The Santiva Chronicle publishes opinions and letters on topics that are important to Sanibel and Captiva. They may be submitted via e-mail at news@santivachronicle.com. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the Santiva Chronicle.
To the editor;
We should all be pleased and encouraged that Mike Miller is a candidate for the Sanibel City Council. Mike brings a rare combination of qualifications that we need on the council now.
In many respects Sanibel is and hopefully will remain the small town contemplated in the Sanibel Vision Statement. We don’t have chain stores, fast food restaurants or high rise hotels on the beach — but we’re not the same Sanibel we used to be either. Sanibel now has a $60 million plus annual budget, millions of dollars in pension liability, capitol projects, voted debt to manage and operating expenses to pay. On top of that we’re facing an ongoing threat to our water quality, a pandemic that is out of control and the prospect of rising sea levels caused by climate change.
That’s what members of the city council face. In addition to having a sincere commitment to the values of the Sanibel Plan and Vision Statement, today’s candidate should possess the background and skills necessary to address these challenges — and Mike Miller has them:
He’s a lawyer admitted to practice in Florida, a Certified Public Accountant and Chartered Financial Analyst. He also holds an M.B.A from the University of Michigan. He served as vice president chief / senior financial corporate officer for a “Fortune 100” company and as vice president and tax counsel to another.
During his twenty or so years as a Sanibel resident Mike has been deeply involved in civic and charitable affairs. To cite just a few of his accomplishments — Mike was President of Committee of the Islands, President of the Sanibel Bicycle Club, Vice Chair of the Parks & Recreation City Advisory Committee, member of the City Budget Advisory Committee, volunteer for F.I.S.H. and the United Way tax assistance and legal document preparation program. He’s also provided pro bono legal services in the Florida 20th Judicial Circuit.
And that’s not all. How many people do you know who attend just about all city council meetings and read the agenda materials? I do and I can vouch for the fact that Mike Miller does as well. That gives him a familiarity with the challenges facing the city that can only come from being there and participating. He doesn’t just talk the talk — he walks the walk about Sanibel city government and that will enable him be an effective city council member from day one.
Being a productive member of the Sanibel City Council is a demanding job — not just in terms of the level of commitment required but the skills that are required to govern effectively. By his educational and professional background and his past accomplishments on Sanibel Mike Miller has demonstrated that he is the right person for the job. He’ll have my vote on March 2.
Larry Schopp
Sanibel resident
Leave a Comment