Representative Jim Mooney will be part of a legislative delegation on Monday to discuss the needs for the state.
Jim Mooney, Florida House of Representatives Member serving the 120th district, joined Good Morning Keys on KeysTalk 96.9/102/5FM this morning to talk about the goings on in the state.
Monday’s delegation will set priorities for the 2023 state legislative session in March.
He said, “Monroe County is laying out their plan. We’ll see what their game plan is. They sort of give us the road map for what they’re looking for and it’s our job to sort of try and get it to the end and pay all the tolls and make sure we don’t get a ticket on the way there. We’re ready to go.”
The legislative delegation is open to the public on Zoom.
Mooney said, “It’s just the most effective way to get more people involved. Otherwise people have to travel somewhere.”
The link is available upon request at [email protected]
A $6 million allocation to cover shortfalls for the Monroe County Emergency Operations Center in Marathon will be on the table. Groundbreaking occurred earlier this year but because of inflation, the project has a $6 million shortfall and the county is looking to the legislature for help.
Mooney said, “That’s going to be interesting. That’s a pretty large ask for something that’s been funded already, but we’re prepared to take it to the finish line. We’re definitely going to give it our best shot. It’s not Monroe County’s fault that we are where we are with the cost of goods. Obviously we all know that they’ve skyrocketed. We’ll figure out some way to get them the money. If it’s not through an appropriation of some type, hopefully it’s through a grant or something. I think we can get this done. It’s definitely a priority.”
The county commissioners are also looking for $1.6 million to place 100 new moorings off Key West for vessels anchored off of Key West.
The Stewardship Act is also something that needs continued requests for $25 million for water quality project and land acquisition.
Mooney said, “We’re going to try and get that into a recurring funding portal. We tried that last year. It did not work. We saw it coming to a screeching halt so we sort of pulled it back and just went the standard route. If you look at leadership and you’re not getting that fuzzy warm feeling from them, you’re better off spending some time making sure you get what’s already in the portal as opposed to try to make it recurring. We’ll see how that pans out as well. We’re prepared to do it again. “
The voters did continue the one cent sales tax by referendum but the county is looking to add a penny for infrastructure projects. The county can’t do that on their own.
Mooney said, “You can’t increase any kind of taxes without a referendum, so citizens ultimately have the final say so. We always talk infrastructure, not only locally, but globally so to speak. It’s a little mind boggling that you see road construction all the time, but infrastructure in and of itself is just not something we’ve done a great job at. I think we are well past the point of needing major infrastructure upgrades. You have to do these things, you just have to spend the money, but how you get there is a different question.”
Ultimately, it will be a citizen decision.
Mooney said, “That remains to be seen if we can even get it there.”
The other issue is the 300 building permits for the county.
Mooney said, “There’s been some very shallow conversation on that. The county has taken a position they’re going to sit back and wait and see what Islamorada and Marathon choose to do and maybe how that plays out and how we travel forward with it. At this point, it’s just been very shallow conversation because it is in the courts and obviously that puts a little bit of a monkey wrench into everything when it gets into the courts.”