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.
Improving communication between City Hall and residents will be a major priority as Kaufman begins his tenure as mayor.
Kaufman announced that the city will begin holding regular press conferences, with the public invited to participate and ask questions.
“We’re going to be doing regular press conferences. The first that I know of from City Hall in Key West,” Kaufman said. “It’s very important to get information out to the public.”
Kaufman said residents repeatedly told him during his campaign that they believed City Hall was not communicating effectively or often enough.
“We’re going to do everything we can to change that,” he said, adding that residents will be invited to ask questions and “no questions are off limits.”
Kaufman also reflected on his first Key West City Commission meeting as mayor, held Sept. 3. He said he was encouraged by the way commissioners interacted and worked together.
“The overall sense of how well the commission got along, how nicely the commissioners interacted with each other, and there was a sense of working together,” Kaufman said.
He said he wants commissioners, particularly those who are new to the process, to feel comfortable participating in discussions and debates. He also emphasized the importance of making public participation less intimidating.
“We want to hear from the public,” Kaufman said. “So we need to make sure that people know that and that it’s as comfortable as possible for them.”
Kaufman also praised the city’s newly approved three-year labor contract with the Police Benevolent Association.
He said he has been encouraged by his relationship with PBA leadership and stressed the importance of supporting the Key West Police Department.
“We need to support our police department,” Kaufman said. “There’s a lot of things that we can do in the city to maintain the level of service, increase the level of service, and I’m very pleased with the leadership of the PBA.”
The mayor also addressed the city manager’s contract following a recent 4-3 commission vote that resulted in an automatic renewal.
Kaufman said the contract required the city to provide notice of non-renewal within 120 days of the end of the first two years of the contract. That deadline fell Sept. 9.
“The will of the commission was not to address it, and therefore his contract is automatically renewed,” Kaufman said.
He added that the question of whether the city manager should continue beyond the two-year period could be revisited, with more information expected to be provided.
Sargassum and water quality will also receive significant attention from the city.
A special meeting is scheduled for Sept. 22 at 3 p.m. at Key West City Hall to discuss the issue. Several experts will make presentations, with information expected to be available online when the agenda is published around Sept. 15.
Kaufman said the city is exploring a research- and data-driven pilot project aimed at addressing sargassum and improving nearshore water quality.
“If we are successful in obtaining permits, which is what we want to do, we will be the first city in Florida, and I believe in the United States, following what the great progress that the country of Mexico is making on this issue to really improve our water quality and our environment,” he said.
Kaufman described sargassum as a serious concern for both the environment and public health. Hydrogen sulfide associated with decomposing sargassum has affected residents with respiratory problems and contributed to damage to air-conditioning equipment at some Key West properties.
“We have people who cannot leave their homes, elderly folks and folks with respiratory problems because of the hydrogen sulfide,” Kaufman said.
He said the corrosive effects of hydrogen sulfide are also creating an economic burden for some residents.
“You’re seeing AC units that should last what, 10, 12, 15 years. After five or six years, they need to be replaced,” Kaufman said.
The mayor also discussed the city’s tentative budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
Kaufman said the city plans to adopt a rollback millage rate of 1.8848 mills and emphasized that there will be no tax increase under the proposed budget.
“The good news for our residents and our business owners is there’s no tax increase,” Kaufman said. “We will approve a budget at rollback.”
The tentative budget is approximately $331.4 million and includes funding for police, fire, EMS and ambulance services, sewer and stormwater systems, garbage collection and other city services.
Kaufman said the city does not currently expect significant changes before final approval.
“The bottom line is from the taxpayers, there will not be a tax increase, and we’re still able to provide the same level of service,” he said.
Kaufman said a proposed statewide property tax reduction, if approved by voters in November, could have an estimated $700,000 impact on the city because of reduced homestead property tax collections. He said that potential reduction has already been taken into consideration in the city’s budget.
Outside of city government, Kaufman said he also wants to bring a greater sense of community and enjoyment to City Hall.
“Part of my platform is to bring fun back to City Hall,” Kaufman said.
He pointed to the recent Labor Day weekend festivities surrounding Jimmy Buffett Day and the Just a Few Friends event, which drew thousands of visitors to Key West.
Kaufman said the event demonstrated the continued attraction of Key West for visitors and helped turn what has historically been a slower period into a major destination weekend.
He said he hopes to build on that success by holding an event at City Hall next year.
“I talked to Howard Livingston, and we’re going to do something special here,” Kaufman said.
Kaufman said the goal is to make City Hall a place where residents feel informed, involved and welcome.