, that is a strong reason to question or pause/kill the project.
• Reallocate and streamline first. Before any hire is approved, we look at overtime, contractors, outdated processes, consultants, and duplicated functions. Technology and better management often solve the problem without adding bodies (and long-term pension/benefit costs).

Government does not get more efficient by hiring more people. It gets more efficient by doing fewer non-essential things and holding the existing workforce accountable. That is how we protect taxpayers while still delivering the services that actually matter. It’s the more efficient private sector approach versus the government waste and bloated bureaucracy business as usual.

>>> QUESTION: What is your plan to address the permitting nightmare and requirements in Cape Coral for residential homeowners?

Yes — the permitting process for residential homeowners in Cape Coral is a nightmare, and I will work to fix it.

Homeowners should not need a lawyer, months of delays, and thousands in extra costs just to improve their own property. The current system is slow, inconsistent, overly complicated, and often feels designed to generate fees and protect bureaucracy rather than serve residents.

My plan

• Radical streamlining for homeowners. Create a fast-track, simplified process for common residential projects (fences, pools, sheds, renovations, hurricane protection, solar, etc.). Clear checklists, fewer unnecessary reviews, and one-stop guidance so residents know exactly what is required upfront.
• Hard timelines and accountability. Every permit application gets a published deadline. If the City misses it, the homeowner gets automatic fee waivers and a fast tracked resolution. Staff and departments will be held accountable for delays.
• Technology first. Move the entire system fully online with real-time status tracking, digital submissions, and electronic payments. No more standing in line or chasing paper. Use modern software so residents can see exactly where their permit stands 24/7.
• Common-sense code review. Eliminate overly restrictive, or inconsistently applied rules. Eliminate redundant inspections and conflicting requirements that add cost without adding protection.
• Homeowner advocate, not roadblock. Establish a dedicated residential permitting liaison whose whose job is to help residents succeed — not to find reasons to say no.
• Transparency on fees and costs. Publish clear, all-in cost estimates before work begins. No surprise fees, delays or endless add-ons.

I am a homeowner and taxpayer first. The City’s job is to protect public safety, not to make simple home improvements feel like an obstacle course. I will push these reforms hard and measure success by how much easier, faster, and cheaper it becomes for regular Cape Coral residents to improve their own property.

>>> QUESTION: How are you planning on dealing with vacated, abandoned and unfinished structures/buildings?

I discussed this previously on my Facebook pages. Just asking the question generated numerous attacks from special interests that were against any new regulations that might affect new builds. A resident suggested that a bond be posted that guarantees funds are in place to finish and promote up until the sale takes place.

I will deal with vacated, abandoned, and unfinished structures aggressively and fairly: protect neighborhoods and property values without creating additional budget costs to address incomplete projects.

Unsafe buildings, and half-finished eyesores drag down entire streets, invite crime, rodents, squating and dumping, and punish the residents who actually maintain their properties. The City has tools, it just hasn’t used them consistently or with enough urgency.

My plan

• Enforce the codes we already have — no more looking the other way. Prioritize safety hazards, structural dangers, and properties that are actively harming surrounding homes. Impose timelines for owners/contractors/builders to secure, repair, or demolish.
• Make owners pay, not taxpayers. Use code enforcement liens, fines, and foreclosure processes so the cost of cleanup lands on the property owner or responsible party, not the Cape Coral budget. Eliminate free rides and endless extensions for well-connected builders, developers and owners.
• Fast-track dangerous properties. Create a rapid-response solution for structures that pose immediate public-safety risks (collapse danger, open to trespass, fire hazards, etc.). We need to force a fast and permanent resolution.
• Transparency and equal treatment. Publish a public dashboard of problem properties, status, and enforcement actions. No special deals, no quiet settlements for insiders or large developers. Every owner gets the same rules.
• Encourage private solutions first. Give responsible owners a clear, reasonable path to bring properties into compliance or sell to someone who will. Only move to demolition or forced action when the owner refuses to act. Common sense first.
• Stop creating new problems. Tighter oversight on active construction permits so unfinished projects don’t sit for years. If a builder walks away, the City moves quickly instead of letting the mess fester.

I will not let abandoned and unfinished buildings become permanent scars on our neighborhoods. Strong, consistent enforcement protects the people who live here and play by the rules without growing government or sticking taxpayers with the bill.

>>> QUESTION: What is your position on UEP and do you plan on making changes or leave it as is? If making changes, what specifically.

Candidates are having a difficult time answering this question realistically. There is no quick and easy solution to a multi billion dollar project plagued with poor planning at the outset. The representatives in charge of the project twenty years ago and leading up to today, let it get out of hand by refusing to address typical inflation, labor and material, increases and plan for them so the assessment costs to the homeowner remained consistently affordable. Six years ago when I purchased my NW home, I was quoted $12,000 dollars. Fast forward to today and it’s a projected $65,000 dollars.

I support the goal of UEP (bringing water and sewer to more residents) but I do not support leaving the current program “as is.” It needs major changes to make it fairer, more transparent, more affordable, and less burdensome on the taxpayers and property owners who are already here. We need to address these unaffordable fees. Seniors on a fixed income are unfairly impacted and are being forced to sell their homes.

Cape Coral’s multi billion dollar Utility Expansion Program is one of the biggest financial and quality-of-life issues facing residents. Done right, it protects our environment, raises property values, and ends septic dependence. Done the way it’s currently being handled, it becomes a massive, poorly timed, punitive assessment that hits people hard with little say and little or no cost control.

My position and specific changes

• Keep the mission, fix the execution. Expanding central water and sewer is the right long-term direction for the environment and property values. I will not vote to kill UEP. I will vote to reform how it is run.
• Cost control and transparency first. Every phase must have hard cost caps, public competitive bidding, and line-item reporting. Residents deserve to know exactly what they are paying for and why costs keep rising. No more open-ended blank checks until we look at alternatives.
• Fairer assessment structure. Push for options that ease the immediate hit on fixed-income and long-time residents (extended payment plans, hardship deferrals, credits for previous contributions, and exploring whether growth-related impact fees can shoulder more of the expansion cost instead of solely loading it onto existing owners).
• Better timing and sequencing. Prioritize areas based on environmental need, septic failure risk, and resident readiness versus political convenience or developer pressure. Give neighborhoods clearer, earlier notice and real input before assessments are locked in.
• Stronger oversight and accountability. Independent review of engineering estimates, change orders, materials acquisition and contractor performance. Hold staff and vendors responsible, with a significant fine structure when projects run late or over budget. Publish simple, public dashboards so every resident can track progress and costs in real time.
• No special deals. Zero favoritism for developers, large landowners, or insiders. The same rules and cost-sharing apply to everyone.

I will not rubber-stamp the failed status quo, and I will not pretend the current system is working perfectly. No one can afford to: “Just cut the check.” My job is to deliver the utility expansion residents need at the lowest responsible cost, with maximum transparency and fairness.

The Tough Part

The much needed UEP changes towards better affordability, financial assistance, relief for at risk seniors, and deferments, requires the FULL cooperation of EVERY elected representative. Cape Coral politicians have shrugged their shoulders, looked the other way, refused to work towards solutions, and recklessly passed on the punishing costs to homeowners. Every current and future City Hall official needs to make this affordability crisis JOB ONE.