Fort Myers, FL
At least we know one thing about the upcoming Gateway Services District election. The incumbents, if they choose to run, will not be appointed to their seats due to the lack of a competitive race. That's how Bob Nielson became a member of the board.
What we don't know, and probably will not know until the June 18th deadline, is whether the two incumbents, Nielson and Carol Stanley will run for their seats this November. Yesterday, Pelican Preserve resident William Guy filed paperwork to run for Carol Stanley's seat. Guy is now the second official candidate. Surprisingly, Guy did not respond to my request for an interview. Go figure. David Lethem is running for Bob Nielson's seat.
There are no boundaries or districts in Gateway. You can run for any seat no matter where you live. It's expected that Pelican Preserve will field several candidates. Currently, both Gary Neubauer and Carol Stanley are Pelican Preserve residents. Some in Pelican Preserve would rather not be part of Gateway, they'd like be their own CDD with their own Operations Manager. They have been openly critical of the way Bill Knight runs the operation, especially how it relates to their community.
