Open Letter to Board of County Commissioners

When I was elected to the Marco Island City Council in 2020 I promised myself I would govern by four guiding principles:

1. Support legislation to protect the health, safety, and general welfare of Marco Island residents and visitors.

2. Outwork everyone to learn as much as I could regarding an issue that would come before the City Council.

3. Support the will of the people as expressed by referendums passed by a majority of the citizens, regardless of my own political beliefs about the issue.

4. Stand tall in the face of criticism if I was true to the first three principles.

I knew that if I held true to those four principles I would leave a legacy I could be proud of.

Throughout my campaign for a seat on the Marco Island City Council in 2020, I supported the Conservation Collier renewal referendum.

In 2020, I, along with 151,000 other residents, approximately 77% of the voting public, voted for the referendum. We voluntarily agreed to tax ourselves at the rate of .25 mils in order to continue the mission of Conservation Collier which is to acquire, preserve, restore and maintain vital and significant threatened natural lands, forest, upland and wetland communities located in Collier County, for the benefit of present and future generations.

Conservation Collier has been wildly successful in meeting their mission. Funds have been used to acquire and manage 4,345 acres of land in 21 different locations across Collier County.   

Approximately 20% of the taxes collected were put into a fund for management of existing preserve lands in perpetuity so that no additional tax collections would be required for the management of these existing preserves.

I’m proud to be a supporter of this program and have this as part of my legacy because it meets all of the principles I promised I would live by when taking office.

As you approach your budget workshop on Thursday, I am asking you to make support of this program part of your legacy and continue to fund the program at the voter-supported rate of .25 mils. 

To consider reducing this level of funding at a time when the value of land in Collier County shows no sign of dropping is a major threat to the mission of this referendum-based program. 

Please honor your commitment as I have to support the will of the people as expressed by referendums passed by a majority of the citizens, regardless of your own political beliefs about this issue.

Please take a moment to write to the Board of County Commissioners urging them to keep the current .25 mils rate for funding Conservation Collier.

Rick.LoCastro@colliercountyfl.gov, Bill.McDaniel@colliercountyfl.gov,

Dan.Kowal@colliercountyfl.gov, Burt.Saunders@colliercountyfl.gov,

Chris.Hall@colliercountyfl.gov

Sincerely,

Marco Island City Councilman Rich Blonna