Residents of Charlotte County are highly attentive this year. There’s a lot on the table: development, our environment, and how we handle all this growth. The County Commissioner race for District 2 comes down to two Republicans: Christopher Constance and newcomer John Fleming.

Christopher Constance has held the District 2 Commissioner seat since 2010. Besides politics, he’s a board-certified plastic surgeon. He secured re-election in 2014, 2018, and 2022.

Constance faces a strong opponent in newcomer John Fleming; he comes with a Bronx accent you can’t miss. John Fleming is running as the Republican candidate for Charlotte County Commissioner in District 2. With 28 years as a detective under his belt and degrees from Cornell and John Jay College, he later taught criminal justice. 

When he retired to Burnt Store Lakes in 2017, he didn’t just settle in; he helped launch and lead the Burnt Store Corridor Coalition. That group speaks for over 11,000 people and has made some genuine changes: new infrastructure, a protected wildlife corridor under Burnt Store Road, and smarter flooding control. Now, Fleming wants to bring that hands-on, resident-focused approach to bigger challenges, uncontrolled development, old infrastructure, and property taxes.

ER: Thank you for taking the time to talk with us, John. I have to say; I recognize a New York accent right away.

John: Yeah, it’s one of those things I just can’t shake. People either love it or hate it. Some think it’s “interesting,” like I’m showing off a souvenir from back home. By now, I’m proud of it. I was a police detective in some tough areas of New York. I’ve earned my stripes, accent and all.

ER: Your background’s fascinating. You grew up in the Bronx, worked in Yonkers, worked narcotics and organized crime. And then you switched gears to become an adjunct professor. Did you like teaching?

John: I loved teaching adults, but when I moved here, I ended up in a middle school at Punta Gorda Middle. Teaching kids is a whole other world. I realized pretty quickly it wasn’t fair to the students if my heart wasn’t in it, so I stepped away.

ER: So, this opened up other opportunities. You went on to co-found a community coalition. You’ve looked at big issues: how unmanaged growth affects the environment, wildlife, property taxes, and aging infrastructure. How will these experiences shape your work as commissioner?

John: When I worked at the Manhattan DA’s office, you saw the aftermath of drugs, crime, fear. Getting people to testify was tough—they were scared, and for good reason. My job sometimes meant persuading residents in housing projects to cooperate with the DA. We used funds to help relocate witnesses and protect them, and it made a difference. That was the start of what people called the Fleming Coalition—residents coming to me with information and trusting me. Later, after 9/11, I became the police union president, to help officers who were getting sick from the attacks, fighting for healthcare and pensions, and eventually contributing to legislation for lifetime healthcare for survivors.

ER: So you really have a coalition named after you.

John: Yes, the DA back then joked I should’ve been a social worker. But policing always felt like my calling. My whole family’s been in law enforcement, and those years in the prosecutor’s office opened my eyes to what you can change from the inside. You’re always working with a community, even in law enforcement.

ER: And you worked with the Governor and Congress, trying to fight for first responders’ benefits. That took persistence.

John: It did. We eventually got the attention of the federal government, though my role shrank once it escalated. Still, we moved the needle.

ER: That’s an admirable accomplishment. But let’s talk local. Of the top issues, development, environment, and growth, what’s the most urgent in Charlotte County?

John: They’re all connected. Ten years ago, the county focused hard on encouraging development—kept impact fees low, let developers rezone land easily, and barely tapped the brakes. When we raised alarms in fast-growing areas like Burnt Store and now Englewood and the West County, there was little response. 

My opponent, Constance, was involved—we brought these issues to him. The coalition started because the commissioners dismissed us. So we did the work ourselves. For example, with help from the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center, we looked at how development affects wildlife, a first for Florida at this level. The Burnt Store area had 400,000 square feet of farmland; after development, where do the animals go? We brought in residents with biology backgrounds. With their help, we created a wildlife corridor, and monthly animal casualties dropped from 76 to nearly zero.

ER: We just covered the Florida panther and how much its territory has shrunk, and it’s devastating. How does your approach as commissioner expand on your coalition work?

John: I’m a believer in term limits. I grew up in a Reagan household, always caring about limited government and fiscal responsibility. But now, the commission calls themselves Republicans and has raised the county budget by 115% in five years, passing the costs of development to residents. Developers can build almost anything, anywhere, and as a result, wetlands and wildlife are taking the hit. As commissioner, I’ll push back. I’ll look at development and ask, “Does this really belong here?” We don’t need hotels on the beach or massive gas stations beside the Peace River. If you want to understand why this keeps happening, check the Supervisor of Elections website and see who funds these campaigns.

ER: You also noted that Commissioner Constance holds two other jobs, but you’re retired. Would this job be your primary focus?

John: Yes, I’m retired—no side jobs. I was shocked to see commissioners are paid well, call themselves part-time, and each have an assistant. Why do five part-timers need five assistants? I don’t need one. I can answer my own phone. Through coalition work, I already know all the department heads, so I can move fast and focus entirely on this job.

ER: They built policies to attract builders and growth, like Orlando did with Disney decades ago. Can that bell be unrung? What actions are possible now?

John: Honestly, the people who created the mess aren’t likely to clean it up. That’s why term limits matter. Fresh eyes bring new ideas. And while I’m just one vote, I’ll start that debate. I’ll challenge the board. Someone has to. For example, at budget hearings, Commissioner Deutsch suggested saving $10 million, but nobody even seconded it; that’s absurd. Look at utility fees; developers’ “tap fees” haven’t been raised since 2018, but homeowners’ utility bills have gone up 7% every year, so residents pay 30% more, but developers’ increases are closer to 10%. We pay some of the highest utility bills statewide. With property tax revenue likely dropping, that’s a 35% hit to the budget. Reserves might buy us two years. After that, the county can’t keep up services or recruit police without major change.

ER: There are only 235,000 residents here, yet the operating budget is $1.5 billion. That’s a lot.

John: I agree. Having five assistants for part-time commissioners just adds to the waste. That department alone costs $600,000. If you pay people well, fine, but the return on investment isn’t here.

ER: Let’s touch on data centers. There’s been a push for zoning changes and construction. What’s your take?

John: I attended a press conference yesterday with Jay Collins, who’s running for governor. He brought up data centers. On paper, the tax revenue sounds great, but long-term, it won’t create as many jobs as promised. Our infrastructure can’t support the water or energy needs of data centers, especially as property tax revenue falls. For example, they once planned a data center for Punta Gorda Airport; now it’s an Amazon transport hub.

ER: You’re not just new to office, you’re newer to Florida, an outsider. When people bring that up, what do you say?

John: First, my opponent’s also from New York. Second, when people push back and say, “Don’t New York my county,” I ask if they support the current President. He grew up right next to where I did. Whether people like him or not, he’s an outsider who tackled the issues he saw. And I remind them, my family’s background is law enforcement and conservative values, not the stereotype they have in mind. The Bronx I grew up in was Irish and Italian, middle-class, not what people picture.

ER: Last question, for locals, transparency is huge. Many feel drowned out by developers. How will you ensure honest community input on land use?

John: You need trust. As a detective, I had to work with people, not just “police” them. That carries through to the government. Look at why we built the coalition. It started as 13 communities from Punta Gorda to Cape Coral working together for more open government. At first, the county shut us out. They stopped engaging after three years. But by then, we’d already pressed Lee County for funding. We secured $3.5 million to work on Burnt Store Road—that’s collaboration and citizen power in action. As commissioner, I’ll keep those meetings public, open, and honest. Residents deserve a real voice, not just a seat in the corner.

We’ve worked closely with Punta Gorda on some really important issues. These days, I actually sit down with Cape Coral officials more often than I do with anyone from the county. That tells you how little transparency there is; I don’t even know who looks over their budget. Honestly, we need someone with proper authority, like an Inspector General, to check where the money’s coming from and where it’s going.

The people who say there’s no way to reach local government are completely right. I represent about 6,000 people living in my County Commissioner’s district. If I can’t even get him on the phone, how’s a regular citizen supposed to? Here’s what happens: you get three minutes to speak in front of the county commissioners, who just sit up there behind their desk, maybe nod a little, and then you’re done. That’s it. The commissioner I represent isn’t even around, doesn’t have business cards in his office, and never shows up at events. And a big part of that comes down to him juggling three jobs. He just doesn’t provide any help to the people he’s supposed to be representing.

ER: Is there anything else you want our readers to know?

John: There is one more thing I want to mention. I always tell people, this isn’t why I decided to run, but the latest investigation into him, I can’t believe he’s actually running for office again. This isn’t just a matter of him being hard to find; in about six months, he could be completely tied up with depositions or even facing criminal charges. If that happens, we’re down to four county commissioners. We’re getting a new governor soon, and I have to wonder, what are the chances the new governor will pay any attention to Charlotte County and fill that empty seat?

We’re headed into 2027 with a lot on the line, and if we don’t have all five county commissioners, the government could hit a deadlock. Here’s the thing: these aren’t just allegations—they’re the findings from actual investigations. If someone’s put the county at risk and had their judgment called into question like this, they shouldn’t be serving in elected office. That’s not just my opinion as a citizen; it comes from my perspective as a police detective too. It’s not personal, it’s professional, and it’s a question every citizen deserves to ask.

Click here for John Fleming’s website. And for John Fleming’s Facebook page, click here. 

Englewood REVIEW reached out to Chris Constance, who did not respond to our request.

The post Turning Up the Heat in District 2: Ex-NYPD Detective John Fleming Challenges Incumbent Chris Constance for District 2 appeared first on Englewood Review.