Essential human-curated Florida Keys news, all in one place.
Our Community
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.
Our Eyes
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| A migrating Coopers Hawk in the Keys - Mark Hedden |
Previously in Key West Voices
Hurricane Oscar formed near Cuba and rapidly intensified (seems like all of them do now) and has since been downgraded to a tropical storm. Forecast models show no chance of Keys impact.
Fantasy fest is underway.
Early voting (EV) underway. Early voting began at five locations across the Keys, and continues daily 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.
- EV records smashed in Georgia. In the first day of EV in Georgia, just over 310,000 Georgia voters cast their ballots, as compared with 136,739 in the 2020 Presidential Election. The fever pace continued daily since.
- Florida vote by mail (VBM) enthusiasm. CBS New Miami reported that over 600,000 VBM ballots had been returned as of Tuesday October 15; that count nearly doubled by Sunday, October 20th. Florida VBM and EV can be tracked here daily. More next week.
- Explainer. CBS News Miami produced a brief segment on EV and Amendment 4 (reproductive rights) without highlighting the legal dispute over ballot language attached to the amendment (but not part of the amendment itself), that plaintiffs say is unconstitutionally misleading.
- Senate race. Keys Weekly published answers to three questions posed to Republican Senator Rick Scott and Democratic challenger former Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell.
Community representatives push back on more ROGOs. Monroe's Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) met in Marathon, and spent nearly two and a half hours on the topic of issuing additional ROGOs (residential building permits) that are limited by law stemming from the state's designation of the Keys as an 'area of critical state concern.' The series of surveys administered by the BOCC were acknowledged as being unscientific.
- Watch it. The full video can be watched here. Viewers interested in the ROGO discussion should select agenda item Q2, which begins at 10:12 a.m. in the video timestamp.
- Vague language. Commissioner Craig Cates advocated for the "absolute minimum, if not less,” of new ROGOs, while other commissioners used vague language such as 'middle of the road' and 'sweet spot' to avoid committing to final numbers.
- Community advocates spoke. A series of community activists, including representatives of Last Stand and the newly formed Florida Keys ROGO coalition spoke in blunt terms about flaws in the hurricane evacuation model, exaggerated exposure to so-called 'takings' liability, and their opposition to any additional residential development in the Keys. The BOCC's surveys vastly overstated takings liability as being up to $1 billion.
- 220 ROGOs approved anyway. The BOCC approved its request for 220 new ROGOs from the State, the disputed number that is claimed to be allowed without exceeding the state-mandated 24 hour clearance time.
- Updated EMS drug protocols. Officials briefed the BOCC on changed protocols in the wake of arrests, indictments, and firings in the wake of Monroe's county’s air ambulance scandal that began two years ago.
Final TDC audit. The Monroe County Clerk’s Office released its final audit of Monroe County's Tourist Development Council contract, finding problems with its contract with Two Oceans Digital, the TDC’s website and digital services provider. TDC paid Two Oceans roughly $330,000 a year in both 2023 and 2022, according to the audit.
- NewmanPR out at TDC. The BOCC terminated the roughly $700,000 contract with NewmanPR, the firm that handles public relations for TDC, without cause, which calls for a 120-day notice. NewmanPR’s last day will be Jan. 31. Andy Newman is facing a 14 count criminal indictment.
Ugly. Keys Weekly's Mandy Miles offered her take on the prior week's ugliness at the Key West City Commission (KWCC) first covered in last week's Key West Voices.
- Warning. Miles also captured warnings issued to the KWCC during that meeting by Key West resident Robert Jensen about investigations into the KWCC's conduct when firing former City Manager Al Childress in June, an apparent conflict of interest, and other allegations. Commissioner Sam Kaufman called for an independent counsel to advise the commission on the investigations pertaining to these issues.
Survival story. Miles lightened the mood with by recounting her personal history in the Keys.
No stink this year. Linda Cunningham celebrated the unexpected lack of sargassum odor this year.
Brown noddy. Mark Hedden related how brown noddies got their name with both kind and unkind versions. In 1758, the word noddy meant a sleepy person, or more to the point, a simple and stupid person.
