Although the public filled the Cape Coral City Council chambers Wednesday night to protest adding a stipend to council members’ remuneration, the proposal passed without discussion.

Councilmember Robert Welsh was the sole member to vote against passing the consent agenda where the item calling for stipend amounts of $5,000 per month for the mayor and $3,333 per month for city council members was placed. The vote was 5-1 with Councilmember Dan Sheppard, who stepped out momentarily after public comment, inadvertently absent for the vote which came almost immediately after citizen input.

The 60-minute slotted Citizens Input time was filled with residents as well as individuals running for various political offices slamming the measure that also required changes to the bylaws of the South Cape Community Redevelopment Agency.

The three resolutions that passed were to modify the CRA bylaws to convert the uncompensated governing positions into positions compensated with stipends; allow council to determine the amount of those stipends; and set those stipend amounts at $5,000 per month for the mayor and $3,333 per month for city council members, retroactive to Oct. 1, the start of the city’s new budget year.

According to the most recent numbers posted to the city’s website, the mayor’s position currently is compensated at approximately $46,604 per year. Council member compensation is approximately $40,620 per year which is below the city-computed comparable cities average of $49,155.

The stipend will be in addition to council salaries and a portion of the stipend is intended to cover additional duties and expenses council members are said to be incurring due to growth in the city, documents state.

The public criticizes both of the proposal and its placement on the agenda with non-discussion items, with the mayor calling for a recess shortly after the public began to speak due to clapping, cheers and boos as points against were made.

Former Cape Coral city council member Richard Leon was the first to speak.

“I wanted to get up here first and remind everybody that I was a City Council member, CRA commissioner. I sat in your shoes,” Leon said before Council. “There is an opportunity that lies before you today. You can govern in good graces. I know out of anybody in this room what this pay means to you.”

He said he remembered the 40 hours he had to work at his place of employment and then the time he spent as a council member, which sometimes left him at City Hall until 2 to 3 a.m.

“Some nights I slept in the office,” Leon said. “I ask you and implore you to have a greater discussion regarding the stipend. If you are to pass it, please consider $3,300 and $5,000 a month is too much money. I know. I never ever spent that amount of money sitting up where you are today.”

Another speaker asked how Council could approve a stipend after city workers, union, and non-bargaining employees requested a raise. She said council disbanded the uncompensated CRA governing board and then assumed its duties to reward themselves at the citizens’ expense.

“You found a way — just call it a stipend and not a raise,” she said, adding that council members all were aware of how much the council compensation was and spent a lot of money to get elected nonetheless.

“Membership on the city council has always been a part-time job. You are making it significantly more. If you are feeling underpaid, resign and find another job.”

A city employee, who said he cannot afford to live in the city, also spoke.

“I am a struggling city of Cape Coral employee,” he said. “We city employees were awarded a raise of 4.25%. Award the same annual stipend of 4.25%, roughly $142 a month.”

A 15-year resident, who is a 2024 Libertarian candidate for the State Representative seat that includes Cape Coral, said historically volunteers did the work for the South Cape Community Redevelopment Agency commissioners.

“They did this work for free, out of a public-spirited sense of duty to the community. According to the proposals now pending before you, these services are to be valued at approximately $340,000 each year,” Larry Gillis said. “Let me emphasize that these services have cost the taxpayers of Cape Coral nothing. Zip, zero, nada, so to speak. Until now, anyway.”

Council voted to dissolve the Community Redevelopment Agency board, letting the commissioners it had appointed go, in November with Council members Tom Hayden, Jessica Cosden and Robert Welsh dissenting.

The stipend proposal to include assuming those duties was brought forward a week after council holding its first meeting sitting as the CRA Board of Commissioners, who previously were not compensated.

Gillis reminded Council that voters elected them to perform the duties of the city councilors with the additional duties voluntarily assumed not part of the package.

Editor’s note: At the request of a reader who contacted The Breeze, we are adding contact information for members of the Cape Coral City Council:

District 1: William E. (Bill) Steinke

Email: bsteinke@capecoral.gov

District 2: Dan Sheppard

Email: dsheppard@capecoral.gov

District 3: Tom Hayden

Email: thayden@capecoral.gov

District 4: Vacant during the voting portion of Wednesday meeting.

Richard Carr was subsequently appointed to fill the vacant District 4 seat Wednesday night. Email: rcarr@capecoral.gov.

District 5: Robert Welsh

Email: rwelsh@capecoral.gov

District 6: Keith Long

Email: klong@capecoral.gov

District 7: Jessica Cosden

Email: jcosden@capecoral.gov