Essential human-curated Florida Keys news, all in one place.
KWV regrets its error in the October 22 issue suggesting community opposition to the KW referendum to accept property from the county adjacent to the MLK pool. No such opposition exists.
Our Community
Storm watch. Tropical storm Rafael formed in the far southern Caribbean and is expected to reach hurricane strength by Tuesday evening near the Cayman Islands, according to the National Hurricane Center. A Tropical Storm watch is in effect for Lower and Middle Florida Keys from Key West to west of the Channel 5 Bridge.
Vote. Seriously, please vote. Today is election day. KWV readers are encouraged to return their vote by mail ballots or vote in person at their usual polling place, which may at a different location than the last time you voted. The Supervisor of Elections web site has a handy tool to help you locate your polling place.
- Key local races to be decided.
- Key West Commission District VI. Aaron Castillo vs. Marci Rose. Although the race is non-partisan, Castillo has been endorsed by the Monroe County Republican party, and Rose by the Monroe County Democratic party.
- Monroe County Commission District III. Incumbent Republican Jim Scholl faces Democratic challenger Chris Massicotte.
- Monroe County Supervisor of Elections. Republican Sherri Hodies and Democrat Ron Saunders are contending for the SOE job being vacated by the retiring Joyce Griffin.
- Who’s to blame? It may be us. In a rare editorial addressing local politics, the Citizen connected recent scandals involving drug theft in Monroe County's Trauma Star emergency medical evacuation service, and audit failures with Monroe's Tourist Development Council (TDC), (both of which led to indictments) with inadequate voter participation and engagement. It chided (emphasis added):
"The voters of Monroe County are often responsible for placing individuals in high-ranking positions, with those persons making decisions for the good of the county. As has been the case in recent years, many merely vote along party lines, regardless of the qualifications, experience and positions of the candidates.
In numerous races this season, candidates did not even face competition, automatically assuming their posts. Most were incumbents, but others were new to their positions or, in one case, new to the political arena. What is holding back potential candidates?
Democracy requires participation, but when participation is limited to one set of individuals or groups that wear blinders, the result is decision-making like a racehorse that simply goes to where the jockey directs it.
The racehorse in Monroe County are the commissioners, and they were directed by a county administrator who led by putting blinders on them. As we approach the November election, voters must remember that our system of democracy works better when we have the requisite checks and balances.
(Today) every eligible voter must get out and vote, but remember that it is not in our best interest to have all the power in the hands of a single party."
Two Oceans set adrift. The TDC board canceled its contract with Two Oceans Digital, the company that manages the Keys’ taxpayer supported official tourism website.
- Overpaying. The move was recommended by a county audit of Two Oceans’ contract with the TDC, which revealed that the TDC was significantly overpaying for website and digital services given the payment structure of the contract.
- Outdated and lopsided. The county clerk’s audit of TDC’s contract with Two Oceans found an outdated and lopsided payment structure in which Two Oceans kept all ad revenue from the TDC’s website.
- Massicotte objects. Democrat Chris Massicotte, who is challenging Republican incumbent Jim Scholl for the only remaining contested seat on the county commission, decried "a larger culture of complacency and a lack of oversight. When checks, balances, and transparency are missing, it costs us all. Thirty years is far too long for any company to hold a contract without review, and it’s unacceptable that there’s been no accountability."
Voters to decide on $226 million for improvements. Key West residents are voting on whether to allow the City of Key West to issue up to $226 million in general obligation bonds in the next 30 years for parks and recreation, transportation, police and fire and climate change adaption projects. The bonds are simply a line of credit that allows the Key West City Commission to individually consider and approve a variety of project proposals. More information is on a dedicated page the City's web site.
Resigned, but feeling good. Linda Cunningham caught us up on topics including the election, TDC, Fantasy Fest, and looking forward to the end of hurricane season.
Please read 'Dear Connor.' Linda Cunningham wrote that "Dear Connor” is a collection of essays written for Connor Cunningham by his grandmother, Linda Grist Cunningham. I began writing these as my construct for making sense of the unraveling American community. Connor may never read them, nor might others; but they’ll help me distill solutions from the cacophony that passes for discourse in final crisis generational turning of America." This is Linda at her best. Well worth ten minutes instead of doomscrolling.
Please read 'Dear Connor.' Linda Cunningham wrote that "Dear Connor” is a collection of essays written for Connor Cunningham by his grandmother, Linda Grist Cunningham. I began writing these as my construct for making sense of the unraveling American community. Connor may never read them, nor might others; but they’ll help me distill solutions from the cacophony that passes for discourse in final crisis generational turning of America." This is Linda at her best. Well worth ten minutes instead of doomscrolling.
Our Eyes
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| Good Morning - Alyson Crean |
Previously in Key West Voices
Not really news. Fantasy Fest took place without incident. After several days of zero storm activity, the National Hurricane Center is monitoring a (so far) non-threatening disturbance in the southern Caribbean east of Panama. Daylight savings time ends early Sunday morning, November 3rd.
Elections. Critical national, state-wide, regional, and local races and issues will be decided on November 5th.
- Vote now! Readers are encouraged to return their vote by mail (VBM) ballots, early vote (EV), or make a plan to vote on election day, Tuesday, November 5th. Statewide and Monroe County VBM and EV can be tracked here daily.
- VBM surge.
- As of October 27, 11,029 mail ballots had been returned in Monroe County, while 6,076 ballots remain outstanding.
- VBM voters can save on postage by dropping their ballots in secured and guarded boxes at five locations across the Keys.
- EV enthusiasm.
- As of October 27, 8,292 citizens had voted early in Monroe County. One KWV contributor reported having to wait in line to early vote, for the first time in memory.
- EV continues daily at five locations across the Keys through Saturday, November 2. Note that the Key West residents' closest EV location is on College Road on Stock Island, and that the former location at Southard and Whitehead is no longer in use for early voting. Details at the Supervisor of Elections web site.
- KWCC District VI. The Citizen profiled the two candidates for the remaining contested seat on the Key West City Commission (KWCC), Aaron Castillo and Marci Rose. Although the race is non-partisan, Castillo has been endorsed by the Monroe County Republican party, and Rose by the Monroe County Democratic party.
- Rose said, "As an attorney with over 30 years of experience, I’ve successfully settled 99% of my cases through negotiation. I know how to find common ground and achieve the best outcomes for everyone. If elected, I’ll stand firm on important issues for my constituents, even when outnumbered, but I also understand that progress often comes in small steps rather than all at once."
- Castillo said,"I think everyone that knows me knows that I have a positive attitude and try to bring peace and joy to everyone around me. As a funeral director for the past 40 years, I have had to help people at the most difficult times of their lives. I think my positive attitude, good listening skills, open-mindedness and empathy, all of which I must do as a funeral director, will help to unite the commission."
- Big money race Castillo's campaign has been heavily financed by business and tourism interests, some of which are from out of state. Key West Voices earlier ran a deep dive into Castillo's financing. Rose campaign is financed by small, local donations.
- BOCC District 3. The Citizen then profiled the two candidates for the only contested seat on Monroe's Board of County Commissioners (BOCC); incumbent Republican Jim Scholl and Democratic challenger Chris Massicotte.
- Massicotte's campaign raises questions about county government spending and accountability, especially in the wake of the critical audits of the county’s Tourist Development Council (TDC) and the grand jury indictments of former County Administrator Roman Gastesi and three others. The BOCC's "lack of oversight and accountability allowed corruption to fester at the highest levels," Massicotte said.
- Scholl said the BOCC "must be audit-ready, inspection-ready and investigation-ready every day... and that he trusts the county administrator for managing the staff. The county commission found out the audit results along with our citizens. Appropriate immediate administrative action took place to deal with staff. Further legal due process will continue and further action will follow the outcome of the legal processes."
- Yet another bad news TDC audit. The BOCC received the fourth and final audit of the TDC which was harshly critical of its contract with its web site developer Two Oceans Digital. The results were "very troubling," said Kara Franker, the new president and CEO of the TDC.
- ROGOs requested. Despite fierce opposition from community groups, the BOCC voted unanimously to request 220 additional residential building permits (ROGOs) from the state, the maximum allowed under restrictions due to the Keys' designation as an area of critical state concern. Keys Weekly's coverage provided a comprehensive, yet concise overview of the critical and controversial ROGO issues.
- Yet another poorly designed ROGO survey. The BOCC has fielded its fifth and final community survey, the design of which apparently promotes a pro-development agenda.
- Supervisor of Elections The Citizen also profiled the two candidates for Supervisor of Elections (SOE). Republican Sherri Hodies and Democrat Ron Saunders are contending for the SOE job being vacated by the retiring Joyce Griffin.
- Saunders has received endorsements from prominent Republicans Sheriff Rick Ramsay and County Commissioner Craig Cates, as well as Democrat Supervisor of Elections Joyce Griffin. "As Supervisor, I will treat everyone fairly and impartially, regardless of party affiliation," Saunders said.
- Hodies was endorsed by Governor Ron DeSantis, in her first shot at elected office in the Florida Keys. "This job is mostly all administrative,” Hodies said of the Supervisor of Elections position. “I know this because I called over half of the supervisors of elections in the State of Florida and asked them."
- Hodies' campaign is under state investigation for possible campaign endorsement and finance rules violations, and has been accused of mailing untruthful campaign literature funded by a conservative Tallahassee PAC. Her campaign enlisted a nationally known MAGA election denier to speak at a fundraiser, but Hodies denies being an election denier.
- KW property acquisition. In addition to four referenda seeking authority to issue general revenue bonds, the KWCC has placed two referenda related to property acquisition on the ballot. One seeks to change the city charter's rules for property acquisition to no longer require voter approval for certain types of property.
- School funding. Two school referendum items are on all ballots in Monroe County. They're the "least controversial items on the November ballot, but they will have the greatest impact on our local communities,” said school board chair Sue Woltanski. "...they simply ask to continue our current school funding, something our community has approved for the last 20 years."
Everyone needs a porch. Linda Cunningham loves and celebrated our porches.
A sharpie is a sharp-shinned hawk. Mark Hedden translated otherwise impenetrable birder lingo heard at his latest hawkwatch.
