Neighbors – The voters have spoken. The transportation bond referendum has passed, and I respect that decision.
I want to thank every resident who participated in this election—whether you voted yes or whether you voted no. Because this was such a closely divided vote, I believe it would be a mistake for anyone to interpret the result as a mandate for unrestricted spending.
Instead, I believe the message from our community is very clear:
Address our infrastructure needs—but do it carefully. Do it transparently. And protect the taxpayer while doing it.
The voters have given this City significant financial authority. But there is an important distinction that I believe we need to remember throughout this process:
Authorization to borrow is not an obligation to borrow every dollar.
The passage of this bond does not mean that every dollar available must automatically be spent. It does not mean that every proposed project should automatically move forward. It certainly does not mean that Council’s responsibility for financial oversight has ended.
Our responsibility has just begun.
From this point forward, I believe every transportation project funded through these bonds should have to answer several basic questions:
Is this project necessary?
Is it a priority?
Is the proposed cost reasonable?
Have we competitively bid the work?
Have we aggressively pursued state, federal, county, grant, or other outside funding?
And most importantly:
Can we look our taxpayers in the eye and explain exactly why this expenditure is necessary?
If we cannot answer those questions, then we should not be spending the money.
To Those Who Voted No – I also want to say something directly to the residents who opposed this referendum. Your voices still matter.
Your concerns about debt, taxes, government spending, affordability, and fiscal responsibility did not disappear when the votes were counted. Council represents you too. In fact, the closeness of this vote should make us even more mindful of those concerns. We have retirees living on fixed incomes. We have families dealing with increasing costs. We have homeowners watching their insurance premiums, assessments, taxes, and everyday expenses continue to rise. Government has an obligation to remember where its money comes from. It comes from you.
There is no such thing as government money. There is only taxpayer money entrusted to government, and when residents entrust us with millions of dollars, they have every right to expect discipline, transparency, and accountability in return.
Accountability Going Forward. That is why I would like to see the City establish a clear public accounting of these bond proceeds.
Residents should be able to easily see how much has been borrowed, how much has been spent, which projects received the money, what those projects were originally estimated to cost, whether there were change orders, what outside funding was secured, and how much remains. That information should be accessible and understandable. Transparency should not require a public-records request. It should be part of how we govern. And if we can complete these transportation improvements for less than the amount authorized, then we should. If we secure grants, we should reduce our reliance on borrowing. If circumstances change, we should reconsider expenditures. And if we don’t need to borrow the entire amount authorized, then we shouldn’t.
Marco Island does have important infrastructure needs. Our bridges must remain safe. Our roads must be maintained. And we must plan responsibly for the future. But infrastructure investment and fiscal conservatism are not mutually exclusive. We can accomplish both. This referendum was ultimately about more than transportation. It was about trust. The voters have now entrusted this Council with significant financial authority. What happens next will determine whether we earn that trust.
So, my commitment to the residents of Marco Island is simple: I will continue asking questions. I will continue examining the numbers. I will continue looking for alternative funding. And I will continue remembering that every dollar we spend belongs to the taxpayers we were elected to represent.
The referendum has passed. The campaign is over. Now comes the responsibility. The voters gave us the authority to move forward. Let us earn their confidence with every dollar we spend and every decision we make.
Tamara Goehler