MARCO ISLAND, Fla. — The U.S. federal government may have officially renamed the 'Gulf of Mexico' to the 'Gulf of America', but Marco Island officials have yet to decide how to respond to the change.
Despite the federal designation by the Trump administration, local signage, maps, and the city’s official website still refer to the body of water as the Gulf of Mexico. City leaders are now considering whether they need to update official references.
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City Manager Michael McNess acknowledged the complexity of the issue, telling Fox 4 in an email: “I'm not qualified to say what effect a presidential executive order has on us related to an issue like this.” He added "All I can say is that none of these issues have come up at the local level until today."
Newly elected City Council Member Bonita Schwan supports the city officially recognizing the Gulf of America but said council would need to make some assessments before any formal changes are made.
“I plan to request that staff analyze how many plaques, maps, and signs would need to be changed,” Schwan said. “We also need to determine the cost of implementing the change at the city level," she explained.
The renaming has sparked mixed reactions among visors and residents. Some welcome the change as a patriotic move, embracing the new designation.
“Absolutely, the Gulf of America!” said Trish and Jerry Berry enthusiastically when asked about the name of the gulf. "It's a show of pride and country," Jerry added.
Others, however, feel the change is unnecessary and even confusing. “I think calling it the Gulf of America is ridiculous,” said Brian Doyle who was spending his afternoon at South Beach. "I don't understand the importance of changing that, it's an ego thing" he added.
Councilor Schwan said she intends to bring up the issue at the next city council meeting on February 18th.
