No CIP, No LOS, No Excuse

At both the recent budget workshop and regular City Council meeting, I raised serious concerns about the City’s failure to provide the legally required Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) and the lack of a comprehensive traffic study for over a decade. As a retired New Jersey judge and municipal attorney with experience in municipal audits, I know how critical transparency and legal compliance are when managing public funds. 

Chairman Erik Brechnitz and Vice Chair Stephen Gray are right to insist on receiving the full CIP and Level of Service (LOS) data. Florida Statutes section 163.3177 and Marco Island’s own Comprehensive Plan require the City to maintain and annually update a five-year CIP that aligns infrastructure projects with adopted LOS standards. These aren’t suggestions - they’re legal obligations. 

Before Council votes on what could become the largest tax increase in Marco Island history, they must have a complete breakdown of every capital project: costs, funding sources, timelines - and how it all ties into the operating budget. Anything less is reckless. It’s like taking out a massive mortgage without knowing the price, interest rate, or monthly payment. 

I also urged Council to request a full audit by the Florida Department of Governmental Efficiency, as Collier County already has. DOGE demands detailed fiscal disclosures. That same information should be shared with Council now - especially as County development just across the bridge is accelerating and increasing pressure on Marco’s infrastructure. 

We owe it to our residents to get this right.