Rep. Benarroch Speaks to East Naples Civic & Commerce

The East Naples Civic & Commerce held its June Luncheon at The Arlington on Thursday, June 18, with guest speaker Florida State Representative Yvette Benarroch presenting.

Benarroch represents Florida House District 81, covering Goodland, Marco Island, the East Trail, City of Naples, and all the way to Naples Park, and west of Livingston Road. “So I have all the water,” she joked.

She was born and raised in Puerto Rico, is a Veteran of the U.S. Air Force, and served during the First Gulf War.

In 2003, she moved to Florida in pursuit of better opportunities, with her parents and other family members depending on her to provide. Originally, she thought she would gravitate towards Orlando, however, she had a cousin living in Naples who convinced her to visit before making her way to central Florida.

“I hadn't seen him in over fifteen years. He said, ‘You know, there's really not much here, but you can come visit me, and then you can drive up to Orlando.’” Now, twenty-some years later, Benarroch has never left Naples.

She met her husband here. They share two children (18 and 21) and enjoy their golden retrievers. They also own a landscaping business. She said that she is content with knowing this is where God wants her to be.

Her role in politics stemmed from her deep-rooted appreciation of the country and her time in the military. “Our country is not perfect, but it is the greatest country in the world,” she said, addressing the group with honesty. “I want my kids to have their future, and I want everybody to live their American dream just like I have. I came here with nothing, and now I'm sitting in the Florida House. Only in this country can you come here with nothing and make something out of yourself.”

Starting in 2024, she has now completed her second legislative session. She has filed nine bills that have made it through the Florida House. Four of them will be signed by the Governor.

A few of these bills include:

• House Bill 809: This protects doctors in U.S. Territories (like Puerto Rico) serving in critical need areas. If the area goes away, now the people won’t lose their doctor and the doctor can remain.
  
  
• Mico-Mobility Device Bill: With the growing rise of children and teens on E-motos, and the recent death of a 14-year-old, she is assembling a nine-person task force to study and create safety regulations. Slated to begin next season, her regulation aims to ensure those who use E-motos for commutes can do so safely, and those who use them for recreation can become safer.
  
  
• House Bill 1329: Local Government Budget Transparency. This requires all counties and cities to post budgets online in a clear and accessible format so taxpayers can understand how their money is spent.

Benarroch proceeded to go into depth on this matter with the current property tax conversation and the amendment that will be on the upcoming ballot. She made it very clear that she believes in an ‘open door’ policy with her constituents, stressing the importance for voters to both educate themselves and have the resources to do so, with trust that their information is sound and accurate.

She clarified that property taxes are not going away but that they will not apply to homesteaded homes, “But that money goes to services in your county. So, police, fire, garbage, when you’re looking at cuts, if a city does not have enough money, that could happen.”

“The only reason I say that is because everybody wanted us to do something and we did. We’ve given you a product, but you, as a voter, must decide what you want. Do you want to cut services, or do you want to cut taxes?”

Appropriations came next. She made it clear that she does not fund paychecks, she funds programs and buildings. She has secured nearly $7 million for District 81. Including:

• $100,000 for the new Zulu House with Warrior Homes of Collier County, keeping Veterans from being homeless.
  
  
• Funding for Beverly’s Angels, a new and expanding organization that provides children with a stuffed animal and a packet of supplies given to them by a Police Office, encouraging children to not be afraid of Law Enforcement.
  
  
• Support for the YREADS program, helping children with literacy through the YMCA.
  
  
• Funding for the new Healthy Living Center at the Marco Island YMCA.
  
  
• Baker Senior Center and Star Ability Foundation both received funds.
  
  
• The Holocaust Museum received funds for safety and security.
  
  
• The Luciano Pavarotti Foundation Arts Center and Opera Naples will receive $1.1 million.

“State resources are not unlimited, so we have to really fight for every dollar.” Benarroch dove into the complicated structure of requesting funding before finishing with, “If you have a nonprofit that you feel is deserving of us trying to get them some help, get with my office, we'll send you the application and you can apply.” She did say that she carefully vets each and every organization for validity to ensure no fraudulent activity.

She praised Collier County for its budget transparencies and structure and looks forward to her next session, which should begin next year. “Regardless of where you stand politically, my door is always open. I represent you. There are going to be times where we're not going to agree on things, but if you ever need any help from my office with dealing with any agency, you send me an email, and I promise you it'll be solved.”

She opened the floor to questions and numerous hands were raised and she took the time to address each citizen’s questions.

In closing, Benarroch repeated her encouragement for every voter to equip themselves with information prior to entering the voting booth, “You can go online and you can ask questions. If you ask me a question, I’m going to answer it.”

In a world of social media and various apps on our phones, one needs to be careful with where they are receiving information.

Though not all issues may seem to affect everyone, she urged all to take interest. “The problem is you don't pay attention until it affects you. And I would say it will affect you someday. Politics affects your everyday life, and you need to pay attention to your local and state government. We solve a lot of the issues that you go through every day as a business owner and as a citizen. So just pay attention to that and make sure you get good people elected to office.”

Benarroch will be up for reelection in November.