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2024 Village Council Candidates Weekly Questions about Village Issues |
Question # 2, October 7, 2024: Having just gone through the Village budget approval process, we saw significant confusion and disagreement by members of council when they finally approved the 2024 - 2025 budget on September 17. With total annual expenditures of almost $61 million, and a reduction in the overall fund balance of over $6.2 million, do you think something needs to be done to create better transparency, effective oversight of the spending practices, and a reduction in costs and more public participation? What would you propose? |
| Van Cadenhead, Candidate Seat 1: Navy veteran, Long time Community Activist |
| Buddy Pinder, Candidate Seat 1: Current mayor, former owner of excavating company |
Van's Response: Budget Blues: The staff is way too large, with way too many employees that cost taxpayers over $100,000 per year. Outsourcing certain services such as roadway maintenance & wastewater have been discussed. Now we need to do it! It would reduce the total # of employees, eliminate costly insurance & retirement benefit packages. And we’d have far less equipment to maintain. There would be far fewer new trucks to buy. Also, starting each department's budget at zero instead of assuming last year's total as a starting point would incentivize reduction & justification of all expenditures. There would be fewer frivolous fluff projects, like the $1.7 million pavilion at Green Turtle Hammock & the idiotic $25,000 removal of beautiful full grown Royal Poinciana & Sapodilla trees from Southwinds Park. Charity handouts for 501c3s should be left up to individual taxpayers & not to the whims of the Village Council. | No Response |
| Steve Friedman, Candidate Seat 2: Back Country fishing guide, advocate for clean water |
| Anna Richards, Candidate Seat 2: Owner of local Survey Co., Realtor, president of Rotary |
Steve's Response: Our annual budget sets the Village’s priorities for spending, so we should have rigorous and robust debate amongst councilmembers — with significant input from the public — on how to best spend our tax revenues. The budget process is the cornerstone of a functioning government and we should expect differences of opinions, expectations and ideas about spending and saving. As a big believer in planning your work, then working your plan, I look forward to the Village finally updating its Comprehensive Plan which has been neglected for almost a quarter-of-a-century. This strategic planning will help guide our next budget with clearly defined short, mid and long-term goals for our Village. Finally, our Village Manager Rob Cole has stated numerous times the budget process would start much earlier next year which will allow for even more input and participation from our citizens. As a fisherman, I am by nature an optimist. So, I am confident we can turn the page in Islamorada and build a better future that prioritizes protecting our water, while providing first-class public services that enhance our quality of life. | No Response |
| Mary Barley, Candidate Seat 3: Everglades, Florida Bay advocate, pioneered concept of how environment drives economy |
| Deb Gillis, Candidate Seat 3: Previous member of council for 9 years, motel owner, community activist |
Mary’s Response: It does appear our budget is out of control and needs to be thoroughly vetted from the bottom up and top down. Efficiency and oversight should always be a primary concern. When it comes to taxpayers money, transparency is a must. Budget preparation and finality must be done with consideration of more transparency and public participation. If this means an earlier review start then so be it. | No Response |
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| Don Horton, Candidate Seat 4: Former Monroe County and Village building departments, building consultant |
Tom’s Response: The entire budgeting process needs to be revamped. The impact on taxpayers is too often ignored, as the public is given a quick 3 minute time limit to express concerns. Where is the justification for the coming year's $60 million in annual expenditures, up nearly $10 million in a single year. No wonder we have a workforce shortage: rising taxes and rising housing costs go together and make rents extreme and ownership next to impossible for workers. The council continually waives competitive bidding - a process intended to assure we get best prices. We have many services that could be more effectively provided by outsourcing: some building, planning, code enforcement services, wastewater, highway maintenance. With the many financially astute residents in Islamorada, why not a finance committee to assist the council and make cost effective recommendations to improve the budget process, financial reporting and transparency. We must do better. | No Response |
