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Tell the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to Protect our Water Quality

"One of my top priorities has always been to improve our water quality. Through the years I have been an extremely outspoken advocate for our local waterways.  Over the course of the past several months, the Army Corps of Engineers has been working on various options for management of Lake Okeechobee, including how and how much water to release to the Caloosahatchee River. This plan is known as the Lake Okeechobee Systems Operation Manual (LOSOM).

The LOSOM plan is required by Congress to incorporate “flood control, water supply, recreation, navigation, environmental effects to fish and wildlife, and cultural and recreational resources”. It also must take into consideration future Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) projects, which will provide additional flexibility in the management of the Lake. LOSOM will replace the Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule (LORS), which went into effect in 2008 and has resulted in devastating releases to both the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries.

Recently, the Army Corps announced their preferred plan (“Alternative CC”).  This plan will result in even more harmful discharges into the Caloosahatchee than we experienced under LORS. I never thought I’d wait 13 years for a schedule that would be even worse for our community. Not only does Alternative CC increase discharges to our estuaries, it also significantly favors the East Coast by reducing flows into the St Lucie River, at our expense. It is equally disturbing to see some local environmental groups supporting this plan when it clearly benefits the East Coast while putting us on the receiving end of additional devastating levels of Lake Okeechobee discharges.

We have the ability advocate for modifications to be made, and I intend to lead the charge in this fight. It is critical that we reduce harmful discharges to our coast during the rainy season when algal blooms are most likely. The Army Corps has the capacity to balance flows to both coasts as well as utilize the additional storage capacity in Lake Okeechobee that nearly $2 billion has bought us in repairs to the Herbert Hoover Dike. There is no reason that we should bear the brunt of the effects from discharges. If this plan is not modified, it will affect our quality of life, real estate values, and our entire local economy.

Ultimately, this is about our community, our children, and grandchildren, and you can count on me to work relentlessly to protect what we hold dear."

Kevin is a firm believer in low taxes and limited regulations and has a proven track record to show for it. As Sanibel Mayor, he substantially lowered taxes and decreased debt while simultaneously building the city’s reserves. Conservative principles work, and we can count on Kevin to always put those principles into action on the Lee County Commission.

As Lee County grows, building the infrastructure projects that facilitate growth without reducing our quality of life or wasting taxpayer dollars is critical. Kevin supports investing in projects that meet the increasing needs of our residents and businesses while preparing Lee County for the future that lies ahead.

Thanks to a science-based approach backed by conservative principles, Lee County is beating the COVID-19 virus. Kevin supported Governor DeSantis' plan to ensure our Seniors and most vulnerable were first in line to get a vaccine. He helped develop an extraordinarily efficient distribution infrastructure and advocated for more vaccine doses in our community. Kevin will also fight against any attempt to shut down our economy ever again.

Kevin is a strong believer in the rule of law and the government's responsibility to protect its citizens. That's why he has always supported our brave first responders and law enforcement officers, and we can always trust him to oppose any attempt to defund our law enforcement agencies.

Southwest Florida’s quality of our water is intricately tied to our quality of life and economy. That's why Kevin has a long record of accomplishments advocating at the local, state and Federal levels for clean water policy and critical funds for restoration and preservation projects. Now as a member of the Lee County Commission, Kevin is continuing this fight!

Our economy is the engine of prosperity on which our county runs. As a businessman Kevin understands that the heavy hand of government can negatively impact our economy. We can trust Kevin to keep the government out of the way of economic growth so our local businesses can create jobs and grow our economy, resulting in greater prosperity for our entire community.

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