Gloria Tate returns to Cape Coral City Council to complete District 1 term

The City of Cape Coral welcomed a familiar face to its elected leadership in order to fulfill a needed role.

Cape Coral City Council appointed Gloria Tate to the District 1 council seat Wednesday. It marks a return to city leadership for the councilwoman, who was previously elected to the Council in 1996, 2005 and 2009.

Tate has lived in Cape Coral for 60 years. She says her goal is the same as it has always been — to serve her community. She has done that in the past on City Council and in several other roles she’s held throughout the city over the years.

When the District 1 seat became vacant, Tate decided to step up to serve once more. She says the biggest challenge Cape Coral faces is infrastructure as the city continues to grow. She’s committed to removing the Chiquita Lock because she says it is a safety issue.

After three rounds of voting and lengthy discussions, Mayor John Gunter says City Council selected Tate because they knew she could hit the ground running immediately.

“She knows what the job is,” Gunter said. “She is still current with the issues of our city. She has been a resident for 60 years, so I felt she was the best person to put in that position to serve the city best.”

According to the City, Tate was among 10 candidates who interviewed to fulfill the remainder of the seat’s term that became vacant after Mayor Gunter was appointed following the death of the late Mayor Joe Coviello.

Tate will serve a little under two years to complete the current term until a new council member is elected. Tate says she has no plans to run again.