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Naples council rescinds ranked-ballot rule, debates airport appointments and noise policy
Summary
After a contentious, hours-long debate over whether to rescind a 2020 resolution requiring rank-ordered ballots for advisory-board appointments, Naples City Council rescinded the rule and used a new discussion-plus-ballot process to appoint members to the Naples Airport Authority. Council members framed the fight as one over transparency, public trust and how appointees should address noise and safety concerns at the municipal airport.
Mayor Theresa Heitman and the Naples City Council spent the morning and early afternoon discussing how the city picks appointees for the Naples Airport Authority and ultimately approved new commissioners after changing the selection method.
Council discussion began when staff presented item 11B, to appoint two commissioners to the Naples Airport Authority. Several council members said the rank-ordered-ballot process adopted in 2020 had become politicized and left some residents feeling the outcome was engineered; others said rescinding the resolution risked introducing ad-hoc bargaining. City Attorney Matthew McConnell told council the resolution is in effect but can be rescinded by council motion and vote and described an alternative method the charter officers had prepared to ensure an orderly selection.
Council members made a series of points about the airport's future and the role of…
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