Council member announces mayoral bid
Cape Coral City Councilmember Rana Erbrick says she will to run for mayor in the 2017 election.
The seat is currently held by Marni Sawicki, whose efforts regarding the city’s charter school system were both praised and sharply criticized this week.
“It is increasingly apparent that Mayor Sawicki does not serve the best interest of the majority of citizens,” Erbick said in a prepared statement announcing her candidacy. “The tirades from the City Council dais, the inability to separate personal life issues from her public persona, the refusal to admit a mistake, the continuing lack of decorum, and the vilification of those who disagree are all placing not just her, but the entire City of Cape Coral in a negative light. The City’s dealings with other entities at the municipal, county and state level have suffered as a result.
“Cape Coral is a city on the verge of greatness and it deserves better governance and better representation than the current mayor has provided,” she added.
Erbrick has served on the Cape Coral City Council for five years, running unopposed for her second term for the non-partisan seat. She says she has “already established excellent relationships with other local and state officials, and has made herself available to listen to people and respond with help and advice.”
A registered Republican who describes herself as conservative, Erbrick said she could “help to refocus city government on areas that matter to more people…” As examples she cited:
* To help business and industry thrive in order to grow and improve job opportunities, keep more of our retail spending inside the city, and truly diversify our tax base.
* To successfully conclude the negotiations with LCEC to establish an arrangement that is favorable to Cape Coral ratepayers.
* To change the mindset that taxes must increase every year in order to continue or expand the level of city services.
“It’s time to end the drama, distractions and inflammatory rhetoric and restore dignity to the Mayor’s office,” Erbrick concluded in her announcement statement.