Not everyone at city hall on Aug. 24 had voted for new Mayor Sam Kaufman, commissioner Chris Massicotte and commissioner Mark Rossi, but everyone in the standing-room-only crowd showed respect, opting to leave the vitriol online, where it had metastasized for months during the campaign.
After taking the oath of office, administered by Judge Mark Jones, Kaufman spoke about unity and optimism.
“Whether you voted for me or not … I will be your mayor, too. We’re all in this together. The election is behind us. Now we have an opportunity to come together and focus on something much more important — the future of the community we love. There has been a lot of division in our community. I don’t want that division to define us. I want this next chapter to be about what brings us together. I want us to celebrate the good in Key West and the good in one another. I want us to bring more joy, kindness, optimism and respect into our public life. And I want us to spend less time tearing people down and more time lifting people up.
“You do not have to have supported me in this election for us to work together. … If you love Key West, if you care about your neighbors, if you want to help make this community better, there is a place for you in the work ahead. My approach as mayor will be pretty simple: listen, prioritize, and follow through. … Despite our differences, we are one community. We are one human family.”
Kaufman will preside over his first city commission meeting on Thursday, Sept. 3. Commissioner Lissette Carey will continue to represent District IV, until the Nov. 3 runoff election between Sarah Compton and Wayne Garcia decides that race.
