Fort Myers Beach council seat vacant as Jim Atterholt retires

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. —

Fort Myers Beach is urgently seeking to fill a vacant council seat after longtime Councilman Jim Atterholt announced his retirement, as the town continues its recovery from Hurricane Ian.

"There are so many meetings. I'm going to take a step back and spend more time with family," Atterholt said. He has been a councilman since 2019 and is retiring one year into his second term. During his tenure, Atterholt navigated the town through the challenges of COVID-19 and Hurricane Ian. "My first couple of years were trying to get the island back open and functioning," he said. "The island is going to change, it's just a question of the pace of that change at this point."

State Rep. Adam Botana noted the town's population decline, saying, "The city has lost so much population. You know, they're down to 3,100 or 3,200 voting people on the beach." Many homes and businesses are currently for sale, reflecting the ongoing changes in the community.

Abigail Eberhart, a spokesperson for Fort Myers Beach, emphasized the urgency of filling Atterholt's seat, stating, "We need someone in the seat to make these big decisions." The town cannot pass a budget without a full council, and Eberhart added, "What we're looking for is the Town Council coming together Jan. 5 and making some definitive decisions," including who will replace Atterholt and when.

The council has two options for filling the seat: appoint someone until November of the coming year or for the next three years, with a decision expected on Jan. 5.

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