KEY WEST CITY COMMISSION, DISTRICT 6
1.) On Aug. 26, the city commission will consider a proposal to rehire city manager Al Childress. If elected on Aug. 20, what factors will you weigh most heavily when deciding how you vote?
2.) This election transforms the city commission, replacing 4 of 7 members. What else needs to change in city government and Key West, in general? Be specific.
AARON CASTILLO
1.) There is only one consideration to be made in the potential rehiring of Mr. Childress, and that is: Is he the best person for the job? If he is, I will certainly vote to rehire him. The position of city manager is crucial for the operation and management of our city. If Mr. Childress can demonstrate that he has the support of staff and that he clearly understands the uniqueness of our little city, he will get my vote.
2.) Political discourse is healthy and normal, but the city commission must work together for the benefit of all our citizens, whether you were born here or came from Chicago three weeks ago. Your voice is important and deserves to be heard. If elected I will, of course, represent District 6 to the best of my ability, but I fully understand District 6 does not exist in a vacuum, even though we are elected by district, the decisions of the commission should be made in the best interest of all the citizens of our unique and remarkable community.
THADDEUS COHEN
- I believe the new commission would benefit from developing a consensus on the role of the manager in relation to the citizenry, commission, the city attorney, the city clerk and staff. What do we expect from a manager in developing important internal and external relationships etc. The commission should assess an individual’s leadership qualities, management style, attributes and achievements in order to lead our organization in a positive direction. The proposed special session seems to me to deprive the commission of Its ability to use their independent judgment to make a hiring decision.
- These are challenging times. Some issues — affordable housing, transportation, medical care, infrastructure, the environment — seem intractable. To meet the moment, we will need an open mind to test ideas, expand our collaboration with public, private and non-profit partners, as a force multiplier to solve problems and lean into cooperative efforts that bring out the best in all of us. I am not sure this is change, per se, but principles that can take us from where we are to where we want to be.
MARCI ROSE
- Factors that will weigh most heavily when deciding how I vote: majority of my constituents’ opinions, efficiency, transparency, expediency, responsibility, abiding by the rules, professionalism, fairness, productivity and work product, cause for termination (if any), reviews by the majority of the commissioners just before his termination were favorable, direct experiences with Mr. Childress have been positive and the support Mr. Childress has from our police department is outstanding.
- No nepotism in government, open and transparent government, return public service to politics (ie. politicians are servants to constituents), cleaner nearshore waters, clean, safe sidewalks/streets, residents’ quality of life balanced with safe, clean business/tourism, create enforceable and enforced ordinances re: sound, e-bikes, littering, prohibition of Styrofoam and plastic grocery bags, accountability, cooperation among city departments, truly affordable housing, support for public sector (ie. police, fire department, teachers, healthcare workers), support for homeowners to remain, affordable and quality property insurance, carrying capacity for Key West & Florida Keys and the resulting ability to vacate during disaster(s), good health care.
