The Cape Coral City Council has voted to rescind a stipend that would've doubled the pay of council members.
With the stipend , council members would've received an extra $3,300 a month and the mayor an extra $5,000, nearly doubling their pay.
The controversial stipend was approved by the previous regime of council members in December 2023. The decision gained flak almost immediately, and a petition against it was created and garnered over 7,000 signatures from residents.
The Cape Coral City Council now has some new faces after five of the seven seats were up for grabs in the 2024 election.
The motion carried in a 5-3 vote. Council members voted as follows ("Aye" — vote to rescind stipend | "No" — vote in favor of stipend):
- Mayor John Gunter: NO
- District 1: William Steinke: NO
- District 2: Laurie Lehmann: AYE
- District 3: Derrick Donnell: AYE
- District 4: Jennifer Nelson-Lastra: AYE
- District 5: Joseph Kilraine: AYE
- District 6: Keith Long: NO
- District 7: Rachel Kudak: AYE
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