CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Cape Coral's Charter Review Commission will meet on Thursday to decide whether or not to recommend that citizens vote on raises for city council and mayoral salaries, bringing the decision directly to residents after a controversial 2023 stipend sparked public outrage.
FOX 4's Bella Line spoke with current council members and the Charter Review Commission Chair about the decision:
The proposed amendment would set council member salaries at $70,000 and the mayor's salary at $80,000 — nearly double their current compensation. If approved by the Charter Review Commission, the measure would go to the city council before potentially appearing on the 2026 ballot.
"This will be the people's choice. Nobody else's the council, the commission, nobody has a say, only the people," said Richard Leon, Charter Review Commission chair.
Leon, a former council member who is also running for mayor, led efforts in 2023 to petition against the council's decision to give themselves a stipend without voter approval.
"We were very upset, outraged about what happened with the stipend," Leon said.
The commission developed the salary figures after researching compensation in Florida's top 50 cities, according to Leon. The proposed amendment also includes provisions to prevent future unilateral salary increases.
"We've also put an amendment in there where they can never do something like the stipend again," Leon said.
However, Council member Laurie Lehmann, who voted to eliminate the stipend, opposes the salary increase as of now.
"You don't increase the salaries to almost double and leave it as part time. That's no, that's not appropriate. I don't agree with it at all," Lehmann said.
Despite her opposition to the raise amount, Lehmann supports letting voters decide.
"The citizens need to vote on this, not that all of a sudden, like with the stipend, well, they just got hoodwinked," Lehmann said.
Council member Jennifer Nelson-Lastra sent FOX 4's Bella Line this statement expressing concerns about timing, citing the current economic climate and financial pressures on residents:
There is no question that serving on City Council is a full-time commitment. During the last election cycle, many residents did not object to the idea of a pay increase for Council; rather, their concern centered on the manner in which it was implemented. Our City Charter clearly states that any compensation adjustments for Council members must be approved by voters through a referendum.
Given the current economic climate, I do not believe this is the right time to revisit this issue. Our housing market is softening, and many residents—particularly in the Northeast and Northwest areas—are already facing financial strain from assessment costs to connect to city water. For these reasons, I do not believe now is the appropriate time to pursue any changes to Council compensation.
If approved by the Charter Review Commission, it will head to city council where they will decide whether or not it goes to the 2026 ballot.
FOX 4 will keep you up to date on the next steps.
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