Commissioner Manning promises to protect Pine Island
To the editor:
Noel Andress of Pineland and I have been jointly interviewing candidates for County Commissioner District 1. We did so with an emphasis on matters of special interest to Pine Island. There were several excellent candidates, but the only candidate that clearly and without hesitation promised to protect and promote the interests of Pine Island is John Manning. Commissioner Manning has promised to use his vote on the commission as follows:
1. To preserve the Pine Island Plan, and its emphasis on environmental protection and limitations on overdevelopment,
2. To oppose annexation by Cape Coral of any part of Greater Pine Island,
3. To reconstruct the Ceitus Barrier and curb the excess fresh water, nutrients, and pollution presently being dumped by Cape Coral on Matlacha,
4. To dredge the channel and restore sea grasses in Matlacha fouled by siltation created by the temporary removal of the Ceitus Barrier,
5. To avoid five single-member commissioner districts (in which Pine Island and Sanibel would share a commissioner with Cape Coral),
6. To avoid any further degradation of the Density Reduction/Groundwater Recharge Area, and
7. To hold property taxes at the current mileage rate.
Based on these promises (a copy of the above listing has been approved by Commissioner Manning), we endorse Manning for re-election as District 1 commissioner, and we urge all voters to select him at the primary election on 24, August and the general election in November. We of course will hold him to these promises for the duration of his tenure.
We also endorse incumbents Brian Bigelow and Tammy Hall for re-election as county commissioners. They have both supported the interests of Pine Island, and have earned the honor of reelection. Please vote for them as well.
The two remaining Commissioners Ray Judah and Frank Mann are not up for reelection this year, but they are old friends of Pine Island. When Manning, Bigelow, and Hall join them for four-year terms in November, our county government will be in good hands.
Phil Buchanan
St. James City