12 CANDIDATES VIE FOR 5 COUNCIL SEATS IN ISLAMORADA

Spanning a series of islands, Islamorada boasts some of the best ocean views and scenic sunsets. Within the village, business bustles as boats leave the dock early morning for a day of fishing, while attractions flip their signs to open as they welcome visitors. Local restaurants fill up with hungry patrons, while residents and guests take to a number of treasured parks for a day of exploration. There’s also a thriving arts scene and small-town atmosphere within Islamorada. 

But the village of more than 6,000 residents also has its share of challenges, such as workforce housing, traffic congestion and building permits. This November, all five seats on the village dais are up for grabs. Enter 12 ambitious and eager candidates ready to take on some tough tasks facing the village. The Keys Weekly asked each candidate the following questions to gauge what led them to throw their name in the hat, and what they could bring to the table if elected. (Answers provided by the candidates are only edited for grammar). 

Questions:

  1. What led you to throw your name in the hat for Islamorada Village Council?
  2. What can you bring to the dais, if elected?

SEAT 1

SUE MILLER
Age: 78
Years living in Islamorada: 41
Profession: retired, was real estate broker in Islamorada for 20 years, computer programmer in the 1960s and 1970s.

  1. I chose to move to Islamorada and raise my two sons here because of my love of the water, the environment, the small-town environment. I have watched as the involvement of residents in government decision-making has declined to disappointing levels. Are residents afraid to speak up or are they just ignored? The people need to have a louder voice in the decisions impacting lives and the future of the village. I will work to provide more opportunity for residents to be heard. Residents and the existing businesses are the heart and soul of Islamorada. Yet they often have needs and expectations that are not being met. We need to do everything we can to foster community engagement and transparency, build trust and accountability.
  1. I have been a community advocate for decades, attending village council meetings regularly, participating in village committees. I believe I can be a voice for the residents and small businesses. For 20 years I owned a small business in Islamorada and understand the struggles. I research the issues, I know and understand the village Comprehensive Plan and the Land Development Regulations. My motivation is simple – I think we all need to work together to create a plan to make Islamorada the best it can be.

PETE BACHELER
Age: 74
Years living in Islamorada: 37
Profession: Private land use planner.

  1. I was a private land use planner in the village for over 35 years. I was chairman of the village Land Planning Agency for over five years so the next step was to run for council. 
  2. My first year on council I was the vice mayor and this year the mayor. I’ve chaired over 50 village council hearings which brings a wealth of knowledge in “how the village does things” to the council. More importantly, I’ve met and talked to a lot of residents in person or on the phone. Communication is the key to business success as well as the success of the village. 

ANGEL BORDEN
Age: 60 years
Years living in Islamorada: February 2011. Returned permanently to Islamorada and here full time for 12 years (originally left the USA 30 years ago).
Profession: Businesswoman providing company administration and also owner of a kayak rental company. 

  1. My personal tolerance level of frustration has exploded with the ongoing issues neglected for over five and 10 years. The lack of transparency by every single council to resolve these problems coupled with numerous residents over several years saying,  “why don’t you run?” It is time for a change. Frustration with the amounts of money spent on studies/projects with waiver of competitive bids. $55,000 for what to do with the Fills and at the last village meeting it came out “we can do nothing without asking DOT permission.” We have qualified employees and volunteer committees that could have performed this “survey” and saved $55,000.
  1. Transparency and accountability in the actions by the council and the employees of the Village. It is obvious due to many recent events proper HR policies were “forgotten” or “ignored” allowing improper sexual contact behind closed doors; employees’ rights to a safe workplace were ignored. It is reprehensible that this conduct was not addressed in previous years or at the very least by our last short-term manager as due to his failure to act the workplace became extremely toxic and several highly qualified employees resigned. At 60 years young I bring over 30 years of accounting, property management experience including condo complexes of over 70 units as manager and board member.  I have been responsible for preparing for multiple hurricanes and the resulting disaster recovery of Hurricane Ivan in the Cayman Islands that included human resources management of over 80 employees, each of which was held to a code of conduct.

SEAT 2

MARK GREGG
Age: 63
Years living in Islamorada: 35
Profession: Real estate attorney (semi-retired).

  1. I have loved serving the people of Islamorada as an attorney since I started practicing law here in 1987, and as a councilman when I was first elected to the village council in 2000. Islamorada has many threats, challenges and opportunities that I have been focused on since incorporation in 1997, and I would like to continue working to improve Islamorada’s economy and quality of life, and to protect our community character and fragile natural environment.
  2. Leadership experience, knowledge of the community and professionalism. I was honored to serve as an Islamorada village councilman from 2000 to 2004, including a year as mayor and a year as vice mayor. I also served as a member of the Islamorada Land Planning Agency, including a year as chairman and a year as vice chairman, and as a member of the Islamorada Achievable Housing Advisory Committee. I practiced real estate and business law full-time in Islamorada for nearly 20 years, I was active in the Upper Keys Rotary Club for 17 years, and for 4 years I taught business law at the Florida Keys Community College (now known as the College of the Florida Keys). In 1998, I built the first 3 affordable housing units permitted by the village.

MARY BARLEY
Age: 76
Years living in Islamorada: Resident since 1998, have been visiting Keys since 1970s.
Profession: Retired.

  1. Interestingly, a number of people approached me to consider running. I had recently stepped down as chairman of The Everglades Trust, therefore I have time to devote to other issues and my community is important to me. I live here year-round and will make a difference.
  1. I am knowledgeable about government having spent the last 30 years driving Everglades and Florida Bay restoration. I have experience moving lobbyists, government agencies, bureaucrats, citizens, elected officials, to do the right thing. The current council does not respect each other, and meetings last until late at night. I know how to facilitate a productive debate and get to a resolution quickly and efficiently. More importantly, I excel in ensuring projects and policy are implemented correctly.

SEAT 3

ELIZABETH JOLIN 
Name: Elizabeth Jolin
Age: Over 50
Years living in Islamorada: 25
Profession: Captain with Bay and Reef Company and real estate agent with Island Equity Real Estate.

  1. For the past 25 years of living in Islamorada I have intentionally avoided village politics since nothing can spoil neighborhood friendships faster than political differences. However, after several controversial village council and village staff decisions which have abruptly changed the town, I realized that my rights to complain are limited by my own limitations of willingness to engage. It is urgent for us to design the future of Islamorada in this way: 1) Control growth, understanding the connection between our neighborhoods, our environment and the economy; 2) Establish legitimate pathways to civic engagement where the voice of citizens is heard just as loudly as the voice of the council and developers; and 3) Envision a future of Islamorada that ensures worthy, middle-wage employment, peaceful neighborhoods, thriving coral reefs, ample bonefish, healthy seagrass, and crystal clear water. This foundation will ensure a bright and desirable future for our residents as well as our tourists.
  1. I function with integrity and a commitment to fairness. By consistently making decisions based on input from the community and these principles, my qualifications are sound.

BUDDY PINDER
Age: 65 
Years living in Islamorada: Most of my life.
Profession: Underground utilities contractor.

  1. I have enjoyed serving the community of Islamorada. Islamorada is the place where I grew up, and where I raised my children, and where my grandchildren are being raised. I love this community and the people in it who are dedicated to preserving the unique characteristics of our small island village; that is, the fishing capital of the world. My hope is to continue fostering unity and harmony in our village, and to be sensitive to the needs of all residents and businesses. Our focus should be making decisions that benefit all of us, and not so myopic that we lose sight that we are a diverse community. A community of people who choose to live on our little group of islands and also deserve a representative who will actively listen and find thoughtful and considerate solutions. 
  2. I bring the experience of being a councilman for almost two years, and the experience of being on the board of directors for the Florida League of Mayors. While we are navigating challenging issues such as the pedestrian bridge, management of the Fills, and the permitting issues revolving around 2023, I believe we need people on the ground who will actually read legislation and understand the implications of the statutes and laws being crafted, and work toward sensible solutions. 

SEAT 4

CASEY WATKINS
Age: 40
Years living in Islamorada: 4
Profession: Managing Partner with Starbucks. 

  1. Running for village council is important to me because personally, I am fulfilled when being helpful and productive in our unique community as I continue to live and grow in Islamorada. My love for the Keys is rooted in my childhood, as I spent much of my free time down here with my best friend and his family. Islamorada residents have proven our resiliency multiple times in the last few years as we worked tirelessly to rebuild after Irma and focused our efforts on ensuring everyone’s safety and economic success during the pandemic. However, the established village is young and has experienced growing pains. There are measurable and attainable opportunities for creating positive change, while safely maintaining Islamorada’s integrity and special attributes. I am excited to help build and become part of the team leading Islamorada in sustaining our incredible ecosystem we have been entrusted to protect, and guiding us forward in our long term mission, developing open communication and transparency between neighbors and governing officials. We need true ambassadors of Islamorada to be accountable as role models who take time to ensure each member of this community has a voice. We must begin developing the next generation of local leaders. While top directives are delivered by the village manager’s office, there are clear needs that I’ll diligently continue to follow through to completion. 
  2. Winning the election will provide an incredible opportunity to further my service within the community I genuinely love. Gathering to celebrate events championed by our neighbors should be met with genuine excitement for everyone’s success. It is sad to witness division when we are all part of a tightly knitted community with great history. I am bringing a fresh voice and youthful attitude to our council in order to elevate our community today, and in preparation for the future. Exploring more sustainable opportunities for everyone to enjoy all facets of life which we are afforded in the Keys while considering our aesthetics. I take great pride in our community and its care from everyone. Instilling necessary improvements to our infrastructure ensures that our community develops at an appropriate rate and is successfully maintained. Entering this challenge, I am absolutely aware of the proper amount of time and dedication required to be effective in this new role. I am looking forward to the positive impact we will create together.

HENRY ROSENTHAL
Name: Henry Rosenthal 
Age: Did not respond
Years living in Islamorada: 57 
Profession: Former owner of Green Turtle Inn, Whale Harbor, Marker 88, former owner of Green Turtle Cab Company and entertainer of 37 years.

  1. The encouragement of the people. Obviously, I enjoy what I am doing. I’ve been successful on many occasions, which found the rest of the board going along with my proposals. I have a few things on my plate. Everyone says we want to extend terms from the 2 years to 4 because everyone has things they want to do. My position is where are you on these projects now? And I took on the project of pulling the plug on the walkover bridge even though the Florida Department of Transportation had holes in the ground. With the help of other board members that got done. The second thing I listed was Christmas decorations. I was successful this past year and I plugged into the budget $50,000 for Christmas. That’s a big number. It turned out very well. When it came time to reup the $50,000 I didn’t have to say a word. Another councilman said let’s do $100,000. One of the things I’m working on right now is the bus stops to redo them to be more consistent with the environment and look of Islamorada. And that’s in the works. And the other thing people are not aware of that I’m working on is removal of plastic bags out of grocery stores and balloons to protect water and our fisheries. I’m undertaking that as a project as well. These are things I’ll talk about publicly. 
  2. You’re going with someone with common sense. It takes time to have common sense. If age has anything to do with it, I should be at a pretty good level. I have lived it. I’ve been successful and I also had failure. But you can’t have success without having a few failures. 

SEAT 5

TOM RAFANELLO 
Age: 74
Years living in Islamorada: 13
Profession: Retired drug enforcement special agent in charge (1972-2005).

  1. My family and I have been Islamorada residents for 13 years. We have two children attending Plantation Key School. Having served in Congress (1994-96) as the Drug Enforcement Administration’s chief congressional liaison, I have followed the political landscape, both nationally and locally, for decades. In Islamorada, our village council seems to have forgotten that they serve the residents. The voice of the residents should be their priority. Unfortunately, it is not. I do not believe in criticizing from the sidelines. It is too easy, with no sacrifice involved. I want to step up and do something to solve problems and represent the will of the residents. It would be a change for the better, and I know we can do better. I want to help make our village what it was incorporated to be – the jewel of the Florida Keys.
  2. I bring 20 years of executive management experience. I ran statewide investigative operations in Arizona and Florida as the DEA’s special agent in charge. I also served as chief of worldwide operations, with responsibility for 10,000 employees in 70 countries and 110 domestic offices. The budget exceeded $250 million. I have the leadership, competence and skill set that the village council requires if we are to achieve the priorities identified by residents. I know how to problem-solve in a timely manner, how to execute budgets, and, most importantly, how to listen to residents. I never lost sight of who I served. I want to bring these skills to the Islamorada Village Council, as it cries out for an infusion of leadership, competence and accountability. The residents of Islamorada deserve nothing less. The needs of our residents, children and seniors, should be monitored and met.

SHARON MAHONEY
Age: 65
Years living in Islamorada: 50 years
Profession: Owner Enchanted Florist.

  1. I think the main reason for my entering is the way our community has changed. What was once a small “everyone knew each other” community has now joined the rest of the world. In some ways the change happened fast, without the people living here having a chance to think about what was and will be our future. I have been lucky to have spent my childhood here growing up in the perfect beautiful Florida Keys. Moving back home in the early ’90s after college really opened my eyes to the change. Watching the hammock being cleared, small “mom and pop” businesses leaving, big money moving in has been both sad and eye opening. I have listened to lifelong friends and newcomers begging to understand how this got away from us. … I want to try and keep what I have known and loved my whole life for the younger generations to have the memories I hold. My father always said “If you are not willing to help solve the problem then you are part of the problem.” I try and live by that. I think that is what really made my decision.
  2. I think I can bring a fresh set of eyes to the table. I am blessed to have everything I need, no motive to gain anything from sitting on council. I have a very successful business for 26 years now. It started as a (nonprofit) cat rescue, which has 21 years of giving back to this community. I run two very large charity fishing tournaments every year; that goes totally to the community. I know how to run a business and I know how to make tough decisions and work with people, and I know what it is like to care about my fellow residents and what we need to protect and change that has to happen. We need to stop the division and learn to listen and work together. Everyone sitting on the council needs to be totally transparent.

DAVID WEBB
Age: 70
Years living in Islamorada: 9
Profession: Retired FedEx Capt.

  1. I have always believed it is a civic responsibility to contribute to the community in which you live. As a first term councilman, I have experienced a very steep learning curve and believe I am now in an even better position to help address the significant challenges our community will face in the next few years.
  1. I have served as an elected official for over 20 years, as chairman of the pilots’ association at FedEx, on the Port Antigua POA and now the village council. I am unencumbered as a member of the village council as I am retired and have no business or investment interests in our community. This provides me with the ability to approach all decisions I make on behalf of our community with a single objective: what’s the right thing to do for the most folks. Period.