Residents First: Protecting What Makes Marco Special

RESIDENTS FIRST: PROTECTING WHAT MAKES MARCO SPECIAL

To me, “Residents First” means caring for the people and wildlife that call Marco Island home. It means protecting the qualities that make Marco Island a wonderful place to live, supporting our wonderful local businesses, and preserving all the qualities that make visitors return here year after year.

There is nothing selfish about those goals, and there is nothing wrong with wanting to live in a peaceful, beautiful place. Clean waterways, safe neighborhoods, well-maintained parks, dependable infrastructure and small-town charm benefit everyone. Preserving them requires thoughtful decisions about how our island grows and how we balance the demands placed upon it.

We welcome visitors and want our local businesses to thrive. Our restaurants, shops, resorts and other businesses contribute to island life, provide valued services and help make Marco special. A healthy relationship between business and community strengthens both. Business growth should be applauded provided that it doesn't in some way damage the very qualities on which everyone depends.

That understanding is reflected in the vision Marco Island established years before this election. Our Strategic Plan envisions a great residential community with small-town charm. Our Comprehensive Plan guides decisions intended to protect our quality of life, natural environment and community character while accommodating residents, businesses and visitors.

These plans represent years of thought, public participation and decisions about the future we want for Marco. There is wisdom in honoring that work. It asks us to consider the whole community and the lasting consequences of each decision.

Marco has finite land, roads and infrastructure. An individual expansion may offer some benefits, but we also have to consider its effects on traffic, pedestrian safety, neighborhoods, water supply, public services and the environment. We must also consider how successive approvals add up over time. Following the Comprehensive Plan helps us evaluate those effects consistently and make wise, practical decisions with our established shared vision in view.

A successful business community and an exceptional quality of life depend on protecting the same island. When proposed growth would harm the community, we have a responsibility to recognize those limits and put the community’s long-term well-being first. Preserving what draws people here is not just important to the people who live on Marco; it is also essential to the lasting success of our businesses and the experience of our visitors.

Putting residents first means spending taxpayer dollars responsibly by basing major expenditures on documented needs, reliable numbers and long-term value. It means maintaining our infrastructure before neglected needs become expensive crises. It means taking practical, measurable action on clean water and planning responsibly for future utility needs.

It also means listening respectfully, addressing recurring community problems and defending residents’ rights to the peaceful enjoyment of their properties. It means encouraging residents to participate in City decisions, taking their concerns seriously and following through with meaningful action.

For me, the guiding question is simple: Will this decision protect and enhance Marco Island as a place to live, now and in the years ahead?

Keeping Marco special matters to our visitors, our businesses and, above all, the people who call this island home. That is the shared responsibility I am promoting when I say “Residents First.”

Thank you for caring for Marco,

- Teri

Learn more about Teri, her background, and her vision for a brighter future for all who call Marco Island home.

(C) 2026 Teri Sommerfeld
Political advertisement paid for and approved by Teri Sommerfeld, 2026 candidate for Marco Island City Council

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