Amid overheated national politics, Florida Keys candidates — and voters — kept their cool at the July 15 election forum presented by Hometown, a nonpartisan voter education group, and hosted by The Studios of Key West.
With the primary election just four weeks away, the Hometown forum featured Republican candidates and the nonpartisan school board and Key West city commission races that will be decided on Aug. 20.
Social studies teacher John Dolan Heitlinger, Keys Weekly editor Mandy Miles, education advocate Bryan Green and local blog editor Linda Grist Cunningham questioned the candidates.
Supervisor of elections
First up was the race for supervisor of elections, which has drawn an unusual amount of attention this year, given the impending retirement of longtime supervisor Joyce Griffin and some internal division within the county’s Republican party, which has two candidates — Sherri Hodies and Margaret Romero — competing in the Aug. 20 primary to face Democrat Ron Saunders in the Nov. 5 general election. Saunders was in the audience during the forum
Romero was on stage alone during the July 15 forum, as German told the audience that Sherri Hodies was unable to attend due to sickness.
When asked how Keys elections and the oversight office would be different under Romero compared to Griffin, Romero said, “To be honest, there won’t be much difference,” adding that Griffin and her staff have “done a great job that I want to maintain.” She said she would constantly be on the lookout for new technological developments, and has done a lot of research on statewide election laws and will focus on voter verification. “But I’m not going to take any potshots at Joyce and her staff because they’ve done a great job.”
Romero ended her statement by saying that her opponent, Hodies, was reprimanded by Griffin in an email that is public record for “misrepresenting” the truth by saying she had worked in the elections office under Griffin.
“I ask you as voters, anything you hear on the campaign trail, make sure anything you hear, verify it and don’t just take it as fact. Investigate back on me as well,” Romero said.
School board, District 2
The nonpartisan race to replace longtime school board member Andy Griffiths is between Yvette Mira-Talbott and Zach Bentley.
In an answer to a question about teacher retention and affordable housing, Bentley said that using the school district’s Trumbo Road property for teacher housing, which has long been the district’s plan, was not the highest and best use of that property, which could be sold or leased long-term for significantly more value than the housing slated to be built there. He said the best teachers would rather live and “assimilate” in the community, and that teacher housing would likely attract mainly new teachers.
“I do believe housing is a priority, but that property belongs to the people … and there are a lot of hurdles for this housing to happen, so it’s not a done deal by any stretch,” he said.
In answer to a question, Bentley acknowledged that his two children attend private school although he attended local public schools.
“It has better educational opportunities, and I want all children in Monroe County to have better educational opportunities and there are things we can learn from St. Mary’s, but I don’t believe my family is any less committed to public schools because my children go to private school.”
With regard to the upcoming search for a new superintendent, following the retirement of Theresa Axford, Bentley said he would favor promoting from within the district.
Mira-Talbott, who has previously volunteered as a mentor with Take Stock in Children scholarship program, said she encourages a nationwide search and applications from existing employees.
She also said affordable housing will continue to be a problem, and “it’s important we use the ability to build the housing that is already in the works at Trumbo Road” and look at other places to build housing up the Keys while finding ways to help teachers afford traditional housing in the community.
Mira-Talbott added she wants to ensure that the new superintendent understands the geographical challenges of the county and works to make sure the Upper Keys are made to feel included.
County commission, District 5
Republican Melissa Ptomey is challenging incumbent County Commissioner Holly Raschein for the Upper Keys seat and has criticized Raschein for opposing the will of residents and voting to approve a development project in the Upper Keys that includes workforce housing and a new Publix supermarket.
When asked, Raschein defended her vote, which was in agreement with the other commissioners, saying she had struggled with the decision and lost sleep over it.
But in the end, the 86 units of workforce housing that will give preference to first responders, teachers, nurses and other vital community workers decided her vote.
Ptomey was asked her position on a potential, one-way, $20 toll to be paid by non-Keys residents that could provide up to $160 million annually for infrastructure projects.
Ptomey said she would need to do more research and questioned whether Miami could then turn around and do the same thing. She also pointed out that many people work in the Upper Keys, but don’t live here.
In her campaign literature, Ptomey has pledged a 20% reduction of the county budget, which would equate to $150 million. When asked how she would do that, she urged an independent audit of county finances as well as a reduction of county employee travel and workshops.
“There are cuts that can be made, such as a $150,000 bicentennial celebration,” she said.
Raschiein reminded voters that two major projects have been funded in recent years, including the new concourse at Key West International Airport and three new Trauma Star helicopters.
Such reductions as proposed by Ptomey, Raschein said, would require cuts to crucial programs such as libraries, parks and senior centers, “and I, quite frankly, am not willing to do that.”
Key West Utility Board
Keys Energy Services (KEYS) is the public power utility for the Lower Florida Keys. Headquartered in Key West, Florida, KEYS provides electricity from Key West to the Seven-Mile Bridge and serves more than 28,000 customers.
The City of Key West purchased the electric utility in 1943, and the City Council created the Utility Board to oversee KEYS (then known as City Electric System before the utility’s name was changed in 2002). In 1969, the Florida State Legislature passed a new enabling act for the governing of KEYS, which is still in effect today and calls for the popular election of five Utility Board members serving four-year terms. Through the Utility Board, KEYS’ customers have a say in their municipal electric utility.
Visit hometownkeywest.com for a complete video of the July 15 forum.
