Bill Barnett shares Naples Potpourri and Making a Difference

It’s Your Chance to Make a Difference

December is the time of year that seems to be here and gone. I hope all of you had a Happy Hanukkah and a Merry Christmas plus any other holidays that you celebrate! Happy New Year! As 2026 rolls in, The City of Naples is getting ready for a City Council Election in February that will definitely have an impact on the future of our city. In my last article for December, I endorsed three candidates that I felt would make great additions to our Council. Politics are always changing and between that article and now there was one noticeable change. My candidate Daija Hinojosa has withdrawn in order to back candidate Dan Barone and become his Campaign Manager. Daija will be a good candidate when her time comes to run for office in the future. There are eight candidates for THREE council seats at the time of this writing, and we started with nine.

The biggest issue of all is getting out to vote. We have no excuses other than sheer laziness for not voting next month, February 3rd. You are the ones that will help shape our city for the future! We can’t use any of the following excuses for not voting: I got caught in that snowstorm, I got stuck and couldn’t get out of my driveway, my snowblower wouldn’t start, too much ice on the trees, it’s way too cold, the roads are too slippery, and I can’t deal with the wind chill! I know there are more, but you can’t use them in sunny Naples, Florida. I’m not saying there aren’t valid reasons for not being able to vote, but this year there is no early voting, so it just takes a little more preparation. It’s just not the importance of getting out to vote. It’s equally important to do a little homework and check these candidates out. They will all have brochures explaining why they are suited to be elected. You literally can’t just look at a pretty campaign brochure and say, “Oh he or she looks like they would be a good choice”. Believe it or not I have seen it happen, and it leads to a rough couple of years after the election and you realize this candidate is miles away from being who he or she is based on that brochure.

Anyone who lives in the City of Naples and follows city politics realizes just how important February 3rd, 2026, election day in The City of Naples is and just how important it is to pick the right candidates for this election. Our city is in a critical state with projects waiting to be completed that just go back and forth and progress has been stagnant because consensus among council members is just not there. Don’t get me wrong, we do have some good Council members on our Council, however they are in the minority way too much and that will change with this election, and you have the opportunity to put the new candidates in the majority.

It’s rare that I am repetitive when I do my articles because there is always something going on in Naples and Collier County. However, I will repeat the two candidates that I endorsed in last month’s Life in Naples and I have added a candidate who I think will be a terrific addition to our City Council. His name is John Langley, and I have had the chance to meet him and I’m fortunate to have known a member of his family for many years. There is no doubt in my mind that he is a true leader, family man, and totally committed to our Naples community. He has been a Naples resident since 2002, and rather than printing out a lengthy list of his many accomplishments, awards, and his community engagements in our City of Naples I would suggest that if you haven’t met him or had a chance to contact him, please do so. Since there are a multitude of candidate forums this month there is no reason not to attend at least one. In December’s Life in Naples, I wrote brief summaries of two candidates that I support. They are Candidate Dan Barone and Candidate and current Council member Ray Christman. Add John Langley to the list and the voters in the City of Naples will have done their homework and be pleased with the results! I have lived in the City of Naples for 53 years and I can say that this upcoming election is one of the most important elections that has ever occurred in the City. Please get out and VOTE!

I wish you all a Happy, Healthy New Year and how fortunate we are to live in Naples, Florida.

Naples

All the Best,
Bill Barnett, Former Mayor
239-777-7952
I do respond to e-mails at: mayornaples@gmail.com