Monroe County Commissioners voted 4-1 on a tentative $674 million spending plan with funding cuts still in place to Florida Keys nonprofits serving the most vulnerable populations.
The approval during a Sept. 9 budget hearing in Key West came after two commissioners attempted to alleviate the cut. Specifically, nonprofit agencies in social services and health that receive funds through the county’s Human Services Advisory Board are in line for a 50% reduction.
Dollar wise, it’s a $1.1 million slash in total funds for organizations like Keys AHEC, Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition, Domestic Abuse Shelter, Star of the Sea Foundation (SOS), Key West’s MARC House and Samuel House, in addition to other nonprofits.
Additional county budget cuts include layoffs, eliminating 20 vacant positions and forgoing Freebee rideshare service. Spending reductions of $41.6 million, as outlined in the tentative budget, come amid new scrutiny over local government spending by the state Department of Government Efficiency. Formed in February by Gov. Ron DeSantis, the stage agency mirrors the federal DOGE once spearheaded by Elon Musk to eliminate “wasteful spending.”
A presentation by DOGE team lead Eric Soskin to the Florida Association of Counties in June outlined the department’s priorities, including pinpointing “trendy or low-ROI” spending along with “unnecessary use of taxpayer funds to support (non-governmental organizations)” and “subsidized competition with private enterprises.”
A report by DOGE highlighting government spending across the Sunshine State is expected to come out in January 2026. Out of that report, Monroe County officials are hoping to get clarity on what DOGE and the state deem as “unnecessary spending.”
Several public speakers told county commissioners they didn’t believe government funding for nonprofits serving vulnerable populations was “unnecessary.”
“We are the only certified domestic violence center serving Monroe County,” said Sherrie Schwab, executive director for the Domestic Abuse Shelter.
She said funding through HSAB supports the organization’s outreach program from Key Largo to Key West. The five-person HSAB recommended the Domestic Abuse Shelter receive $98,895 in county funds. With county funding cuts, the shelter would receive half of that.
“We provide life-saving service, and not everybody needs emergency shelter,” she said. “Outreach is provided to those who aren’t in an emergency but need essential life-saving service.”
County Commissioner Craig Cates proposed they give human services nonprofits 50% of funding they requested for the upcoming fiscal year and potentially an additional 25%, or roughly $550,000, from reserves once they receive more clarity from the DOGE report. Commissioner David Rice, who supported Cates’s motion, said it’s an “acknowledgement of hope and intent for our nonprofit community.” Rice was the lone “no” on the county spending plan.
Ultimately, Cates’s motion failed 3-2 with Commissioners Holly Raschein, Michelle Lincoln and Mayor Jim Scholl voting “no.” Raschein said she supported Cates’s intention while noting commissioners could still reconvene and potentially provide additional dollars once more guidance comes out of Tallahassee in early 2026. Scholl agreed with Raschein’s statements.
Lincoln noted the commission agreed to increase its millage rate in order to generate an additional $2 million for its emergency reserves for hurricane cleanup. Between the cuts and increase in the millage to 2.7372, or $273 per $100,000 of a property’s taxable value, the county is expected to boost its emergency reserves from $10 million to $14 million.
Lincoln expressed concerns using funds from the reserves for potentially something else. Lincoln also acknowledged that not every county funds nonprofit the way Monroe County does through HSAB.
“I understand we’re much different just given where we live than most other counties,” she added.
County Administrator Christine Hurley noted that the DOGE director’s talk at a recent Florida Association of Counties conference revealed some of the focus areas for DOGE in terms of spending. It included stopping the flow of funds which support wrong, unlawful or unscientific ideologies, activities with low return on investment and unnecessary use of funds to support nongovernmental organizations.
“We went into the budget knowing these were their (state’s) priorities,” Hurley told commissioners. “Some are not popular and we know that and we are sorry for that. But we recognize after the state passed their budget, the governor vetoed a substantial portion of the budget related to nonprofits and the arts.”
In July, Keys Weekly reported some $560 million were axed from the legislatively-approved state budget by the governor. A little more than $5 million in similar health-related funding across the state, identified as “Appropriation 436” in the legislature’s budget, were cut. It included $975,000 for Keys AHEC, which provides dental services, including cleanings, sealings and X-rays, as well as health services, including physicals ahead of the school year for children in the Keys.
Cuts at the state and county levels are serving as a double-whammy for Keys AHEC. Michael Cunningham, Keys AHEC CEO, said his organization stands to lose $98,000 in county funds.
“This will have devastating effects on health and social service programs that care for our working class families, children and disabled,” Cunningham told Keys Weekly. “Services currently available for many agencies will be reduced or eliminated and will likely never be able to be restored. We thank those who tried to assist and were supportive.”
A final county hearing on the millage rate and spending plan is set for Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 5:05 p.m. at the Murray Nelson Government Center in Key Largo.
