Warfield seeks second term on Bonita council

With several road projects under way in the city and more set to start in coming months and years, Warfield says four more years in the District 4 seat will give him time to monitor most of those projects to fruition. Warfield, who ran his first-term campaign on a platform based largely on addressing the city's road needs, feels good about the amount of work the young city has accomplished since it incorporated nearly four years ago.

"If it hadn't been for Bonita being a city, we'd still be talking about widening U.S. 41 instead of driving through the construction out there," Warfield said.

City fathers worked hard to line up the last $8 million for the $32 million widening of U.S. 41 through the city. It took a city contribution of $1 million and a trip to Tallahassee by Mayor Paul Pass to persuade the state to come up with the money.

Another major road effort is the Three Oaks/Imperial/Livingston corridor. Construction schedules call for the segment from The Brooks in Estero to East Terry Street in Bonita Springs to take place in fiscal 2006 at a cost of $22 million. The section from East Terry Street to Imperial Street is planned for fiscal 2005 at an estimated cost of $10.4 million.

Roads and the vehicles that travel them have always been a part of Warfield's life. He moved to Bonita Springs in 1991 after retiring as president of Frederick Motor Co. of Frederick, Md. For 19 years, he served on the Maryland Transportation Commission, including two years as its chairman.

On the Bonita Springs City Council, the 73-year-old Warfield has a reputation for being a man of few words.

"He don't say too much. He's a smart man. When he does say something the others up there listen," said Pete Pastore, a member of the city's zoning board and a frequent City Council meeting audience member. "He's respected. I'm glad he's going to run again."

Warfield said in addition to roads, his priorities include adding more park property to the city's inventory of green space and seeing the proposed stormwater utility tax enacted. While it's still in the hands of an advisory committee, the proposed $48-per-year tax would pay for about $3.9 million in improvements to the city's outdated and flawed stormwater system. In addition to enhancing flood protection, projects paid for by the tax would make waterways cleaner.

"Stormwater management is a major thing we're lacking," he said.

Also vying for the District 4 seat is Ken Feeley, a Shangri-La Road resident and owner of Bonita-based American Home Security. Feeley moved to Bonita 13 years ago from Salem, N.H.