The makeup of Punta Gorda City Council has been relatively stable over the last quarter century, with few challengers to incumbents. That is until recently when adopted Land Development Regulations, development plans and a proposed new multimillion-dollar City Hall building created an outcry among residents.
The pushback resulted in the defeat of three incumbents seeking reelection Nov. 5.
Jeannine Polk (District 1), Gregory Julian (District 2) and Janis Denton (District 4), unseated council members Donna Peterman, Vice Mayor Bill Dryburgh and Mayor Lynne Matthews, respectively.
“The changes the incumbents made to our LDRs and the massive waste of our tax dollars on the City Hall motivated me to step up and do something about it,” Julian said.
The city has been planning to build a $16 million City Hall building in its current flood zone site, which has drawn criticism from members of the community. The current City Hall building has remained closed since it sustained damage from Hurricane Ian in 2022.
“We need to focus on our infrastructure to fix the most pressing issues for our city. Recovery from the recent hurricanes is the first priority,” Julian said.
The joyful vibe amongst Denton, Polk and Julian supporters Nov. 5 at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s in Punta Gorda contrasted with that of the feeling at Leroy’s Southern Kitchen, where Dryburgh and Matthews could not be reached for comment. At another location nearby, Peterman, who could not be reached for comment, held court at a small gathering.
Dissent among residents increased several years ago after the former owner of Fishermen’s Village, Jon Larmore, planned a large hotel and condo complex at the iconic tourist attraction site, a favorite among locals since it was built in 1980.
The city revised its development plans to allow more density and taller structures, resulting in protest among residents, particularly those living in the city’s downtown district. Many residents said they didn’t want Punta Gorda to become a city resembling Naples or Fort Myers.
One of the first champions of pushing back on plans for increased development was Polk, whose husband Mike Polk is a sixth-generation resident. Polk, who garnered 59.53% of the vote against Peterman, and her husband were figureheads in a grassroots movement that resulted in a tidal wave of support from others living in Punta Gorda neighborhoods.
The group wanted someone to represent their interests and convinced resident Debi Lux to run for City Council. Lux, a former dentist and Navy veteran, garnered nearly 72% of the vote in 2023 when she ran against incumbent Mark Kuharski.
From then on, momentum snowballed among those wishing for a change in government.
Julian, who secured 52.11% of the vote against Dryburgh, said the determining factor for his and the other candidates’ decision to run came after the current administration “increased the density allowance from 15 units per acre to 50 units per acre, which would allow large and inconsistent development in our downtown.”
Denton defeated Matthews with 53.85% of the vote. Matthews has served on Council since 2016.
