Former Marco Island City Councilwoman Becky Irwin has thrown her name in to be appointed to the vacant seat on the council, saying she thinks her “collaborative style of leadership” is needed now.
“I really want to get some guardrails around our future development and some policies in place that are modern but still protect our island way of life,” Irwin said in a phone interview. “I try to get people together. So, collaborative would be the key word there, I think, because I want to get them, everybody, on the same page, and I think you can.”
So far, when trying to choose an applicant to fill the seat left vacant by Greg Folley in November, the council with four of six new members hasn’t been able to come together. After four months and multiple failed attempts to fill the seat, the council agreed March 3 to re-open the application process. Four more Marco Island residents applied. There are now 25 candidates to be considered at the special meeting March 17.
Irwin couldn’t run for re-election if appointed
Irwin, who served one four-year term, wasn’t re-elected in November. If she is appointed to the vacant seat, she would serve the remaining 18 months in the term and couldn’t run for re-election. The city’s charter says no council member shall serve more than two full consecutive terms and. no council member (or former council member) can serve more than eight years in office during his/her lifetime…