WEEK OF JULY 24, 2024
VOLUME 62, NUMBER 36
Fund and memorial City council caps tax rate organized for islander, teacher for next year By TIFFANY REPECKI
By TIFFANY REPECKI
A remembrance gathering is planned for an island teacher and resident who passed away unexpectedly earlier this month, and a fund has been set up to help her family with the funeral expenses and associated costs. Lauren E. Stahowiak, 32, of Sanibel, passed on July 1. Born in Warwick, Rhode Island, she was the daughter of Robert E. Stahowiak and wife Lesley and Pamela A. (Garganese) Stahowiak, of Warwick. Stahowiak was a fifth-grade teacher at The Sanibel School and past Golden Apple Teacher nominee. “Lauren was very close to her family and absolutely loved being a fifth-grade teacher,” the family shared in her obituary. “She was very devoted to her job and looked forward to seeing and teaching her 'kids' every day, and Lauren went above and beyond by tutoring in the afternoons after school.” Stahowiak is survived by: her parents; sisters, Megan N. (Austin) Alvares of Warwick and Olivia M. Stahowiak of Warwick; stepbrother, Nicholas Galego of Riverside, Rhode Island; and nephew and niece, Camden and Avery Alvares.
After being presented with the city's draft budget by staff, the Sanibel City Council approved the not-to-exceed millage rate and first budget hearing for fiscal year 2024-25 during its recent meeting. On July 16, the council voted unanimously 5-0 on a resolution to advise the Lee County property appraiser of a proposed operating millage rate of 2.500 mills — the same as the current fiscal year — as well as a rolled-back rate of 2.4848 mills and a proposed aggregate millage rate of 2.6369 mills. It included a millage levy for the sewer voted debt service of 0.0169 mills and a millage levy for the recreation center voted debt service of 0.1200 mills. Proposed aggregate taxes levied are $11,650,054. The millage rate can be lowered during the upcoming budget process but not raised. See TAX RATE, page 7
trepecki@breezenewspapers.com
trepecki@breezenewspapers.com
IslanderInsIde
See FUND, page 20 Island resident and The Sanibel School fifth-grade teacher Lauren Stahowiak, center, passed away on July 1. Close friends have helped her family set up a GoFundMe to help with costs and a Celebration of Life is planned for Aug. 3 on Sanibel. Pictured with Stahowiak are Jamie Wilson, left, and Ali Suarez./PHOTO PROVIDED
County re-establishes veterans advisory committee By CJ HADDAD
cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com
After more than 10 years of dormancy, a Lee County panel dedicated to enriching the lives of local veterans has been reformed. Earlier this year, the Lee County Veterans Advisory Committee was brought back thanks to the work of local veterans who want to assist their fellow comrades. Each county commissioner appointed two individuals to make up a committee of 10. The reformation of the committee, which was dissolved in
2012, was spearheaded by Army JROTC instructor and retired Army Col. Steve Epkins. At the newly formed committee’s recent first meeting, Epikins was elected to serve as the chair of the committee, while Chris Cammarota was elected as vice chair and John Thomas as secretary. “It makes me feel good that we got something going for local veterans,” he said. “I just hope that we’re able to reach out and help. We’re looking to educate, assist, support, solve problems
— things like that for our veterans and surviving spouses and their families.” “This is long overdue,” Cammarota added. “There’s money available through the county for veterans, and our job is to make suggestions to the county commission, and if they like it, they’ll follow through. Whether it’s for homeless veterans, job training, or money for a parade or something like that. Veterans need a voice, and I’m just happy to help out and do the right thing.” See COMMITTEE, page 20
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