Key West Mayor Sam Kaufman joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about what’s going on in the city.
The mayor plans to continue holding regular press conferences as part of his commitment to transparency and keeping residents informed about city government. The first press conference held last week was well attended by members of the media.
The next conference is tentatively planned for around September 28, with future conferences expected to be scheduled around City Commission meetings.
Kaufman said the city also plans to advertise the events so members of the public can attend and ask questions.
“We want to be responsive to everyone,” Kaufman said, noting that residents have contacted his office about a variety of issues, including parking, flood mitigation and street repairs.
The proposed city budget will not raise property taxes for the coming fiscal year. The proposed operating millage rate is 1.8848 mills, representing a full rollback and a 3.60% reduction from the current rate.
The proposed general fund budget is approximately $103.6 million, an increase of about 2.1% over fiscal year 2026.
Kaufman said holding taxes at the rollback rate was an important goal for him because of the impact higher taxes can have on affordability.
“When the governments raise taxes, what that does is it raises rents,” Kaufman said. “And for the working people, it’s really a bad thing.”
He said Key West is the only municipality or government agency in the Florida Keys that did not raise taxes this year.
The budget also includes progress on public transportation, including increased service through the new Island Hopper and greater availability of bus service on Stock Island, which is important to the local workforce.
Kaufman expects the proposed budget to remain largely unchanged before its final approval. The final budget hearing is scheduled for September 22 at 5 p.m.
Another issue receiving attention is an investigation involving the city manager. Kaufman said the city attorney has recommended an independent investigation by outside counsel from outside Key West and Monroe County following an interaction between Kaufman and the city manager.
Kaufman said he supports the recommendation and will follow the facts wherever they lead.
“I think that people should pay attention and read all the materials and become aware of the facts, and then everyone can draw the conclusions that they do from those materials,” he said.
Kaufman said documents concerning the incident and his concerns about the city manager have been provided to members of the media and the City Commission. He said members of the public can also request the materials through his office.
Meanwhile, the city is preparing for a special meeting focused on the growing sargassum problem. The meeting is scheduled for September 22 from 3 to 4:30 p.m., immediately before the final budget hearing.
Experts are expected to discuss sargassum removal technology being used in Mexico, potential permitting requirements and possible ways for Key West to address the problem.
Kaufman encouraged residents to attend the meeting or watch it through the city’s website or YouTube channel.
He said the city’s focus on sargassum is also tied to its broader water-quality efforts because decomposing sargassum can have toxic effects on nearshore waters, particularly around beaches.
The City Commission recently unanimously approved replacing continuous water-quality monitoring equipment at the Yellow Man, the large yellow monitoring pole located near the Key West Aquarium and Mallory Square.
The city has also asked staff to determine the cost of installing similar monitoring equipment along Key West beaches.
Kaufman said the goal is to gather more information about water conditions and determine what actions are needed to address ongoing environmental concerns.
With several advisory boards and committees meeting throughout the week, Kaufman said City Hall remains busy, but he emphasized that maintaining communication with residents will remain a priority as the city moves forward on the budget, water quality, transportation and other issues affecting Key West.