2024 was a year of pros and cons for Collier County and its cities.
The 101st year for the city of Naples and Collier County marked a turning point. As the political climate turned nasty nationwide, it trickled down locally, ending in political action committees injecting false information and mudslinging into the city of Naples’ elections.
For the first time in the city’s history, PACs inserted themselves into the mayoral race, spreading negative and false information. Voters received not only mailers but texts from several PACs, including one that led to complaints filed with the county Supervisor of Elections.
The March 19 three-way mayoral race pitted incumbent Mayor Teresa Heitmann against then-City Councilman Ted Blankenship and Gary Price, a former councilman and vice mayor, who ran on a property-rights platform with Bill “Coach” Kramer, Berne Barton and Tony Perez-Benitoa, who were aiming for three open council seats.
Also running were political newcomers Garey Cooper and Nicholas Del Rosso and former council member Linda Penniman, who stepped down in 2019 to spend more time with her husband because he had health problems.
In the end, the races were so close, they were decided by the Collier County Canvassing Board, with machine and manual counts determining Heitmann won over Price by 22 votes, 3,269 to 3,247. Price received more than twice the monetary contributions that Heitmann drew, while Blankenship put more of his own money into his race than any other candidate. Penniman, Barton and Kramer also won.
The mudslinging and money spent were so unusual it spawned a book by Penniman’s husband, Nicholas, who authored Gutter Politics to detail how more than $500,000 in contributions from outside Naples tried to sway voters.
Countywide races also got heated, with usually unopposed races attracting several candidates, as well as “ghost” write-in candidates and others who closed primaries to only Republicans. That prompted thousands of voters to switch parties so they could choose a candidate in the primaries.
The hottest race was for the Supervisor of Elections — a seat contested only once before, in 1980. Jennifer Edwards, who retired in April 2023 after 23 years, tapped her deputy, Melissa Blazier, an 18-year employee, to take over, and the governor then appointed Blazier.
Two Republicans challenged Blazier: Realtor Tim Guerrette, an Air Force veteran who retired as chief of operations for the Sheriff’s Office, and Dave Schaffel, an information-technology entrepreneur backed by co-Republican State Committeeman Alfie Oakes and the Collier County Republican Executive Committee.
To close the primary to only Republican voters, Realtor Edward Gubala filed to run as an independent against Edwards in the general election. It seemed likely from Gubala’s past social media posts that he backed Guerrette and wanted to help him. The race brought in some mudslinging, but on Sept. 4, Gubala backed out just in time to remove the race from the Nov. 4 general election ballot and secure Blazier’s post.
Rick LoCastro
Commissioner falsely accused
District 1 County Commissioner Rick LoCastro, a retired Air Force colonel, was seeking his second term, but in February he was charged with battery involving a girlfriend he’d dated only a handful of times.
Marco Island resident Eden Looney, who had previously served probation for drunken driving, said he threw her into bushes after breaking up with her at a Naples restaurant. LoCastro said she’d had too many drinks and was intoxicated and had ripped his pants, and he broke up with her at the restaurant. While he was driving her home, she opened the car door. He pulled to the side of the road, where she stumbled on pavers in her high heels and fell into a bush.
In a call to 911, Looney could be heard screaming at LoCastro over the breakup. Afterward, she repeatedly called and texted him, begging him to get back together, but he refused. She reported a second battery charge, but the prosecutor, appointed from outside the county, refused to prosecute the second case.
Despite evidence provided by defense attorney Donald Day that indicated Looney had lied and made similar false accusations against other boyfriends and her ex-husband, the prosecutor refused to drop the charge. That was until Sept. 24, when Looney refused to be deposed by Day, who planned to question her about prior false accusations.
By that time, LoCastro had spent more than $40,000 defending himself. Weeks later, LoCastro won by a landslide, winning 95% of the vote over a write-in candidate. The false charge has been expunged from court records, and LoCastro is looking into legal options to protect other men from similar vindictive false accusations by Looney.
Teresa Heitmann
Naples mayor charged with DUI
At about 10:45 p.m. Aug. 28, Mayor Teresa Heitmann was arrested on a DUI charge after homeowners on the 500 block of 16th Avenue South reported that a silver Porsche nearly drove through a stop sign, causing them to slam on their brakes. They said the driver started tailgating them and followed them home, flashing lights and parked outside their home, where the driver confronted them.
They called police after the driver claimed to be the mayor, seemed drunk and urged them to call police because “nothing will happen.”
When an officer arrived, Heitmann told him the couple had cut her off in a roundabout on her way home. Heitmann, who was wearing high heels, failed the sobriety test and was arrested. She agreed to take a Breathalyzer test at the jail, where she registered a .155% and .169% blood-alcohol level, double the .08% definition of drunken driving. The case is pending in Collier County Court, where she has a pre-trial conference on Jan. 22.
Marco Island election upset
On Marco Island, where a council seat remains open, four challengers won City Council seats in November, ousting two incumbents and filling two vacant seats. Stephen Gray, Bonita Schwan, Deb Henry and Tamara Goehler won, ousting incumbents Rich Blonna and Becky Irwin. The election upset came after months of false accusations and divisiveness, often pitting business owners against residents, especially during a controversial bus trolley service that passed.
The winners joined Vice Chair Erik Brechnitz and Councilor Palumbo on the dais, but due to repeated tie votes, Council could not name a chair and vice chair in November or December.
In January, they’ll vote to appoint one of four candidates to a seat vacated by Councilor Greg Folley, who was required to resign Nov. 5 after a bid for the State House District 81 seat. He lost to Yvette Benarroch in the August primary.
Alfie Oakes
Feds raid Alfie Oakes’ properties
Two days after the general election, in what Republicans branded a political move, federal agents from the United States Secret Service, Defense Criminal Investigative Services and IRS stormed Trump supporter Alfie Oakes’ home in Villages of Monterey and his produce packing business on New Harvest Road in Immokalee. Feds said the investigation is continuing. DCIS probes focus on Department of Defense contracts, and over the years, Oakes’ contracts totaled about $275 million.
Fluoride removed
In February, the Board of County Commissioners agreed to stop fluoridating county water after a push by many residents. And last month, the city of Naples agreed to stop fluoridating public water after repeated public demands to protect residents’ health, especially children and the elderly. Neither Marco Island nor Everglades City ever fluoridated their water.
After the vote, Dr. Johnny Johnson Jr., a pediatric dentist and president of the American Fluoridation Society, predicted cavities would rise or proponents would seek another vote — and he’d be asked to help again, as has happened in other communities.
Workforce housing on the rise
In March, a nonprofit, The Housing Alliance, was launched to serve as a one-stop shop for affordable housing contractors, as well as residents seeking workforce and affordable housing. It’s an affiliate of Collier County Community Land Trust and the Housing Development Corporation of Southwest Florida, which does business as HELP.
Throughout the year, there was a boom in affordable workforce housing, with grand openings, new construction and numerous approvals, many of which represented affordable housing within larger developments, a strategy to gain increased density.
The biggest player is Miami-based McDowell Housing Partners, which formed several public-private partnerships with Collier County under a 99-year land lease. In October, McDowell opened Ekos Allegro, a 160-apartment complex for fixed-income seniors and veterans. It was made possible by a $1.3 million loan from Collier Community Foundation’s Collier Housing Impact Investment Fund, which covered impact and utility connection fees.
Many complexes focused on seniors, veterans and essential-services personnel, but some employers are building for their own employees. The former Super 8 Naples hotel will be transformed into 110 furnished apartments primarily for Moorings Park employees, with 33 reserved for affordable housing. North Naples-based medical-device manufacturer Arthrex plans to build 41 furnished rentals, transitional corporate housing on Palm River Boulevard in North Naples to make it easier to attract and retain employees.
Earlier this month, county commissioners granted the developer of Fiddler’s Creek in East Naples approval to move forward with a plan to add 750 apartments, including affordable workforce housing, but nearby residents are still fighting back and the development faces state and federal hurdles.
In January, Tamiami Trail Greenway Road MPUD, a 300-home apartment complex with 90 income-restricted affordable units planned for East Naples, will go before the Board of County Commissioners for approval.
Hurricanes set area back again
Hurricane Ian recovery efforts were nearing completion nearly two years following the storm, when the Naples area was hit by Tropical Storm Debbie on Aug. 4 and Hurricane Idalia on Aug. 30, followed by Hurricane Helene on Sept. 26 and Hurricane Milton on Oct. 9-10.
Helene slammed Naples during high tides, but tides were higher during Milton. At city and county parks, storm surge pushed sand off beaches onto benches, grassy areas, and streets, with some piles reaching nearly 5 feet high, undoing the cleanup just completed after Helene.
Hurricane Milton caused $280 million in damage to residential and commercial properties and government infrastructure in unincorporated Collier County, but that number doesn’t include ongoing costs involving infrastructure, stormwater management, maintenance and cleanout.
The Naples Press contributed this story.
