Bill Taylor: Candidate for Lee County Commissioner, District 2

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following is an interview conducted via questionnaire by The News-Press with Lee County election candidates for their respective races. All of the answers were submitted to The News-Press by the candidate and are available to our readers to show the candidates' position and priorities on the issues.

Candidate name: Bill Taylor

Political position sought: Lee County Commissioner, District 2

Occupation: Producing Artistic Director
Theatre Conspiracy at the Alliance for the Arts

Education: 

Edison Community College AA

Residence: Fort Myers

Why are you running for this office?

When I originally got into this race my top priorities were to create an intelligent plan for growth in Lee County through preservation and protection of our natural resources and unique communities (Alva, Bayshore, Olga, Buckingham etc.), increase impact fees to 100% of the recommended rate and making workforce housing a priority.  Now? Clean water. Creating a plan to address nutrient overload in our waters that is causing this Blue Green Algae outbreak. We can point fingers at the state and feds all we want but we have to address how Lee County Contributes to that problem. It is not just releases from Lake O. We have to clean up our own backyard.

What makes you stand out from your opponent(s)?

I will be a representative of the people and their will, not a politician. When 84% of the voters approve a tax on themselves to purchase conservation land (Conservation 20/20) and the politician that is supposed to represent them raids that money from the fund (about 150 million to date) to pay general fund expenses, that is wrong. 
When the County hires experts to tell them how much we need to charge in impact fees for new development and then your politician votes against what the expert recommends that is wrong.
When you have an area of Lee County where we get the majority of our clean drinking water and that is named "Density Reduction/Ground Water Resource area" and your politician continually votes to allow 10 times the recommended density in that area threatening our access to clean water, that is wrong.
I will be a representative for you, not special interests. We live in paradise, we need to take care of it.

Previous elective office/ elective office experience:

N/A

Do you have a criminal record? Have you ever been found to have committed any other civil or ethical violations? 

1983 I had a DUI. I have 3 traffic violations
In 2009 I believe I was doing 48 in a 40 zone
In 2011 I was pulled over because I had a hole in my taillight and could not find my registration and in 2013 I had the wrong insurance card in my glove box.

Would the state of your health impede you from serving in this position?

No

What are your three most important priorities if you are elected or re-elected?

Priority 1     Solve algae crisis through reduction of nutrients
Priority 2     Create an intelligent plan for growth in Lee County
Priority 3     Raise impact fees for new development

How would you implement Priority 1?

Develop a nutrient mitigation management plan for the County. Start with inspections of the Lee County wastewater plants.  Serious contamination has been created and for decades has been ongoing by several facilities owned and operated by Lee County Utilities.  A Lee County Waste Water Utility Plant on Pine Island has been discharging wastewater contaminated with high levels of arsenic and nutrients on a 20/20 Conservation site from a Lee County Spray Field they have utilized for years. 
The Lee County Utilities Fort Myers Beach Waste Water Treatment Plant off Summerlin Road has been discharging large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorous into the Caloosahatchee and Estero watersheds via Cow Slough, another 20/20 Conservation property for decades.  First investigated by the FBI and Dept. of Justice 30 years ago, it is still occurring today as documented by a recently uncovered report paid for by Lee County.  The wastewater from the Plant flows into the Caloosahatchee River and the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve feeding the harmful algae and red tide blooms the County needs to be fighting.   
Talk to scientists for the best ways to identify sources of nutrients and how to stop them. Other ideas include: Require septic tank inspections every 5 years. Promote “Florida friendly landscapes”. Expand the ban on fertilizers to May through October 31 including a ban on the sale of it during that time.

How would you implement Priority 2?

Steps for intelligent growth:
Establish a “development area map” that identifies key areas for future growth while establishing areas that will be protected from growth and remain rural or protected.
Focus high-density, mixed-use development along our primary transportation corridors, while preserving open space, natural beauty and existing residential neighborhoods.
Eliminate sprawl by directing development towards existing communities where the County Water System already exists. Thereby decreasing the need for septic tanks.
Immediately address water flow issues that have plagued Island Park, Bonita and Bayshore.
Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions
Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place. Estero has done a great job at this.
Create walkable neighborhoods. 
Create a plan for a “Lee loop”. A pedestrian/bike path that will connect communities and neighborhoods throughout the County.
Create a range of housing opportunities and choices. Workforce housing needs to be a priority.
Team with the largest employers in the County to include workforce housing as they expand and grow. Margaritaville is doing this as part of their plan for Fort Myers Beach. They should be set as an example of what to do!!!

How would you implement Priority 3?

Create a persuasive argument that will attract 2 other board members to my side.

Do you support open records and open meetings laws? Would you ever support any exemptions to the public's right to access information? Would you support efforts to expand these laws?

I support open records and open meetings. As a matter of fact the County needs to adjust one of it's rules. If a member of the public does not speak at a Hearing Examiner meeting (Rezoning, Variances etc) then that person can not address the Board of County Commissioners at their meeting on that subject. That is wrong.

I can not think of an instance where I would support exemptions to the public's right to access information.

I would need to know the specific effort to expand the law in order to know if I would agree with it.

Do you support drug testing of elected officials? Why or why not?

I do not support random drug testing anywhere. I can be more of a Libertarian on this type of issue. What people do in private or outside of a job is not anyone's business. If there is a cause for concern during business hours then I could be persuaded. I do not support random drug tests for workers.

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