NAPLES, Fla. — Thousands of Naples residents went to the polls on Tuesday, voting in the city council election.
While locals voted, FOX4 spoke to officials about what the new city council could face over the next four years. They told us what they think the biggest issues and challenges could be.
Five candidates were running for three seats on the five-person council, looking to win four-year terms.
“I think the upcoming council face same issues current council faces in terms of addressing redevelopment, how to ensure businesses thrive in Naples while balancing quality of live for the residents,” said Jenna Buzzacco-Foerster, director of government relations for the Naples Chamber of Commerce.
Managing the booming growth in Collier County is one of the top challenges the new city council will face, Buzzacco-Foerster said.
The candidates agree. All five people on the ballot highlighted the issue on their campaign websites.
“We as a business organization think about making smart decisions that ensure businesses can thrive and adapt to … the needs of employers while also looking at how residents and visitors interact with those type of businesses.”
The other major issue is protecting the environment. All five candidates also addressed water quality in their platforms.
“Our water, our environment truly is our economy in SWFL,” said Nicole Johnson, director of environment policy for the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.
Johnson said the state is currently looking at strengthening its rules to prevent stormwater run-off from polluting waterways.
Those waterways are a big draw in Naples, so protecting them is key, Johnson said.
“(Water pollution) is bad for the environment, but it also impact economy,” Johnson said. “It’s bad for tourism. It impacts both large and small businesses. It’s critically, critically important that the city, the county and the state address the stormwater pollution issues.”
Even though the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce deals with businesses, Buzzacco-Foerster said water quality if one of their top priorities.
“We see it as economic issue,” she said. “People come here because of the natural resources. If we don’t have clean water, it means we’re not getting the visitors and tourists. People will look elsewhere and it will impact our businesses.”
