City Leaders - Laughing All the Way to the Bank?

Fuck Small Business: Cape Coral’s Real Priorities...

Why Do You Think They're All Smiling?

In Cape Coral, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. When the mayor, an employee/councilman from Aubuchon Homes, a liquor license attorney/councilman, and the city manager band together to push through a food truck project in one of the city’s busiest corridors, things move fast. Really fast. They even restructured the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) to accelerate the process, clearing every hurdle in record time. Meanwhile, beloved public spaces like the Yacht Club remain untouched, collecting dust. Welcome to Cape Coral, where a small circle of power rewrites the rules to benefit their own plans, while the rest of the city waits.

The CRA Takeover: How It Went Down!

In November 2023, the Cape Coral City Council officially voted to dissolve the appointed board of the Community Redevelopment Agency. In its place? The council and mayor themselves. That means every redevelopment dollar and decision is now under their direct control. This didn’t come out of nowhere. The takeover began on October 18, when the council voted to remove the existing CRA board members. A few weeks later, they took full command. Coincidence? Most residents don’t think so.

Whatever Happened to the Hot Dog Truck at Home Depot?

For years, grabbing a quick bite from the hot dog truck parked outside the Cape Coral Home Depot was a simple pleasure. It was fast, affordable, and loved by locals.

Now it’s gone. Why?

A new city ordinance forced all food trucks, even those parked on private commercial property with the owner’s permission, to move each night. The beloved hot dog truck couldn’t comply with the new rule, so they were kicked out. No violations, just a new law with no wiggle room.

Why Was the Ordinance Passed?

City officials claim the rule was meant to address complaints from brick-and-mortar restaurants about unfair competition from food trucks. But the explanation hasn’t convinced many.

“It’s so bogus,” one resident said. “We now have a privately-owned food truck court on Cape Coral Parkway. Do they make those trucks move every night, too?”

That park the Slipaway Food Truck Park & Marina is privately owned by the owner of Aubuchon Homes, and council member Bill Steinke is the Director of Sales and Business Development for Aubuchon Homes. Trucks there reportedly pay up to $6,000/month in rent. And, unlike the Home Depot vendor, they appear to stay put. So what gives?

Another resident said. "Trashy-looking roadways and medians, little to no handle on racing cars on Veterans and Chiquita at night, zero maintenance of the canals, but that problematic food truck is gone."

Shady Business in Sipaway – Who’s Raking It In?

Slipaway Special Treatment?

That’s the question on everyone’s mind. If the law says all trucks must move each night, are the Slipaway trucks exempt? Are they technically in compliance by shuffling around within the property? Or is the rule being selectively enforced? So far, city officials haven’t offered a straight answer. And that silence is loud.

No Exceptions, No Grandfathering...

One of the most upsetting parts of the new ordinance? There’s no grandfather clause for long-time vendors. The Home Depot hot dog truck had been serving the community for years with no known issues. Instead of being protected, it was pushed out. To many, it feels like a deliberate move to clear the field for newer, flashier, and more expensive developments aimed at higher-income crowds.

Is It Just Bad Policy — or Something Worse?

Some people think this is just a case of poor planning or tone-deaf policymaking.

Others aren’t so sure.

“When bad decisions keep benefiting the same people,” one resident said, “that’s not a lack of common sense — that’s corruption.”

Whether it’s an oversight or outright favoritism, the end result is the same: fewer affordable food options, more hoops for small businesses, and a growing sense of distrust in city leadership.

More voices - “We have lived in Cape Coral since 2001…had we known how this city was going to be run, we would NEVER have moved here!"

What Now?

At the heart of all this is a simple question: Who benefits?

Why was a small, beloved food truck forced out, while others are allowed to stay?

Until the city offers a transparent, consistent answer and applies its rules fairly, this frustration isn’t going anywhere.

In the meantime, Cape Coral has lost more than a hot dog stand. It’s lost a bit of its community flavor and maybe a little bit of its soul.

All information has been thoroughly investigated and reported by the Take Out the Trash Committee of Cape Coral and/or its authorized volunteers!