Candidates for federal, state and local offices answered questions and offered their pitch to voters at the Murray Nelson Government Center in Key Largo on Oct. 3.
The forum was organized by the Tavernier Community Association, the Island of Key Largo Federation of Homeowner Associations, Upper Keys League of Women Voters and Upper Keys Business and Professional Women. Before candidates tackled the issues, the League of Women Voters’ Barbara Overton provided a brief overview of the six amendments on the November ballot. Overton also delved into the Monroe County School District’s half-mill referendum, which allows the district to move funds from the capital fund to operational fund to help pay for teacher salaries and school resource officers, and the half-cent referendum, which continues the current sales tax for 10 years to fund the district’s capital improvements.
Candidates in each race were then called to the stage. Each candidate had a minute-and-a-half to respond. Questions were prepared by the four community groups.
ISLAMORADA VILLAGE COUNCIL – SEAT 2
The race for Islamorada’s Seat 2 between Anna Richards and Capt. Steve Friedman kicked off the night. Richards was first asked what she would do to bring stability to a village hall that’s seen turnover among managers, department heads and staff the past several years. Richards said the village council members need to start by working together. She also said the council needs to work with the community, because the “community feels like they don’t have a voice.”
“Work together. Stop the division and the negativity,” she said.
As for the turnover at village hall, Richards mentioned the need for continuity in working with department heads.
Richards was also asked how she would address noise and safety concerns on the water without limiting public access. The question was in relation to issues near Sunset Drive Beach, where increased boating activity over the summer holidays brought noise, trash and even boaters and their dogs on private property. Several years ago, the village council established a vessel exclusion zone on White Marlin Beach to address a similar issue.
“You’re opening up a Pandora’s box if you start letting people boat and stop everywhere you go, because if you do it at White Marlin, then you do it at Sunset, and then Port Antigua, and then Plantation Beach and Plantation Key Colony and Indian Harbor. It’s just going to be a snowball effect. I think we have to be very careful about that. Again, maybe community workshops. Let’s see what the whole town wants.”
Friedman was asked how he would increase housing availability for the working class and affordability in Islamorada. Friedman said he believes he could help, having received a master’s degree in community and regional planning. He said it’s a situation that needs to be addressed, and if elected, he would ensure any future projects would take housing into consideration.
“Being a small business owner myself, every day I’m working with small businesses and interacting with many folks who are qualified for affordable and workforce housing.”
Friedman was also asked how he would balance development in the village with conservation concerns. Friedman said he would work hard to make the decisions fair, respecting property rights, fiscal responsibility and protecting the fisheries, migratory nesting birds and environment.
“When I go out on the water every day I have a plan. I have an idea of what I’m going to do, where I’m going to go and I have to adapt. We have to institute a plan and then work that plan to the benefit of as many as we can.”
ISLAMORADA VILLAGE COUNCIL – SEAT 3
The race for Seat 3 in Islamorada is between former mayor Deb Gillis and Mary Barley.
Gillis was asked how she’d work to ensure waterways and ecosystems remain healthy at the village level. Gillis said she has relationships at the federal and state levels from her previous stint on the council. She also credited the village’s hiring of a resilience officer who’s seeking studies to address the breakwaters, canal cleanups and protecting the islands from storm surge and sea level rise.
She was also asked if she was in favor of changing the 24-hour evacuation window to accommodate more building permits.
“I really don’t think it’s safe to change per se, but there needs to be an adjustment because of the sheer fact technology is so much better today on when and how they (storms) are coming. To do it strictly for more permits, I’m not for.”
Barley was asked how she’d work to bolster resilience in Islamorada. Barley said she believes the village is doing a lot of the work already cleaning canals and bringing on a resilience officer.
“We have to follow the science. A lot of what we’re doing is we’re not following the science. We’re following some developer who wants to do this or that.”
Barley was also asked about the top challenges and changes she’d like to make to the village. She said the number one issue is the village’s wastewater system, which has seen a number of breaks in recent years.
“Until you get people who are willing to step outside the box and make a decision that helps your community, you’re not going to find any difference in hope it works out,” she said
Barley also mentioned workforce housing and the need to budget funds.
“You can look around the whole Keys and see it’s not been done,” Barley said.
ISLAMORADA VILLAGE
COUNCIL – SEAT 4
The race for seat 4 is between Don Horton and Tom Raffanello.
Horton was asked about congestion and traffic in peak season and how he’d alleviate the issues. Horton said he was told there are roughly 2,499 more vacation rentals south of Islamorada, meaning many vehicles are passing through the two-lane road in the heart of the village.
“We need to look at ways to have intermodal transportation. We’re talking about changing the bridge at Snake Creek; that will help a whole lot. We can use the Old Highway and use it more for a locals-type situation where we don’t have people fighting their way back in. If we can’t do that, look at maybe making Old Highway areas right-turn only. We are stuck with drive-through traffic and we just have to look at ways for us to improve without widening roads and taking parking away from businesses.”
Horton was also asked the top three things he’d like to see changed in the comprehensive plan for Islamorada. Horton said the village fulfilled all elements in the previous comprehensive plan except for transportation and affordable housing.
“We drastically failed on those issues. I envision us being able to work towards workforce housing; certainly we’ll have to work with the county on this. I think we really need to look at workforce housing, one-bed, one-bathroom units that can accommodate the workforce.”
Raffanello was asked what the two most immediate problems facing Islamorada are and how he’d address them. He said he’d protect the individuals, and the first thing that should be on the list is the evacuation plan.
“It shouldn’t be kicked down the road any more. It’s been kicked down the road half the time I’ve been here and I’ve been here 15 years.”
Raffanello said the village should also tackle wastewater and work with Key Largo Wastewater District. He said key issues like the state of infrastructure goes back to leadership.
Raffanello was also asked how he’d approach the tension of providing more housing, dealing with infrastructure issues all while providing basic community services with growing costs and controlled spending. He said the village’s budget is due for a haircut.
“The budget really needs to be analyzed and money moved around, kind of like FEMA where money can be re-programmed to go anywhere. We need to reprogram the money and put it in the places we need in the priorities that we set.”
KEY LARGO FIRE & EMERGENCY
MEDICAL DISTRICT BOARD – SEAT 3
Incumbent Kenny Edge and challenger Ron Mobley will square off in the race for seat 3 on the district board. The race is nonpartisan.
Mobley, who joined the fire service following graduation from Coral Shores in 1974, said he wants to continue serving the community. His career in the fire service, coupled with years spent training overseas and through his business, is something he says he can bring to the board.
“I feel those experiences will be beneficial,” Mobley said.
The incumbent, Edge, said he wants to see two bigger projects through, if re-elected. He spoke of the 4,000 square feet of additional space at Station 24 at MM 99. He sits on the fire boat committee and said it’s a very necessary thing to have in the Keys.
“I was able to help finish up as a board phases 9 and 10 of the fire hydrant program to give us an ISO rating for lower fire insurance. I like projects. I think if my experience being treasurer and currently sitting commissioner, I want to see it through,” Edge said.
KEY LARGO FIRE & EMERGENCY
MEDICAL DISTRICT BOARD – SEAT 5
The race for the district board’s Seat 5 is between incumbent Dan Powers and Michael Jenkins. The race is nonpartisan.
Powers was asked the top three challenges faced by the fire and emergency medical district in the years to come. He listed the station expansion so better services are offered while housing firefighters, a study to de- termine whether to combine the two departments and a fireboat program that would cover 70 miles of shoreline in Key Largo.
Jenkins was asked whether the district should expand Station 24 or acquire four vacant lots from the for- mer fire department. Jenkins said Sta- tion 24, which was originally built for volunteer firefighters, should expand to accommodate offices, bunk houses and other things to help provide bet- ter services in Key Largo.
COUNTY COMMISSION DISTRICT 3
The race for Monroe County Commission’s District 3 pits Republican incumbent Jim Scholl and Democrat Chris Massicotte.
Scholl was asked why he approved an ordinance to establish an overlay on the CEMEX property to allow for a Publix in Tavernier. Scholl said when it was originally presented to the planning commission and other entities it was a much bigger project than what was finally agreed to.
“It was scaled down, and a major factor of approval was workforce housing,” Scholl said. “The scaling down of the Publix grocery store … It was a different project that finally got approved from the county commission than what was initially proposed.”
Massicotte was asked if it would be safe to alter the evacuation window of 24 hours to a longer time period to allow for more building permits. Massicotte responded with “absolutely not.” Massicotte said the state just saw how fast a storm could strengthen from a tropical storm to a Category 5.
“We need to get everybody out. That’s why I would have opposed the Publix and workforce housing at MM 92. I cannot believe the traffic that will end up there. It was a good project in the wrong place. We can build affordable housing, workforce housing without strings attached and without creating more traffic.”
Scholl was asked why the county commission waives inclusionary housing requirements and what was his main action item to resolve the issue. Scholl said workforce housing is the No. 1 strategic element commissioners have been presented with through meetings throughout Monroe County.
“We hear it from the school boards, we hear it from the hospitals that the requirement for workforce housing is the overriding element, and it got exacerbated by state statutes that allow for there to be vacation rentals anywhere. Any property owner can now transfer what was potential long-term workforce housing into vacation rentals because obviously it helps them make money.”
Massicotte was asked what he would do to represent the interests of the Upper Keys as a Key West resident. He said he believes someone cannot be an effective county commissioner unless one truly knows the entire county.
“I will treat this job as a full-time job. This will be my job. And as hard as you see me working in this campaign, that’s how hard I will work as a county commissioner,” he said.
FLORIDA HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 120
The race for the Florida House District 120 seat includes Republican incumbent Jim Mooney and Democratic newcomer Michael Travis.
Amid recent discussions at the local level on evacuation times and building permits, Mooney was asked how he’d address growth management concerns at the state level. He said all directives come from the county and cities in the district.
“The county is going to have to come up with directives,” he said. “I don’t get to tell the county what they need to do. The constituents of the cities and county let them know what they want and from there they bring it to me and discussion begins.”
Mooney added he successfully passed a bill last session that included the 24-hour evacuation requirement, which now included Key West and mobile homes in the Keys.
Travis was asked what proposals he’d pursue to reduce the property insurance burden on Florida homeowners. He said he never owned a home and comes from a generation deciding whether to pay the phone bill or rent this month.
“Property insurance is a kind of a far grasp from what comes to me in my daily value, other than I know car insurance, I know people aren’t well informed as to how much insurance they need to have. That needs to come with an education program, to show you own this much home, you actually need this much insurance.
Travis added that there needs to be assurances insurance agencies pay out what they promise to pay. He also said there have been “very good” pieces of legislation in Tallahassee but the “current leadership doesn’t want to hear it.”
U.S HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES DISTRICT 28
The race to represent the Florida Keys and Miami-Dade County in Washington, D.C. will see Republican incumbent Carlos Gimenez against Democrat Phil Ehr. Gimenez wasn’t in attendance for the forum; a reason wasn’t given during the forum.
Ehr, who attended the forum, was asked how he’d help reduce the cost of living in Florida and the Keys.
Ehr said he’s running to work for things important to everybody. He wants to ensure Washington, D.C. adopts a philosophy articulated by Kamala Harris in growing the middle out and not a trickle-down that barely gets there. For housing, he wants to ensure there’s enough of it.
“I will be a team player with local officials to work on solutions that are good here, and have it not be work-camp-type housing, but family-friendly and being mindful of the 24-hour evacuation plan.”
Ehr, a retired U.S naval officer, said he’s running for the purpose of bringing the country back to the center and away from the extremes and corruption and chaos.
“I don’t work for any president. I work for the people and I demonstrated that throughout my career,” he said.
SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS
Republican Sherri Hodies and Democrat Ron Saunders are vying to be the next county supervisor of elections, following the announced retirement of Joyce Griffin. Hodies didn’t attend the forum; a reason wasn’t given during the forum.
Saunders, who attended the forum, was asked how he’d deliver important information to voters.
“It’s important to get out and talk to voters to see if there are any issues they have. You don’t want any conspiracy theories out there or rumors. They want to make sure it’s run properly,” Saunders said. “I will say Joyce Griffin has done an excellent job; she’s been there 40 years and I haven’t seen one single problem down there.”
Saunders said the elections website could be updated and more accessible. He said he’d also like to add a few more early voting sites, including Key West and Ocean Reef.
