Thursday, November 12, 2026
Bill Miller, with wife Catherine, was honored for his 15 years of service as an auxiliary officer for MIPD.
Acting finance director Sharon Dangles presented a four-point plan addressing the material weaknesses found in the audit of the 2024 budget. A new finance director has been hired and will start mid-October.
Councilor Darrin Palumbo came up with a compromise that saved council from a stalemate over the 2026 millage rate.
Council Chair Erik Brechnitz was not in attendance, leaving council on the verge of a 3-3 stalemate when voting on the proposed 2026 millage rate for the city. At the first budget reading during the September 8 meeting, Council voted to increase the millage rate from 1.2400 to 1.2670, earmarking the additional funds for the replacement of the Winterberry Beach Boardwalk. Brechnitz and Councilor Darrin Palumbo voted for the increase with the understanding that it could be lowered back to the 1.2400 at the final budget hearing meeting held on Monday, September 22nd.
After clarification on procedures from Marco City Attorney Alan Gabriel, the vote on the 1.2670 millage came to a 3-3 tie. Councilor Rene Champagne, voting for the increase said, “I would just like to remind everyone that this particular budget, even at 1.2670, does not count or cover all the infrastructure requirements this city needs.” Palumbo, a no on the first round of voting, talked about private/public partnership. “The Hilton is willing to fund our boardwalk when they come before us with their project expansion. Yeah, there’s a cost. Consider their expansion. Consider a few more people coming to Marco Island and bestowing their hard-earned cash upon us, and it goes far beyond that. Developer concessions. As long asthey’re legal and ethical, and our city attorney can put his stamp of approval on it, they are willing to help and help considerably.”
When City Manager Mike McNees said, “I think any conversation linking paying for repairs to the Winterberry Boardwalk and some hypothetical future rezone of any property unmarked on is probably inappropriate, but I’ll defer to the city attorney on that.” To which Gabriel replied, “I can’t disagree with his comment.” When Palumbo asked, “Did I break any laws or what makes it inappropriate to pontificate what could happen?” Garbriel said, “Comment that was made inferred that maybe there was a way to pay to play.” Palumbo reiterated his intent to keep everything legal.
Vice Chair Stephen Gray and Councilor Tamara Goehler visited the boardwalk and felt repairs were not neededimmediately. Gray’s main concern on not approving the higher millage is having a complete understanding what all the numbers are. “I owe this community a comprehensive view of what our long-term outlook is, what the costs are.” He continued, “I am still haunted by a number of what I would call accounting shortcomings that I’d like to see clarified and confident about before I would want to increase the millage rate.”
By state law, Council was obligated to pass the millage and budget rate at the meeting; while the deadline is September 30, the public hearing process would not allow Council to delay their vote. With the 3-3 tie seeming unbreakable, Palumbo proposed a compromise to keep the higher millage of 1.2670, but instead of allocating the money towards the Winterberry Boardwalk repair, it be put in reserves to be used later, which gained traction with Councilors Deb Henry and Bonita Schwan. “We do need to come together and set this legally per state law,” said Schwan.
“I've offered a solution that I don't think breaks anybody's pledges, puts money aside,” said Palumbo.
‘I will not support it because I did go and see the Winterberry boardwalk and I don’t think it’s falling apart,” said Goehler.
“Somewhere along the lines, we have to move forward, and the only way I can think of it, rather than sit here and stalemate and break state law and pull another seven month stalemate like we did, appointing somebody is to say to the citizens, I am willing to take your money and put it in reserves until only at the time where four councilors can agree to how it's spent and you guys can lobby us, you can write us, you can sway us, you can tell us you're not going to vote for us, whatever. It might be the case. But somewhere along the line, we are never going to leave this meeting if we just sit here 3 to 3.”
After some back and forth on the exact motion amending verbiage required by law, councilors were given the opportunity to vote on the 1.2670 millage rate with the $430,000 funds initially slated for the Winterberry boardwalk project to instead be put into reserves.
The compromise passed 4-2, with Gray and Goehler voting no.
Once the millage was decided, the next step was approving the full budget, which passed with a 6-0 vote. The same process was used for the Hideaway Beach District millage and budget which passed quickly, 6-0.
The Home Depot Foundation talked about the October 21st park improvements coming to Veterans’ Community Park and Winterberry Park. The foundation concentrates on areas that benefit veterans and supports communities impacted by natural disasters. Around 750 volunteers, “the principals and C-suite executives of Home Depot garden vendors” will be coming to Marco for the makeovers. Everything from softball field resurfacing at Winterberry to building a playhouse at Veterans’ is on deck.
Sharon Dangles, interim finance director, walked Council through a four-step corrective action plan that was put together after the 2024 audit report whichidentified some material weaknesses. The City has hired a new finance director slated to start mid-October. When Goehler asked about the onboarding process, McNees said, “One of her real strengths is she has a lot of background presenting financial information for decision makers. And so,I'mvery optimistic that when we come around to another budget year, that we'll have a better presentation of the budget that will be more clear and easier for you to get into than what we've shown you.”
Under the City Manager report, McNees asked to be appointed as an emissary to the Parks and Rec committee to help them decide whether the membership model for the Racquet Center needs to be changed or stay the same. “The other fundamental question being what is Council’s objective in terms of operations,” McNees said. “Do you want to continue to operate it with a deep operating subsidy, or do you want it to break even, or do you want it to return a little bit to the city, if that's possible?” He continued, “What I'm suggesting is that you send me into the Parks and Rec advisory board to lay out those things and entreat them to take on a process of however they decide to do it surveying, taking public input, whatever that might be. And is there a way to build a better mousetrap, and how we'reoperating the rocket center.”
On a celebratory note, Bill Miller was honored after 15 years of volunteer services. “For some reason, at the age of 63, this gentleman decided he wanted to go to the police academy, so he was sponsored by the Marco Island Police Department to attend the police academy,” said McNees. “In 2010, Bill officially joined the sworn force as an auxiliary police officer. By 2014, he was running the reserve officer program, and he's been doing that ever since,” continued McNees. Miller is officially retiring.
The following topics were discussed under Council Communications and Future Agenda Items:
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