Challenger Laurie Lehmann beat incumbent Dan Sheppard for Cape Coral’s City Council District 2 seat on Election Day. Since the position is nonpartisan, all voters, regardless of party affiliation, got to vote for the council.
Lehmann was the highest vote-getter with 57 percent in an election largely defined by two issues: proposed redesign of Jaycee Park and the stipend that Council awarded itself in December 2023 that effectively doubled their salaries.
The new term starts Nov. 20 for Lehmann and newly elected Council members Derrick Donnell, Jennifer Nelson, Joseph Kilraine and Rachel Kaduk. They join Bill Steinke and Keith Long, whose terms expire in 2026.
Lehmann said she ran for city council because she felt citizens weren’t being listened to.
Before she decided to run for the seat, she got involved with Save Jaycee Park, which is a group of Cape Coral residents unhappy with the city’s future renovation plans for the park.
The city is planning on enhancing the park with a bandshell, covered pavilions, a food truck court, an expanded playground and splash pad and restroom renovations. The project is estimated to cost $16-$18 million.
The city has already taken down the pine trees and fenced off the park for renovations. Lehmann said one of the main efforts of Save Jaycee Park is preserving the wildlife that lives there.
“That's why people don't want to see those changes, the commercialization of Jaycee Park, because of the animals, and what it will do with taking down all the trees,” Lehmann said.
Once she starts her term, she said she would like to sit down with the city and a group from Save Jaycee Park to come to a compromise.
“Not everybody's going to be 100% thrilled, and I realize that, but if we can come to a compromise, so that, even if both sides are like, 50% accepting, that would be a big step,” Lehmann said.
Along with this, Cape Coral residents have been facing the issue of the stipend the city council approved for their members. In December of 2023, the council approved monthly stipends for each member of $3,333. It passed in a 5-1 vote and was approved without discussion.
Council members are paid a base annual salary of $37,368.96. A year’s worth of stipends came to $39,996 per council member.
Lehmann said she has already declined the stipend in writing, and it has been approved by human resources.
“One of my platforms was, I will not take the stipend. I want to see it rescinded and stopped,” Lehmann said. “I want to see the volunteer committees come back so that then there's no reason for the stipend.”
Lehmann said she is excited to get to work when her term begins.
“I was fully retired, and I am going to put into this as much as I can, as much as need to be, to do the things that people want to see happen,” Lehmann said. “I want people to love Cape Coral again, which is why they moved here to start with. I want to see it come back to that.”