fullname
Lisa Marie Cohen-Adkinson
lastname
Cohen-Adkinson
first name
Lisa
Background
Property Management & Real Estate
Education
Some College
contactemail
Lisa4ccMayor@gmail.com
Campaign Phone
2394609949
Incumbent (Yes or No)
No
My top priority is the Foundation First Agenda: Fix our failing infrastructure and get our financial house in order before any new projects. We must stop excessive spending, eliminate wasteful non-ad valorem assessments and return them to the tax bill where they belong, protect and expand homestead exemptions, and hold the line on taxes. Strong infrastructure, fiscal discipline, and putting residents first will keep Cape Coral affordable and livable.
With over 15 years of watchdog experience in Cape Coral and Lee County Schools, I’ve proven I deliver results. I helped deliver the Public Safety Building for $23 million instead of the budgeted $110 million, saving taxpayers a record $87 million. I also led the Iwo Jima Restoration Project, raising $86K during the foreclosure crisis. I’m ready to have honest conversations and restore the Cape Coral we all love. I believe our best years are still ahead of us.
Cape Coral is only about 50% built out, yet our infrastructure is already failing. My greatest concern is continuing to grow without a strong foundation. I will address this by fixing our existing systems first, roads, drainage, utilities, and finances, while being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars. Following an “Eisenhower approach,” we will repair and strengthen what we have and prioritize local businesses whenever possible.
10+ It is my top priority. No new major projects until our core infrastructure and finances are fixed. Residents are right to be concerned, we cannot keep adding without first maintaining what we have. I’ve lived here since 1990 and watched how rapid, unplanned growth has strained our city. We must get the foundation right so future growth benefits rather than burdens current residents.
I am very cautious about government-led “affordable housing” initiatives. My focus is making Cape Coral truly affordable for everyone by reducing the overall tax burden. We must eliminate excessive spending and backdoor fees like non-ad valorem assessments that price longtime residents out of their homes. I will only support incentives that actually lower costs for current residents rather than primarily benefiting developers.
The Utilities Extension Project is a major focus. We can significantly reduce costs by performing portions of the work in-house where the city’s Utilities Department can do it safely and efficiently. Breaking large projects into smaller bids will increase competition and lower prices instead of relying on just a few contractors. This practical approach will deliver a reliable water system while protecting homeowners from unnecessary rate increases.
We must start with a full line-by-line audit of UEP costs to eliminate waste and overcharges. I will prioritize lower interest rates on assessments, in-house work where possible, and passing real savings directly to residents, without passing financial burdens onto those not effected by the UEP. We will aggressively pursue grants, but also focus on what we control, driving down costs at the source. I also support fairness measures like utility credits for residents who already paid their assessments in full.
Residents deserve real opportunities to be heard. While some committees work well, too often citizen input is ignored when final decisions are made. As Mayor, I will work to ensure advisory committees have genuine influence, require transparent public reporting of their recommendations, and create clearer channels for resident feedback before major votes. Decisions must reflect the will of the people who pay the bills.
I will prioritize improving our Community Rating System (CRS) score through better stormwater management, canal maintenance, and flood mitigation. This delivers direct discounts on flood insurance for homeowners. I will also enforce accelerate drainage improvements in vulnerable areas, and conduct regular infrastructure audits to prevent future failures like after Hurricane Ian. We will focus on fixing core systems first, clearing drains and hardening critical facilities. At the state level, I will advocate for increased funding for coastal resilience projects and support insurance reforms that reward cities for proactive mitigation. Residents first means protecting what you own. Real leadership delivers both lower costs and a stronger CC
I fully support the $250,000 homestead exemption increase. Residents deserve real relief. However, without strong leadership, governments often use backdoor methods like higher utility rates or new fees to replace lost revenue.
I will work tirelessly to prevent that from happening in Cape Coral. Through my Foundation First approach, I will conduct a line-by-line budget audit, cut waste, renegotiate contracts, and shift work in-house where possible without placing any of the financial burdens on those not impacted by the assessments. I’ve already proven results by saving taxpayers $87 million on the Public Safety Building. We can protect services without raising costs on families.
fullname
Richard Erickson
first name
Richard
Campaign Phone
239-788-7431
My priorities are to restore trust in City Hall, protect taxpayers, improve transparency, and put infrastructure ahead of unchecked growth. Residents deserve a city government that focuses on its core responsibilities: public safety, roads, utilities, water, permitting, parks, and storm preparedness. I will work to eliminate wasteful spending, improve customer service throughout city government, and ensure every tax dollar is spent wisely. I will make decisions based on facts, long-term planning
I spent more than 32 years serving our country in US Army Components, retiring as a Special Forces Sergeant Major, Green Beret, and Army Ranger-qualified leader. Throughout my military career, I led diverse teams, managed complex operations, solved difficult problems, and made critical decisions under pressure. Leadership means listening, accepting responsibility, and earning trust. Those same principles will guide me as mayor. My experience has prepared me to lead with honor, fiscal discipline,
Cape Coral's greatest long-term vulnerability is allowing growth to continue faster than our infrastructure can support. Roads, water resources, utilities, stormwater systems, schools, and emergency services must keep pace with development or taxpayers will bear the cost. I believe every major development decision should be evaluated against available infrastructure capacity before approval. Developers should pay their fair share of growth-related costs, while the city prioritizes investments that improve existing neighborhoods first. Responsible planning today will protect both our quality of life and our financial future.
My answer is a 10. I support responsible growth, not reckless growth. Cape Coral has experienced tremendous growth, but our infrastructure has not always kept pace. Before approving additional high-density projects, we must ensure our roads, utilities, water supply, stormwater systems, and public safety resources can adequately serve both current and future residents. Growth should pay for growth and enhance our community, not diminish our quality of life. Infrastructure-first planning protects taxpayers, reduces congestion, and creates a stronger city for generations to come.
Yes, but affordability should be achieved responsibly. I support workforce housing incentives, faster permitting for qualified projects, redevelopment of appropriate commercial areas, and partnerships with employers and nonprofit organizations. I do not support blanket zoning changes or excessive density that permanently alters established neighborhoods. Affordable housing solutions should fit the character of our community while protecting existing homeowners. We must encourage attainable housing opportunities without sacrificing infrastructure capacity, neighborhood quality, or the financial interests of current residents.
Water security must become one of Cape Coral's highest priorities. I support expanding conservation efforts, protecting our freshwater resources, improving reclaimed water systems, investing in stormwater management, and planning decades ahead instead of reacting to shortages. We should also continue evaluating long-term solutions, including desalination feasibility, while aggressively pursuing state and federal funding opportunities. Responsible water planning protects public health, supports sustainable growth, and ensures our kids inherit a city prepared for Florida's changing water demands.
No resident should lose their home because they cannot afford utility assessments. I will advocate for maximizing available grants before asking homeowners to pay more, expanding hardship assistance for seniors and low-income residents, offering longer repayment options, reviewing assessment calculations for fairness, and pursuing additional state and federal funding whenever possible. We must also carefully manage project costs and eliminate unnecessary spending elsewhere so the financial burden placed on homeowners is minimized while still completing these essential infrastructure improvements.
Not enough. Too often residents feel major decisions have already been made before public meetings are held. I want to restore confidence by increasing transparency, improving communication, and involving citizens earlier in the decision-making process. Major projects should include meaningful public workshops before final votes, clearer financial disclosures, and opportunities for citizen advisory input. Respectful dialogue should become the standard at City Hall. Government exists to serve the people, and residents should always feel their voices matter.
While the city cannot directly set insurance rates, we can reduce risk. I would prioritize drainage improvements, flood mitigation, resilient infrastructure, stronger emergency preparedness, and projects that improve our community's storm resistance. Reducing flood risk can improve our standing with insurers over time. At the state level, I will advocate for expanded mitigation grants, meaningful insurance reforms, stronger protections against fraud, and policies that reward homeowners who invest in strengthening their properties before disasters occur.
Cape Coral's budget has grown substantially over the past several years, and I believe we should first examine how taxpayer dollars are being spent before asking residents to pay more. I would protect essential services such as police, fire, utilities, and public works while identifying waste, delaying nonessential capital projects, reducing unnecessary consulting expenses, pursuing grants, and improving operational efficiencies. Fiscal discipline, not automatic tax increases, should be the city's first response. Families already budget carefully, and City Hall should do the same.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
My core priorities are completing the Utilities Extension Project in a way that does not price out the residents it is supposed to serve, managing growth so infrastructure leads development rather than chases it, protecting environmentally sensitive areas that once lost cannot be recovered, and attracting high-wage professional and technical jobs so we are not permanently dependent on a tourism economy built on low-wage work.
Underneath all of that is fiscal honesty. Cape Coral is facing a real
I graduated second in my class from Stetson University College of Law, which mattered less for the credential than for what it required: sustained analytical rigor and the discipline to reach precise conclusions under pressure. I have practiced civil litigation for nearly a decade, focusing on business, real estate, and construction disputes, which means I read contracts, spot overreach, and understand how decisions on paper become consequences for real people.
In 2024, I co-founded Powers & Rog
The greatest vulnerability is rapid population growth and an infrastructure deficit arriving at the same time as a potentially severe disruption to how we fund city services through state property tax reform. Those two pressures compound each other. If the city keeps approving development the current infrastructure cannot absorb, while simultaneously losing tens of millions in annual revenue, we end up with a system stretched past its limits and no money to fix it.
My approach is to treat infrastructure capacity as a real precondition for new development, not an afterthought, and to be honest with residents now about the fiscal tradeoffs ahead instead of waiting for a crisis to force the conversation. I would also prioritize diversifying th
I'd put myself at a 7. I want to be honest about why it's not higher: state law significantly constrains what a city can actually say no to. I cannot deny a building permit on water-capacity grounds; that authority rests with the South Florida Water Management District, not Cape Coral.
Where I would have real leverage is the comprehensive plan and land development regulations, and I would push to condition permits in areas outside the existing city utility footprint on demonstrated infrastructure capacity to the fullest extent the law allows. I would also enforce the sequencing discipline behind the UEP rather than let political pressure move projects out of order, and fight for restored local authority over development timing through the F
Yes. Cape Coral is in real danger of pricing out the workforce that keeps it functioning. Teachers, nurses, firefighters, and service workers cannot afford to live in the city they serve if housing costs keep rising without any policy response.
The specific measure I would support is inclusionary zoning. In plain terms, that means requiring new residential developments of a certain size to set aside a percentage of units at a price working families can actually afford, instead of every unit going for market rate. Florida law requires the city to make that trade worthwhile for the developer, typically through extra density, additional building height, or reduced fees, so the requirement doesn't just get passed along as higher prices on the r
Completing the UEP responsibly is the foundation, and this isn't a hypothetical concern. The Mid-Hawthorn Aquifer dropped to record lows, and the city had to accelerate North UEP 6 by five years to respond. By March of 2026, the aquifer finally rose above the safe threshold for the first time in years. I would prioritize keeping that momentum going: maximizing state and federal funding to offset the cost burden on residents, keeping construction and connection timelines as expeditious as possible, and ensuring water infrastructure planning accounts for climate and growth projections, not just current demand. Since the city's real leverage here is sequencing and investment rather than permit denial, I would use every tool available to keep d
I would start by prioritizing completion of the UEP as quickly as possible without sacrificing necessary oversight. Construction costs have consistently escalated over time, so delay is not a neutral choice. The longer we wait, the more it costs residents, and that has to be weighed against financing costs and the pace the city can actually manage well. I would also push the city to aggressively pursue every available federal and state grant to offset the assessment cost before it ever reaches a resident's bill. Finally, I would advocate for expanding access to the Hardship Deferral Program and making the application process easier for the fixed-income and low-income residents who need it most. Right now, residents must reapply every year w
No. The formal mechanisms exist on paper, but the city has made a series of deliberate structural decisions that have systematically reduced how much public participation actually matters in practice. Citizens' Input was moved to the end of council meetings. Informal stakeholder groups have replaced public advisory boards, so policy framing now happens away from formal public debate.
On top of that, the city has used its decorum rules as a tool for suppression rather than order. The settlement with Scott Kempe, who was handcuffed and arrested after silently turning his chair around during a council meeting, and the formal rebuke from the First Amendment Foundation over the city's meeting-ban policies, are not isolated incidents. They reflec
The most direct lever a city has is reducing the risk profile that drives insurance costs, and Cape Coral already has real, measurable proof this works. The city holds a Class 5 rating under FEMA's Community Rating System, which gives residents a 25 percent discount on flood insurance premiums. That rating isn't guaranteed. In 2024, FEMA opened a review of the city's floodplain management that put the rating at real risk, and the city had to submit a formal corrective action plan addressing program deficiencies and strengthening code enforcement. I would treat that as a floor to defend, not a box already checked, and I would push the city to finish the work already underway to reach Class 4, which would take the discount to 30 percent. That
I want to be precise about what we're facing, because the numbers matter. City staff confirmed at the June 2026 budget workshop that the preliminary FY2027 budget already shows a $5.7 million shortfall from slower property tax growth, before HJR 1F even comes into play. If HJR 1F passes in November, the city loses an estimated $28.6 million annually beginning in 2028, growing to $46.6 million beginning in 2029, nearly 30 percent of the city's current $158 million in ad valorem revenue.
There are real alternatives that could help backfill a gap like this: a tax on high-end property transfers, or a vacancy or pied-à-terre tax on luxury homes sitting empty for most of the year. The problem isn't that these ideas don't exist. The problem is tha
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
Candidate has not yet responded.
