Pens up for democracy!
Do you like to have a choice? Us too. There’s only one name on the ballot for two of the three Lee County Commissioner races—but you do still have a choice!
In a one-party county like Lee, write-in candidates are vital, and Women for A Better Lee is proud to endorse two great write-in candidates for Lee County Commission:
Karen Watson for District 2
If someone were to set out the ideal qualifications for county commissioner, it would likely contain the type of communication, leadership and management skills that Karen possesses. She ran a nonprofit for nearly 10 years, managing programs, employees and a budget, taught in the Lee County schools for 22 years, and interacts regularly with a variety of people and organizations as a medical social worker at Lee Health. Learn more about Karen…
Jim Sheets for District 4
He comes across as a laid-back guy with a passion for local politics. But don’t let his folksy charm lull you. From his experience as a Vietnam-era fighter pilot to his years as a tenacious trial attorney, Jim Sheets is a whip-smart fighter with wide-ranging skills. Jim spent 25 years in a courtroom, as a prosecutor, private attorney, and deciding cases as a magistrate. Learn more about Jim…
Lee County Election Issues
The top election issues in Lee County for 2022 are:
Accountability and Transparency
The town hall meeting is a hallowed American tradition: public meetings in which citizens exchange thoughts, concerns, and ideas with their elected representatives. Unfortunately, Lee County discourages this type of citizen engagement, going so far as to restrict critical public input. Some examples…
Rezoning Process Excludes the Public
In Lee County there is a prohibition on communications with County Commissioners, the Hearing Examiner, and their respective staffs (a.k.a. a gag rule) regarding rezoning applications. People discover this when they hear about a rezoning application that they have an interest in and want to offer comment to their government. How Lee County handles rezonings…
Taxpayers pay for growth
New developments require infrastructure – roads, schools, parks, EMS and fire services, etc. to accommodate the additional people. That is why we have impact fees: one-time charges assessed to builders and developers of new residential and commercial properties, to help pay for increased infrastructure demands created by the new growth.
You may be wondering, “why is traffic so horrendous?” From 2013 until the end of 2021, the county has discounted impact fees and collected only $185 million of the nearly $413 million deemed necessary to cover the costs of roads, parks and schools. Taxpayers have to cover costs that should have been paid by developers…
Why is our water quality so poor?
Poor water quality in the Caloosahatchee River and our coastal estuaries is a political problem requiring a political solution. Unfortunately, the Lee County Commissioners and Florida Legislature have neither the will nor courage to use their positions as elected officials to properly manage our waterways in the best interest of the public. Instead of supporting legislation and policies to restore and clean our precious water resources, our local representatives capitulate to special interests…