Marco Island Bond Referendum

Marco Island voters will decide on August 18, 2026, whether the City may issue up to $23 million in General Obligation Bonds to pay for transportation infrastructure, specifically bridge replacements and roadway improvements. All qualified electors of the City of Marco Island are eligible to vote on this referendum. A simple majority of votes cast is required for it to pass.

The Referendum

Below is the Referendum question as it will appear on the ballot:

CITY OF MARCO ISLAND GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND REFERENDUM FOR TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS

Shall City of Marco Island issue General Obligation Bonds, in one or more series, not

exceeding $23,000,000, bearing interest not exceeding maximum legal rates, maturing not more than 20 years from the issuance date of each series, pledging the City’s full faith, credit and unlimited ad valorem taxing power, to finance the acquisition, construction and equipping of transportation improvements including but not limited to bridge replacements and roadway improvements?

( ) Yes, For Bonds

( ) No, Against Bonds

What This Would Do

If approved, the $23 million bond would fund a ten-year transportation infrastructure plan, according to the City’s own project breakdown (City of Marco Island: 2026 General Obligation Bond):

• Replacing the Caxambas Bridge: Currently the lowest-rated of Collier County’s 370 bridges by sufficiency score, with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) rating its deck and superstructure “serious.” The City spent $265,371 in 2024 and $161,351 in 2025 to design a new bridge and relocate the water and sewer mains beneath it. Total replacement cost is $12 million, offset by two FDOT grants of $3.75 million each, leaving a City obligation of $4.5 million. Scheduled for 2027.
• Replacing the Goldenrod Bridge: Rated “scour critical” by FDOT and among the county’s lowest-rated bridges. Replacement costs $10 million, offset by a $3.75 million FDOT grant, leaving a City obligation of $6.25 million. Scheduled for 2029.
• Repairing three bridges (Blackmore, Sandhill, and South Seas): Total repair cost of $1.5 million ($500,000 per bridge). Scheduled for 2028.
• Roadway paving: Marco Island’s roads are on a ten-year paving cycle, but 36 lane miles have gone unpaved for more than ten years at a cost of $200,000 per lane mile. The bond would dedicate $7.2 million to catching up this backlog, plus $500,000 per year for seven years ($3.5 million total) to keep future paving on schedule.

Approval of the bond does not authorize automatic spending. Every expenditure tied to these projects still requires separate, formal City Council approval at a public meeting each year. (Coastal Breeze News)

Estimated cost per homeowner

According to the City of Marco Island website, the bond is estimated to cost the average homeowner an additional $4 to $8 per month, depending on the assessed value of their property. General obligation bonds are repaid through property taxes, so this cost would be reflected as an increase in the City’s portion of the property tax bill, not as a separate line-item fee. (City of Marco Island: 2026 General Obligation Bond)

What a “Yes” Vote Means / What a “No” Vote Means

A “yes” vote authorizes the City of Marco Island to issue up to $23 million in General Obligation Bonds, to be repaid over up to 20 years through the City’s property tax revenue, to fund the bridge and roadway projects described above.

A “no” vote would not authorize the bonds. The bridge replacements, bridge repairs, and roadway paving described above would need to be funded some other way, such as through the City’s existing budget or a future tax increase or would go unfunded or delayed.

Summary

All qualified electors of the City of Marco Island are eligible to vote on this referendum on Aug. 18, 2026. A simple majority of votes cast is required for it to pass.