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Ten years ago Tuesday, after all of the mail was in and the votes were tallied, the Collier County Supervisor of Elections announced the outcome of the sixth referendum on incorporation for Marco Island. It had come to a vote five times before, always with the same outcome. The margin was always close, the arguments always heated, but this time was different for one reason: after 15 years of discussion, the island’s residents had voted to become a city.

The timeline is a look back at the last ten years in the life of the city. For better or for worse, the city has come a long way, undertaken many projects and created many new things. In Tuesdat’s Eagle, look for a story on where the city of Marco Island stands with those projects as it continues to deal with the changes caused by taking charge of its own destiny. Wednesday will feature a look forward, as different members of the community weigh in on their hopes and expectations for the next ten years. It is an important view to take, because even though the creation of Marco Island as a city was fraught with conflict at the time, it’s clear that it is here to stay.

• Nov. 4, 1980: First vote to incorporate fails 516 to 2,010 at the polls.

• Nov. 2, 1982: Second vote to incorporate fails 1,297 to 1,360 at the polls.

• Nov. 4, 1986: Third vote to incorporate fails 1,466 to 2,332 at the polls.

• Nov. 6, 1990: Fourth vote to incorporate fails 2,006 to 2,821 at the polls.

• July 27, 1993: Fifth vote to incorporate fails 2,348 to 3,368 via mail-in ballot.

• March 31 to April 3, 1995: A Vision of Paradise, Marco Island Design Charette held to start the ball rolling for the Marco Island Vision Planning Advisory Committee. The committee was charged with creating a plan to manage the future growth of the island. Real property value at the time: $2.5 billion.

• Aug. 6, 1997: The Eagle publishes a voting guide for the upcoming mail-in referendum on incorporation.

• Aug. 28, 1997: Votes from mail-in referendum on incorporation are counted and the results are announced just after 8 p.m. The referendum passed by 142 votes, or 51 to 49 percent. Turnout by registered voters was 73.3 percent. The city officially came into being one minute after noon the next day.

• Nov. 10, 1997: First City Council sworn in at the YMCA by County Circuit Court Judge Cynthia Ellis. The next day, the council held its first meeting at Mackle Park before an audience of more than 200 residents.

• March 12, 1998: Bill Moss hired as the first Marco Island city manager. In a race that began with more than 70 applications, later narrowed to 13 serious candidates, Moss was the last candidate still in the running by the time City Council convened to make a decision.

• June 1998: Marco Island’s Utility Advisory Board recommends that the city take over the water and wastewater system from Florida Water Services. Negotiations begin the following year.

• June 1998: City Council votes to enter negotiations with the Collier County School Board to buy Tract K, an 11.6-acre parcel of land adjacent to Tigertail Beach. Purchase of the parcel has come up for discussion on and off for the last nine years.

• Jan. 1, 2000: New Marco Island Police Department goes into effect at midnight. A voter referendum later in the year upheld the department’s creation.

• June 5, 2000: City Council votes unanimously to enter into negotiations with the developer for the Esplanade on North Collier. The partially constructed complex was available for purchase at $8.6 million, but the council ultimately turned down the offer.

• Feb. 12, 2001: City Council agrees to the purchase of the former Bank of America building on Bald Eagle Drive to serve as the new City Hall. The property, appraised at $1.5 million by a county appraiser, was bought for $1.2 million by the city.

• 2002: Florida Water Services considers selling state-wide utility to cities of Milton and Gulf Breeze, in the panhandle. Fight to prevent the sale stretches out over the following year.

• November 2003: Water utility facilities taken over by the city after more than five years of discussion, debate and negotiation.

• 1993: Marco Island Parks and Recreation Department created.

• December 2003: Citizens choose by referendum to purchase Glon Property, a parcel of 12 downtown lots containing the site for the future Veterans Park. Land was purchased with $10 million in bonds.

• October 2004: City approves plan to place overhead electrical wires underground.

• January 2005: Quality Enterprises awarded $7.7 million contract to make over South Collier Boulevard. Construction began at the end of that year’s tourist season before QE moved on to work on North Collier Boulevard, above San Marco Road, for the price tag of $9.9 million.

• October 2005: Hurricane Wilma hits Marco Island head on.

• Feb. 6, 2006: City Council votes 4-3 to go forward with Septic Tank Replacement Program, with construction to begin in the South Barfield district after accepting a $1.2 million bid from Quality Enterprises for the work in that district.

• March 2006: City authorizes construction of new police department building and civic center.

• March 15, 2006: The Eagle publishes its first report of a citizen group’s finding that asbestos-laden concrete was dumped improperly at Veterans Memorial Park. The finding sparks a months-long series of cleanups, discovery of new hazardous materials and investigations.

• May 2006: City Council passes a controversial ordinance restricting the length of time boaters can anchor non- live aboard vessels in the waters off of Marco. In January of the following year, boater Dave Dumas broke the ordinance, was arrested and later filed suit with the city in a court case that still awaits trial.

• September 2006: Marco Island Recall Committee leads petition drive to recall three City Council members, an effort that died in the court system this year.

• August 2007: City dedicates new police building, holds first City Council meetings in the new community meeting room on the first floor.

• Aug. 28, 2007: Ten- year anniversary of Marco Island’s vote for cityhood.