Once again, the Charlotte County Commission has chosen to balance its books on the backs of its residents.
In a county already battered by years of out-of-control inflation, skyrocketing insurance costs, and housing prices that remain painfully out of reach for working families and retirees, the Commission has now voted to more than double utility rates. This is nothing less than a direct financial attack on the people of Charlotte County at a time when many are already stretched to the breaking point. Residents were told relief was coming—but instead, they were misled. Joe Tiseo and Bill Truex, while campaigning for reelection in 2024, explicitly promised voters they would not increase utility rates or millage on the people. Those promises have now been broken. Once again, residents were told one thing during election season and given the opposite once the votes were safely counted. This is not the first time these commissioners have placed personal or political financial interests above the people they were elected to represent.
This decision does not exist in a vacuum. Residents are still grappling with elevated grocery prices, higher fuel costs, rising rents, and property taxes that continue to climb. Instead of relief, families and seniors are handed another unavoidable bill—one they didn’t ask for and many cannot easily absorb.
Only Commissioner Stephen R. Deutsch voted against this drastic rate increase. The rest of the Commission—Joe Tiseo, Bill Truex, Chris Constance, and Kenneth Doherty—pushed it through, demonstrating a troubling disconnect from the realities facing everyday people in this county.
Utilities are not optional. Water and sewer services are basic necessities. When government dramatically raises these costs, it creates a regressive burden that hits seniors on fixed incomes, low-wage workers, families living paycheck to paycheck, and small businesses the hardest. For many residents, this increase will mean choosing between paying utility bills and affording food, medication, or healthcare.
Even more concerning is the appearance of serious conflicts of interest within the Commission itself. Two commissioners have direct ties to development and building industries—industries that benefit enormously from aggressive growth policies and infrastructure expansion. While developers continue to profit, long-time residents are told to “adjust” and absorb the costs.
Instead of ensuring that growth pays for growth, the Commission once again chose the easiest route: extracting more money from the people who already live here. That is not responsible governance—it is political convenience and insider favoritism at the expense of residents.
Commissioners frequently invoke “fiscal responsibility,” yet there is little transparency or accountability when it comes to spending priorities, long-term planning, or exploring alternatives that would prevent sudden and extreme rate hikes. Doubling utility rates is not thoughtful leadership; it is a blunt-force approach that inflicts maximum pain with minimal effort.
Charlotte County residents deserve better. They deserve commissioners who understand that public office is not about protecting industry interests, maintaining political power, or breaking campaign promises once reelected. It is about stewardship, honesty, and serving the public—especially during hard economic times.
Commissioner Deutsch stood alone in opposition. The remaining commissioners should be prepared to explain—clearly and publicly—why they believed this financial attack on residents was justified, and why voters should continue to trust leaders who say one thing on the campaign trail and do another once in office.
Because this time, residents are watching.
And they will remember