To the editor:
My name is Jim Stevens, and I am going to run for a position in the Fort Myers Beach Independent Library Board.
I am married to Barbara, and we have six children and 10 grand children. I graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a marketing degree. In business life, I was in Real Estate for more than 35 years and was a partner in two companies.
We moved to Fort Myers Beach in 1995. During that time, I have been on the Board of the Strandview Condominium and a member of the Knight of Columbus, The Saint Vincent de Paul Counsel and the Notre Dame Club.
I was vice president of the Friends of the Beach Library for several years in the 1990s. I was in a focus group about the expansion of the Library (Cost and size was not mentioned), my wife and I are frequent patrons of the Library, and I have attended many board meetings and conference room activities,
In the fall of 2010, I became aware of the $2 million loan received before the Beach Library had a building permit, and the election of four board members without a competitive election. With a referendum and or a competitive election, there would have been a good chance of a different outcome on the extension.
To study these concerns, I called for a meeting and the Concerned Taxpayers of the Library of Fort Myers Beach was founded.
A fellow tennis player was a supporter of the expansion when I spoke to him some months ago. When I decided to run for the board, I asked him to vote for me. To my great surprise, he said he would because there should be balance on the board.
If you need more information, e-mail me at Jamesb26@hotmail.com.
Help me to help you, make your tax money count and also lower.
Jim Stevens
Fort Myers Beach
