Yowza. A June 25 meeting about corruption in Key West and rebuilding public trust went off the rails in the first nine minutes, as indignant residents loudly booed the five of seven local lawmakers who voted to make them wait more than three hours to offer public comment. City commissioners Sam Kaufman and Monica Haskell voted to hear residents’ input at the start of the meeting.
Officials had called the special meeting to review the recent grand jury report that exposed egregious abuses of power in city government. Then they published an agenda that didn’t include a time for public comment. (According to the city charter, public input is not taken at special meetings unless the mayor deems it appropriate.)
Mayor Dee Dee Henriquez said she wanted to hear from residents, but not until after the commission had discussed all 27 recommendations contained in the grand jury report, and the actions being taken by the city manager and staff to implement them. Henriquez reasoned that some residents’ concerns may have been addressed during the commission’s discussion.
The crowd that packed city hall did not agree and booed loudly when the mayor, along with Commissioners Lissette Carey, Aaron Castillo, Donie Lee and Mary Lou Hoover, voted to add public comment to the very end of the agenda.
“This is just an example of how our government needs reform. This is terrible,” Kaufman said to applause from the packed meeting room. “If this is an indication of how this meeting is going to go, we need to clean house.”
Before going through the grand jury’s recommendations, the commission voted to approve two other items — hiring Michael Pope as an assistant city attorney and requiring meeting agendas to be published seven days before the meeting to allow the public ample time to review all the attached materials. Lawmakers heard public comment about each of those items before voting to approve them.
Resident and business owner Joe Walsh supported the agenda publication rule, but said it didn’t go far enough in giving the public an opportunity to weigh in on commission matters. He suggested that input be accepted before each agenda item that someone wants to address, rather than lumping all comments together at the start of a regular meeting.
“”It’s ironic to me that special meetings, discussion items at regular meetings and presentations during regular meetings do not allow for public comment,” Walsh said, calling the protocol undemocratic. “In my view, it’s being done to reduce public comment and citizen interaction.”
Walsh added that city manager, Brian L. Barroso, “in my view has been doing a good job soliciting input from the community professionally and diplomatically.” .
Then came the grand jury recommendations
Kaufman, who is currently the longest-serving commissioner, largely dominated discussions of each grand jury recommendation about how to fix what the report describes as a “network of nepotism, fraud, dereliction of duty and various criminal acts” in city government. (Click link to read entire grand jury report.)
City clerk Keri O’Brien read each recommendation, then Mayor Henriquez described the corrective actions the city manager and staff have put in place. Kaufman would then typically emphasize his frustration with the city’s speed of corrective actions, the need for an independent Citizens Advisory Committee, independent auditors and a compliance officer.
Is Sam Kaufman considering a mayoral campaign?
Kaufman’s extensive discussions prompted many observers of the meeting to speculate amongst themselves via text messages exchanged during and after the meeting whether his comments and criticisms were an early sign of a mayoral campaign to come.
So, the Keys Weekly asked Kaufman on Friday, June 27 if he was thinking of running for mayor.
His answer?
“My thought is that the city is in dire need of stronger leadership, and I’m giving serious consideration to how I can best continue serving our community — whether that means running to retain my seat as city commissioner or potentially running for mayor,” Kaufman wrote in a text message reply. “I’ll make that decision after thoughtful discussions with my family later this summer. This is a very important time for our city, and any decision I make will be guided by what I believe is in the best interest of our residents.”
What is the city doing to fix what’s broken?
City manager Brian L. Barroso told the packed chamber that Raj Ramsingh, the thrice-indicted and arrested former chief building official, had been notified of his official termination the day before on June 24. He had been on indefinite suspension without pay prior to that while the city completed its own internal investigation of Ramsingh’s alleged wrongdoing. He is accused of falsifying building permits and other city records, issuing improper permits to help himself and his friends and of running his own construction company, Strykker-Avery Homes,while working as the city’s CBO in a clear conflict of interest.
“We’re currently in the period during which Mr. Ramsingh can appeal his termination,” Barroso said, adding that the hiring process for a new chief building official will begin on Monday, June 30.
In addition, Barroso said, as of Friday, June 27, the city voided the certificate of occupancy (CO) for Raj Ramsingh’s home at 2827 Harris Ave. after having a licensed building inspector conduct an evaluation of the extensive renovations to the property, the permits that were issued for it and inspections that were and were not completed as required. The newly renovated five-bedroom, five-bath, 3,062-square-foot house with a pool has been on the market for about four months. It is currently listed for $2.35 million, but cannot be sold without a CO. All proper permits and inspections must now be obtained retroactively and at the expense of Raj Ramsingh.
Who else may have benefitted from Raj Ramsingh’s permitting process?
Barroso told the commission that the city has begun auditing all building and construction permits issued between 2020 and 2025, and inspecting those properties for unpermitted work, incomplete inspections and other violations. At least 35 properties are on the list, including at least three that belong to people with close ties to city government.
Those properties also include a home owned by former code director Jim Young, who was indicted and arrested on April 15, along with Raj Ramsingh and former city attorney Ron Ramsingh, Raj’s brother. Young retired days after his arrest for obstruction of justice.
All three men are charged with obstructing justice for allegedly deleting text messages that had been subpoenaed by the state attorney’s office as part of their corruption investigation. Raj and Ron Ramsingh face several additional charges — Ron Ramsingh for covering up criminal activity allegedly done by his brother, and Raj Ramsingh for, among other things, organized fraud.
Two other properties that were inspected for improper or unpermitted construction work this week have ties to current city commissioners.
Commissioner Sam Kaufman hired Raj Ramsingh as a contractor to do work on his home on Trinity Drive, moving a fence and extending a deck. City records indicate permits were never properly closed out and inspections never occurred.
Sounding appalled at the June 25 meeting, Kaufman announced at the June 25 meeting that his home had been inspected that day.
“Today I had a call from the building department to come inspect my house, MY house,” Kaufman said at the meeting. “Imagine that. Me. Someone who’s been trying to address the corruption for the past year, and my house was inspected before Jim Young’s. I’m not named in any indictments. I was never interviewed by the FBI or the state attorney. Explain that to me. We all know what’s going on here and I don’t like it.”
The city manager reminded Kaufman that his house was just one of four that had been prioritized for permitting audits and inspections. Raj Ramsingh’s property at 2827 Harris Ave. was the top priority, followed by Jim Young’s home on Thomas Street, Kaufman’s house and a home owned by Commissioner Lissette Carey’s family.
The house at 3528 Eagle Ave. is owned by Tony Estenoz, who is married to Commissioner Lissette Carey’s sister. Raj Ramsingh allegedly issued building permits to allow the owners to convert a storage shed into a living unit — after the planning department had denied the application.
Mayor removes Carey as vice mayor
Mayor Henriquez announced at the meeting that she has stripped Commissioner Lissette Carey of the vice mayor title and will name Commissioner Donie Lee as vice mayor at the next regular commission meeting in August.
Mayor wants Todd Stoughton removed as assistant city manager
Although not charged with any wrongdoing, the grand jury recommended that Todd Stoughton resign as assistant city manager.
“Testimony and evidence received by the Grand Jury revealed that Todd Stoughton’s close relationship with Ronald Ramsingh, Rajinhdar Ramsingh and Jim Young, the three indicted defendants, skewed his ability to think and act objectively, instead prioritizing the relationships over implementing real change. Whether by choice or unduly influenced by the professional and personal relationship with the three indicted defendants, Todd Stoughton’s inability to do his job impartially when it came to addressing issues with CBO Ramsingh was a contributing factor to the ongoing toxic environment created with the permitting process. Despite the removal of the three indicted defendants, his prior conduct raises serious concerns about his ability to execute his current responsibilities and serve in a management/supervisory role….,” the report states.
As Stoughton works directly for the city manager, the commission cannot remove him or insist he resign. But Henriquez said on June 25, “I would like to see him resign from his current position as assistant city manager.”
Some residents work to recall Lissette Carey if she doesn’t resign
Once public comment began about three hours after the meeting started, 75% of the audience had left the meeting. But some of those who remained called for the resignation of Commissioner Lissette Carey, as the grand jury had recommended.
“While not charged with any criminal violations by this Grand Jury, the testimony and evidence of her actions and inactions raised many concerns in her decision-making and, more importantly, her ability to serve the city in the capacity as a commissioner. Whether it is a lack of understanding the role, duties and responsibilities the position of a City Commissioner entails, she has not demonstrated the wherewithal and convictions needed to serve in this capacity,” the grand jury wrote.
Mayor Henriquez told the audience, “There are no provisions in the city charter giving the commission the power to remove a commissioner, but I am removing her as vice mayor.”
Carey told the audience that she would not resign.
“I know my heart and my record and I’ve fought for the city of Key West every step of the way,” she said, adding that she has received an “overwhelming” amount of support from residents in District 4. “If you believe I should be removed, then follow the democratic process (for a recall election) and let the people of my district decide, not a few loud voices online.”
After that Commissioner Monica Haskell told Carey, “One does not always have the best perspective on things involving one’s self.” Haskell then acknowledged Carey’s prior positions as a city employee, first as assistant to the mayor and commissioners, then in the city clerk’s office.
“Your perspective as an insider at city hall is different from that of the grand jury members, so I just ask you to consider that.”
Shortly thereafter, at 7:30 p.m., Mayor Henriquez announced that Carey had to leave unexpectedly, and would rejoin the meeting via Zoom, which she did around 7:50 p.m.
Residents call for Carey to resign or be recalled
But a few of those online voices calling for Carey’s resignation showed up in person on June 25, encouraging residents in District 4 to sign a petition that could lead to a special recall election decided by the voters in District 4.
“Lissette Carey should be recalled for committing misfeasance, malfeasance, incompetence and neglect of duty,” said Aaron Strebeck, reading from the recall petition that he is circulating. “Her persistent failures in judgment and responsibility are clear grounds for a recall.”
The grand jury investigation revealed that Carey had conspired with former commissioners and former city attorney Ron Ramsingh to keep a damning report about Raj Ramsingh’s behaviors concealed from the public, and to oust former city manager Al Childress, who was preparing to shine a light on Raj Ramsingh’s illegal permitting and conflicts of interest. She later told investigators that she felt she had been manipulated and used by Ron Ramsingh, whom she previously had considered a friend.
In demanding her resignation on June 25, resident Matthew McCarthy accused Carey of being a “puppet for land-use attorneys, real estate developers and the construction companies that bankroll them.”
“Ms. Carey admitted that while previously employed with the city as assistant to the mayor and commissioners, she had more than $200,000 of code violation liens wiped out with the help of the now-indicted, former code compliance director Jim Young. She also admitted in interviews with investigators that she had received a free house from Homes for Veterans, then sold the house and kept the cash for herself.
“She acknowledged she never read the Corradino Report (about raj Ramsingh’s actions in the building department), and yet worked to remove it from an agenda at the direction of her puppetmasters.”
Public gets last word
“Well, mayor, it appears your plan worked; there are far fewer people here now, after three and a half hours, to speak about this matter,” said Janice Slivko, who worked for the city for two years as a historic preservation inspector, but was prohibited by Raj Ramsingh from conducting such inspections until the last two months before she resigned, when city manager Barroso forced Raj Ramsingh to allow her to do her job.
She had filed a complaint with Human Resources about Raj Ramsingh’s interference, but said by the time she resigned in disgust, 209 days had passed with no action being taken on her complaint.
“I’m appalled but not surprised by everything I’ve heard here tonight,” resident Danielle Herndon said at the end of the June 25 meeting. “The people elected to office in this town think they’re better than us, we the people. They think they’re above the law … Each one of you sat back while corruption was happening. …“Commissioner Carey, you don’t intend to resign. I support the recall. You only won that seat by 17 votes; it was hardly a majority or mandate. You were involved, period. Very involved. You’re lucky you haven’t been indicted — yet. I have no faith that after three and a half hours here tonight, anything will be solved. It’ll all get swept away.”
