Holly Merrill Raschein, Mayor Pro Tem for Monroe County, joined Good Moring Keys on KeysTalk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about what’s been going on in the county.
The state budget will be voted on today and $27 million has been designated for Monroe County.
Raschein said, “We were big winners when it comes to the state budget. Typically in the Keys we have some high-ticket items.”
The Stewardship Act, the mooring buoy plan and the funding for the Emergency Operations Center all got into the state budget.
Raschein said, “I think that just speaks to the strength of our economy as a state. The fact that the Keys are such a strong player in our state, I am thrilled. I couldn’t be more pleased and more grateful to the Florida legislature for their recognition of these projects that are very critical to our community and were vetted. I know every taxpayer dollar is crucial. I’m very proud.”
Raschein oversees District V, which is the largest unincorporated territory in all of Monroe County, which brings some unique challenges.
The proposed development in Tavernier for workforce housing is one.
Raschein said, “That’s obviously a huge project, something that a lot of folks have weighed in on. We’ve received a lot of input from the community, the surrounding area. Workforce housing is something that is obviously a challenge all over our community. This is going to take a big bite out of that. The bigger issue was the size of the other property. I think the community spoke. I think the planning department spoke loudly. I also think that there’s going to be continued discussions and conversations that surround this because it’s a unique area. It’s a unique property. I don’t know that there’s another property in Monroe County that exists to this scale. We want to make sure that whatever is built fits the appetite.”
The building of a 7-Eleven was another issue that came up recently.
Raschein said, “I relish the fact that people are so passionate about their neighborhoods, about their way of life, about what we do day to day here in the Keys. That was a project that was approved by county staff. The entities that want to open the 7-Eleven worked hard to really tailor their project and at the end of the day the community was still not comfortable with where they were landing. I think that our process that we have here in Monroe County is so open. You have that opportunity to weigh in and our planning commissioners heard that. Is this the end-all? I don’t think so. We’ll probably be back at the drawing table and revisit this.”
The Keys Kids Swim Program gives every kindergartener in the Upper Keys the chance for swim lessons.
Raschein said, “It’s amazing. I went on Wednesday and watched these kindergarteners learning how to float. Some of them have never been in a pool. So now we’re going into the summer season and 60 or so kindergarteners will have had swim lessons five days a week, an hour in the pool for two weeks. It was a good reminder of why we do what we do. I’m so proud of the county. I’m so proud of the school district.”
This is a pilot program for Key Largo School, but it will hopefully expand to other schools in the Keys. Raschein said, “The number one cause of death for young children is drowning and we’re not going to find that acceptable here in the Keys. As a mom to a young person, it’s just a no-brainer. It was incredible.”