Welcome to Pelican County 

Collier County's Urban Area West of 951          
Pelican County does not yet exist.  Instead, Collier County suffers from divisions between the urban corridor (where most of the current residents live and work) and the rural parts of the County (where most of the not yet moved here people will be coming.)  Somehow, Collier County officials are of the belief that their job is to look out for the interests of the "not yet moved here."  The ugly truth is that the citizens of the urban corridor are forced to subsidize the newcomers.  While years ago everyone in the County benefited from growth in the form of new opportunities for shopping, living, eating, education and entertainment -- these benefits have "max'd out" for our existing residents.  Yes the newcomers will see benefits -- but only through subsidies provided by those who are already here.  Growth is now a cancer in our midst ... a cancer which if not vigorously addressed will take over our lives. To solve this problem, we  need to split Collier County into two counties -- an urban county located west of 951 and everything else.  This is the initial web site of Pelican County.

Note:  Michael Lissack is running for the Collier County Comission from District 2 without party affiliation.  Pelican County is an integral part of his campaign platform and this website is NOT affiliiated in any way with Collier County, Florida.
For Michael's Latest Campaign Update Please Click Here
What will Pelican County Do About Affordable Housing?  Click Here
Why do we need Pelican County?

click on the pictures below  (each opens a movie)
see Halas discuss the problem      The Problem  
see Lissack discuss the answer     the answer


Michael Lissack is running to restore a sense of perspective to Collier County’s government.  Our present commissioners are focused on the needs of the nearly 700,000 people who are expected to move here over the next 25 years.  Lissack is focused on the needs of the perhaps 50,000 people who today live in District 2.

 

There is no reason why we are required to pay taxes to support growth.  Let the 700,000 strangers pay for themselves.  We do not need the Vanderbilt Beach Road Extension.   We do not need highways to move traffic to and from Route 29.  We do not need additional beach access.  They do.  But we are being forced to pay for it.  It is time to say no.  We need to take a breather. It is time to have a state-allowed one-year moratorium on new projects and on new construction to give us time to focus on what we want Collier to be. We need to work backwards from OUR vision and not allow the random plans of developers to determine how WE live. Perhaps, just perhaps, if we do not build it, they will not come.

 
We can cut our property tax bill by more than 20% if we stop paying for growth.  Let growth pay for itself via tax increment financing.

 
We can restore our government’s focus if we acknowledge that the area west of 75 is urban and that the concerns of an urban area differ from those of a rural area.  It is time to split the County into two – a urban Pelican County and a rural Collier.  Collier County has a rural government – and its urban needs are ill served by the present system.

 
Michael Lissack is running to restore sanity to Collier County, to create an urban Pelican County and to stop the madness of taxing present residents to pay for the needs of people who are not yet living here.  Lissack will cut taxes 20%.    No other candidate will.

 

A vote for Lissack on November 7 is a vote for sanity. 
Let's keep our county from becoming another Broward County. 
Vote Pelican.
Where is Pelican County?
   
Pelican County Highlights

 



Pelican County is a vibrant urban area located next to the Gulf of Mexico.  Pelican County has nearly 200,000 residents who are blessed with miles of sandy beaches, incredible weather, a myriad of shopping and dining options, a thriving arts scene, excellent health care and the best in outdoor recreational activities.  Our schools are second to none in Florida.  We have a service-based economy.

Pelican County experienced rapid growth from 1960 to 2005.  During this period the population expanded more than five-fold as did the opportunities afforded our residents.  Today, Pelican County places its highest emphasis on improving the quality of life of our existing residents.  Growth can be a threat to that quality of life.  Accordingly, the County has adopted, as a matter of public policy, a standard which simply states "No Growth Unless the Infrastructure is Paid for."  Developers wishing to build in Pelican County will not receive rezonings unless they agree to fully fund the roads, sidewalks, parks, and sewers needed to accommodate their project.  There is one exception:  Pelican County will facilitate the construction of "above the store" second and third floor residential rental spaces to assist our working population in having access to quality housing here in Pelican.

Improving the quality of life is the overriding public policy goal of Pelican County. When Pelican County was formed many of the required services for Collier County were "left behind".  Pelican County agreed to pay the new smaller Collier County a one-time payment to allow the smaller Collier to build a new library, county center, regional park, and health services center.  The creation of Pelican led to a major improvement in services offered to the Collier County residents. Only a fractions of the hundreds of millions of dollars which Pelican County residents saved by no longer being forced to subsidize development in the rest of Collier was used to fund this payment. More importantly, monies which would otherwise have gone to developer subsidies were used to improve the quality of life of existing Collier County residents.

The Pelican County Charter can be found here.
How can Pelican County come to be?

On November 7, Collier County voters elect Michael Lissack as the Commissioner from District 2.  Lissack immediately seeks a referendum on the question of creating Pelican County.  He honors his campaign promise to the voters "until there is a scheduled referendum on the Pelican County question, I shall vote "present" on all Commission matters.  After a short while his fellow commissioners agree to respect the wishes of the voters of District 2.  The referendum is held and the affected voters approve of Pelican County by more than a two-thirds majority.  The Collier Commissioners respecting the expressed wishes of the voters submit  home rule legilsation to the legislature calling for the division of Collier County.  After spirited debate, the legislation is approved.  Pelican County is established on June 1, 2008.

Where Michael Stands On Issues

ABC7 and NBC2 asked questions of the candidates.  My responses follow:


1) What is the biggest issue facing the county and what is your plan to manage that issue?


Collier County suffers from divisions between the urban corridor (where most of the current residents live and work) and the rural parts of the County (where most of the not yet moved here people will be coming.)  Somehow, Collier County officials are of the belief that their job is to look out for the interests of the "not yet moved here."  The ugly truth is that the citizens of the urban corridor are forced to subsidize the newcomers.  While years ago everyone in the County benefited from growth in the form of new opportunities for shopping, living, eating, education and entertainment -- these benefits have "max'd out" for our existing residents.  Yes the newcomers will see benefits -- but only through subsidies provided by those who are already here.  To solve this problem, we  need to split Collier County into two counties -- an urban county located west of 951 and everything else.


2) One of the major issues facing Collier County, according to many voters, is traffic. What is your plan to help mitigate traffic in the county?


Freeze new building until we get the roads caught up, with exceptions only for affordable housing, already permitted construction, renovations, and projects where the developer agrees to install needed roads first before commencing the construction of homes/retail/offices (ground prep etc is ok).


3) Affordable housing for middle class, working families is very hard to find in Collier County. What is your plan to address that need?


The issue is land cost.  Collier County needs to change its regulations to encourage the construction of rental affordable housing above parking lots (such construction would count as zero coverage with regard to density).  This one change could solve the affordable housing problem.


4) Many voters are unhappy with the Vanderbilt Beach Road extension. If you are elected, do you support taking and demolishing existing homes to expand roads?


I support killing the Vanderbilt Beach Road extension.  The approved road is a travesty and a rip-off of both taxpayers and the Estates community.


5) Do you consider yourself a pro-development or pro-environment candidate?


Bad Question. We can have development which is respectful of the environment.  Our problem is too much development, too fast, with too little planning.  We need a development moratorium as outlined above -- Freeze new building until we get the roads caught up, with exceptions only for affordable housing, already permitted construction, renovations, and projects where the developer agrees to install needed roads first before commencing the construction of homes/retail/offices (ground prep etc is ok).

This PelicanCounty.com website is a paid political advertisement by Michael Lissack, NPA candidate for Collier County Commissioner  District 2.  This site was approved by Michael R. Lissack.