Charlotte County voters signal shift on growth, development 

Charlotte County voters ousted two incumbent commissioners Aug. 18 after challengers made concerns about rapid development, inadequate infrastructure and the cost of growth central issues in their campaigns, signaling a potential shift in how the county approaches future development. 

John Fleming defeated incumbent Dr. Chris Constance for the District 2 seat, while Kim Amontree defeated incumbent Stephen R. Deutsch in the Republican primary for District 4. 

Fleming, who has no general election opponent, is set to take office in November. Amontree faces no-party-affiliation candidate Michael Melton in the Nov. 3 general election. 

Both challengers campaigned on changing how Charlotte County manages growth, including closer scrutiny of development density and infrastructure and, in Fleming’s case, higher impact fees on builders. 

Fleming said his campaign, much of which he spent meeting with individuals and community groups, repeatedly heard concerns about development, affordability and mistrust of county government. 

Those concerns were familiar to Fleming. In 2022, he co-founded the Burnt Store Corridor Coalition, which has about 11,000 members from 12 communities along Burnt Store Road in the Punta Gorda area, in response to concerns about development proceeding without sufficient infrastructure. 

The experience ultimately led Fleming into politics, a role he said he had never previously considered. 

After Fleming and his wife, Suzanne, moved to Burnt Store Lakes in 2017, the Charlotte County Commission approved numerous planned communities in the area. Residents along the Burnt Store corridor have no nearby supermarket or shopping plaza, leaving some to travel 8 to 10 miles round trip for basic goods and services. 

Coalition members and other residents began attending commission meetings, where some accused commissioners of “rubber-stamping” development projects without adequately considering infrastructure. 

Other citizen groups also are pushing back against proposed developments on agricultural land in unincorporated Punta Gorda, north and east of the Burnt Store corridor. 

Fleming said development decisions will face greater scrutiny once he takes office. 

A development “can’t be built if there’s no infrastructure,” Fleming said. Developers also “can’t build on a piece of property planned for 100 homes and now want to build 150. I am going to look very closely at transfer of density.” 

Fleming also vowed to make builders “pay their fair share in impact fees,” which he said are too low. 

His election could therefore have implications for developers seeking higher densities or approvals in areas where roads and other infrastructure have not kept pace with population growth. 

Fleming said other factors contributed to his victory. A former New York City detective, he served as a union president and in 2003 fought for the rights of first responders and volunteers who became ill from 9/11-related illnesses. He said that background helped reassure voters that they could trust him. 

Fleming also pointed to affordability as a concern in Charlotte County, where he said the median age is 60. He argued that county leaders have contributed to rising costs that have made the area increasingly unaffordable for some residents. 

Amontree likewise made managing growth a priority in her campaign and said she wants to revisit two of the county’s major tools governing development. 

“To the extent allowed by law, we need to update the Comprehensive Plan — the current plan was approved in 2011 — and the transfer density program to reflect the reality our county faces today,” Amontree said. 

She also campaigned on tighter county spending, saying she would bring “real fiscal discipline to the budget, including a hiring freeze and a minimum 5% cut to the general fund.” 

Amontree said she wants voters to consider commission term limits in 2028. 

“Citizens should have the opportunity to decide whether county commissioners should have term limits,” she said. “Government closest to the people, represented by private citizens rather than career politicians, ensures that what residents want is actually reflected in their government.” 

Fleming received 21,702 votes, or 55.3%, compared with Constance’s 17,552 votes, or 44.7%. 

Amontree won by a wider margin, receiving 16,293 votes, or 61%, compared with Deutsch’s 10,417 votes, or 39%. 

If Amontree wins in November, she and Fleming could shift the commission’s direction, bringing a different vision for Charlotte County’s future.