at a council meeting a few months ago, Manager Saunders indicated that the Village was researching ways to help with the sargassum weed concerns.

Tomorrow Key West is holding a workshop with numerous experts, hopeful of alleviating the problem in the future.  Perhaps Islamorada can take advantage of their research. Click here for article.

We goofed last newsletter: In the story …  “McClatchy Guts Newsrooms; impact in Keys uncertain.” We reported that McClatchy, owner of the Miami Herald, owns the Free Press and Keys Citizen.  WRONG.  McClatchy does not own, and has never owned, the Free Press and/or Keys Citizen. They have been owned by Adams MultiMedia since 2018. McClatchy used to own the Keynoter and Reporter. 

There is no evidence that Adams MultiMedia is scaling back newspaper funding — in fact, the company appears to be making an effort to preserve and strengthen local journalism, not reduce it.

In the story about John Quick’s new contract last week, we reported that for Cost Recovery, if a member of the public applies for a service for which the Village staff needs legal assistance, now Weiss Serota will charge a fee of $650/hour that will be paid by the applicant, not the Village.  We questioned whether this fee was changed as part of the new legal fee structure for Weiss Serota.

Quick responded at the Aug 8 Council meeting that the $650/hour was not part of the new fee structure. Rather, he stated the Council approved this fee last year. We requested the documentation via a public record request. No documentation was found by the Village.  A change from $250/hour for all services to $650/hour paid by applicants is significant. Mr. Quick has not yet responded to our request for clarification.

We give thanks to all the folks who have worked tirelessly to protect our amazing environment that is enjoyed by so many residents and visitors in the Keys.

Affordability is at the forefront of critical concerns for nearly all Floridians across our beautiful state.  

Affordability is needed to provide stability and quality of life.

We as a village, need to provide meaningful relief to achieve true affordability.

IN ISLAMORADA another HUGE TAX INCREASE IS HEADED OUR WAY!

At Budget Hearing #1 last Thursday, the Islamorada Council tentatively approved a major tax increase even though local governments in Florida have been asked to try every way possible to reduce the tax burden on residents.

What is the council thinking?

The State of Florida is pushing one of the strongest property tax reduction efforts in the state’s history, with:

• Constitutional amendments

• Multiyear phased exemptions

• Caps on tax growth

• Limits on local spending

These are not proposals — they are passed measures awaiting voter ratification.

IS OUR COUNCIL LISTENING? Are our elected official aware?

Not all of them, unfortunately.. We are not prepared and are whistling in the wind, again.

Last week, the Village approved a tentative millage rate said to be a 9.09% increase. Our math says it’s 9.998% - yep - 10% when rounded!

Either way – Village math or our math – it is way too much for a time when so many of our residents (and businesses) are struggling financially.

At the beginning of the Thursday Public Hearing, Councilman Steve Friedman mentioned his disappointment with the budget process.

 

Every council member should be.

In 2025 we established a “Citizens Budget Task Force” to bring issues to the council before the budget process.

Here is a summary of the Citizens Budget Task Force recommendations:

1. Audit operations and staffing. (If past be prologue, operations and high staffing levels are the area where the savings are rooted.)

• In our case we have not effectively audited these areas since the Village was founded, over a quarter of a century ago.

• This audit would cause the biggest savings for the aforementioned reasons.

1. Implement a merit-based pay instead of across-the-board pay increases.

   
   

2. Conducting appropriate oversight of operations to control and justify overtime.

• We paid overtime for preventing parking at the Fills long after our responsible for the property ended. FDOT reclaimed the Fills when our lease expired several years ago. We must have forgotten.

1. Maintain transparency through more simplified budget reviews to encourage public engagement.

   
   

Unfortunately, the valuable Task Force recommendations were ignored.  And now this year there was no Citizens Task Force. Why not?

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT: Having budget workshops midafternoon speaks volumes about how Islamorada management feels about public participation.

This year the same agenda was published for all three publicly noticed workshops but #3 was canceled the night before it was to occur.

The ICA will continue to educate the community about financial issues, affordability, growth, and traffic.

We believe that if the council really cares about our residents and the affordability crisis, Council would make a sincere effort to reduce taxes that come out of the pockets of our hardworking residents.

We think numbers tell a big story.

Islamorada’s General Fund budget has total expenditures of $26,147,621, and $14,400,803 is personnel costs… plus another $3 Million in personnel for the marina, wastewater and the building fund.

This is for a village with just 7000 residents.

Does that add up to sensible government and efficient use of our tax money?

The agenda for the budget hearing included 3 millage rate options – all showing the differing impact on the fund balance. No options showing any potential reduction in expenditures?

Key West, with all their issues, approved a budget at rollback last week.

Who on the Village Council will say NO to a near 10% tax increase?

We urge the council and manager to commission an Audit (DOGE).  We must find a way to make the local government far more cost effective for all residents. The past decades of leadership have ignored the residents.

Pay attention!!!!!

Tom

Seat 1: Anna Richards versus Joe Wischmeier Seat 2: Steve Friedman versus Deb Gillis (Gillis switched Seats August 11) Seat 3: Corie McGraw-Abel versus Sue Miller Seat 4: Don Horton versus Tom Raffanello Seat 5: Sharon Mahoney, elected, unopposed Read the Property Tax Referendum that will be on the Nov Ballot. Click Here

To correspond with Village Council or staff: Send an email to the Village Clerk and ask her to distribute to all members of the Council, Village Manager, and/or specific members of the team at the Village …..clerk@islamorada.fl.us