Monroe County Commissioner Holly Merrill Raschein joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about what’s going on in the county.
The Monroe County Commission is scheduled to meet Sept. 9 and the agenda includes a presentation from Parks and Beaches Director John Allen about the recently completed summer camp season.
Raschein praised the county’s parks and beaches programs and said the summer camps provide an important service for families throughout the Florida Keys.
“We’ve got so many children around our community that parents have got to work. And what do you do with your kids?” Raschein said. “We have different camps up and down the Keys.”
The commission will also continue budget workshops and is scheduled to hold a special meeting Oct. 20 to discuss Amendment 3 and its potential impact on Monroe County.
Raschein also highlighted an upcoming presentation from Monroe County Fire Rescue Chief R.L. Colina concerning the county’s Trauma Star air ambulance program and its new helicopters.
She said the service is an important resource for both residents and visitors because patients can be transported rapidly to medical facilities on the mainland when necessary.
“If something should happen, you’re going to be able to get to where you need to be to hopefully obviously save your life or get the services,” Raschein said.
Situations such as strokes and heart attacks, are where rapid medical treatment can be critical.
The county has worked to refine the Trauma Star program, including staffing and operational changes. The program involves flight nurses, flight medics and pilots and is operated through a partnership between Monroe County Fire Rescue and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
“It’s a service that is worth all the resources that we put into it,” Raschein said.
Raschein is also taking on a larger role in statewide water policy. She has been named chair of the Florida Association of Counties Water and Environmental Sustainability Committee.
The committee will address issues including water quality, utilities, energy resiliency, funding and local control.
“Water is life,” Raschein said. “We live, we work in it, we play on it here in the Keys and all around Florida.”
Monroe County and local municipalities recently reached an agreement concerning the distribution of certain state funding and submitted the agreement to the state.
Raschein said the coordination among the county, municipalities, the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority and the Key Largo Wastewater Treatment District demonstrates the importance of local governments working together on water-related issues.
The statewide committee will review policy proposals submitted by counties and determine which issues should be supported or potentially developed into legislation for the upcoming legislative session.
Among the issues she expects the committee to consider are water infrastructure, permitting and funding.
She also said Florida’s continued growth presents additional challenges for water resources, including potential demands associated with data centers in other parts of the state.
The committee is scheduled to meet by Zoom with new members before gathering in Jacksonville to discuss policy proposals.
Florida’s 2026 general election is scheduled for Nov. 3, with mandatory early voting scheduled for Oct. 24-31. The deadline to request that a vote-by-mail ballot be mailed is Oct. 22, and the voter registration deadline is Oct. 5.
Raschein said voters should research candidates and issues rather than relying solely on social media or political advertising.
“Take a deep dive and look at the issues,” Raschein said. “Pay attention to the real documents. Don’t look at Facebook.”
Voter turnout is particularly important because some local elections can be decided by relatively small margins.
“You saw down in the city of Key West, races are decided by 50, 100, a couple hundred votes,” Raschein said.
Residents should make sure their voter information is current and to take advantage of early voting or vote-by-mail options if those methods work best for them.
According to the Florida Division of Elections, voters may request a vote-by-mail ballot through their county Supervisor of Elections, with the deadline for a mailed ballot request in the 2026 general election set for Oct. 22.
Raschein said the upcoming election should not be considered an “off year,” with statewide offices including governor, attorney general and chief financial officer on the ballot.
As the Labor Day weekend is approaching, Raschein also encouraged residents to take a break from the political and governmental issues facing the county.
“I hope that people can enjoy their families and remember that we live in the most amazing place in the state of Florida, if not in the United States or the world,” Raschein said.
She also welcomed recent rainfall after concerns about drought conditions in the Keys.
“I hope that everybody just takes a deep breath,” Raschein said. “Enjoy your family, enjoy your friends, enjoy the water, and be safe.”