Candidates for Monroe County District 5 commissioner and school board District 2 gave their positions at an Aug. 10 open-forum debate presented by the Key Largo Civic Club. As the last debate before the Aug. 20 primary, the event offered candidates a final opportunity to present their platforms to the public ahead of the ballot.
The first debate was among candidates for county commissioner. In an opening statement, prospective commissioner Melissa Ptomey introduced herself as a dedicated marine scientist who’d been inspired to run after witnessing the degradation of local reefs. Ptomey also noted the lack of communication between the Monroe County commission and the community in approving the development of a Publix and workforce housing project at MM 92.5, which had faced stringent opposition from the county’s Planning Commission and the Planning Department, as well as many other local interests and individuals.
Paul Wunderlich introduced himself as a Florida native who served the county for decades as an inspector of roads and bridges, who was likewise moved to run by environmental concerns and issues related to tourism and a lack of affordable housing.
Holly Raschein, the current mayor of Monroe County, spoke about her extensive experience in government service, in both state and local office. Her concerns regarding a shrinking middle class and environmental degradation had motivated her throughout the last four years during her tenure on the board of county commissioners, she said.
Candidates were asked how they intended to support housing for essential workers. Ptomey’s response detailed Monroe County’s drastic increase in budget over the past four years with its corresponding increase in rent. She spoke of the problems of unregulated online and short-term rentals and recommended a tier system to favor essential workers in providing housing. She proposed a department to take charge of ensuring affordable housing, and stressed that “we will never build our way out of workforce housing.”
Wunderlich responded that the county should require big investors and resorts to build onsite housing.
“Affordable housing in the Keys is not affordable,” said Wunderlich. “Essential workers should have the cost of their apartments included as part of their individual salaries.”
Raschein said that she considered this to be “one of the most critical issues facing our community.” She expounded on various housing projects she’d supported during her tenure, including 10 homes on Conch Key paid for by a disaster recovery grant. She clarified that the tier system proposed by Ptomey was already in place, beginning with county employees all the way to law enforcement officers. She admitted the problem of affordable housing still has a lot of hurdles to overcome and “no perfect solution.”
In a rebuttal, Wunderlich responded that in his last 24 years serving the county, he’d seen few real improvements in affordable housing.
“If we keep building, adding on, we’ll never catch up with it,” he said.
“Workforce housing is a bait-and-switch to have development pushed through for projects we’d otherwise not want to happen,” Ptomey responded, referencing Raschein’s support of the Publix and workforce housing project.
Candidates were asked generally what they’d do for the community if elected. Wunderlich said he’d focus on the concerns of the community, not those of tourism or big business. Ptomey said her goal would be to reinstate the relationship between the county commission and the community, putting the people of the Keys first, and creating advisory boards for topics of concern such as tourism and real estate. Raschein planned to continue to fight for the Keys, with the environment remaining a key priority in her agenda.
Referencing the recent Trauma Star scandal, in which a local flight nurse was reportedly in possession of stolen narcotics and two others have been indicted, the candidates were asked what should be done to clean up corruption in the county fire department. Raschein and Wunderlich spoke about the need for greater transparency and more oversight in the hiring process. Ptomey, whose husband is a firefighter, said many firefighters have known about this issue for years. Ptomey called for an audit of both the fire department and the BOCC.
A final question asked candidates how they perceived the importance of policy-making based upon the voice of the constituents. Ptomey emphasized that the commission has lost touch with its constituent base, and that the commission’s best interest should be the interest of the constituents.
“I think everything that goes on in the county should (be guided by) the voice of the people and the constituents,” said Wunderlich.
Raschein said her goal was to rely on the opinions of the public and their input.
“You’re not always going to make everybody happy. If you land somewhere in the middle, you know you’ve done something right.”
School board District 2
A debate was then held for candidates Yvette Mira-Talbott and Zach Bentley, running for school board District 2, the seat held by outgoing member Andy Griffiths. Bentley introduced himself as a former hospitality worker and small business owner who found his vocation and calling as a fishing guide. A graduate of Key West High School, he believes Monroe County public schools have seen some erosion over the past decades.
“My children go to St. Mary’s Basilica … and they are so happy there. It’s a better educational opportunity for them (than our public schools),” said Bentley. As a school board member, he sees it as his duty to reinstill confidence in our public schools, focusing on the well-being of the teachers and the students.
Mira-Talbott, a long-time Keys resident, spoke about her decades of educational advocacy and the need to find creative and innovative ways to keep teachers and staff working in Monroe County.
They were asked how they’d make nonpolitical decisions. “The litmus test for me is if (the school board) benefits the children,” said Bentley. “You won’t consider if it benefits Republicans or Democrats.”
“There’s no place for partisanship,” said Mira-Talbott. “The only decision is to do what’s best for the kids, the teachers and the school system.” Both candidates emphasized their relationships and communication with the current school board.
Asked how he’d support teacher retention, Bentley stressed the need to focus on attracting great educators by creating a culture and institution with a reputation for teaching with dignity. He said he believed there are isolated instances of corruption in the teaching institution, much like in the fire department.
Mira-Talbott argued that attracting great teachers isn’t the primary issue; instead, she would focus on teacher retention. Although local teachers are among the highest paid in the state, Monroe County has one of the highest costs of living in Florida.
“I’m very interested in finding different ways to help teachers offset the cost of living,” said Mira-Talbott.
The candidates were asked how they’d see themselves negotiating influence as one of five. “It’s very important that you understand who your fellow board members are,” said Bentley, who cited the need for close connections among board members. In her response, Mira-Talbott spoke about her years of experience communicating with board members.
A final question asked how they’d advocate not only for teachers but for the rights of parents and students. Bentley responded that attracting and retaining great teachers creates a positive culture between teachers, parents and students. “I (also) think it’s important to have school board members that are actively parenting,” he said.
“As a school board member I will do what I’ve done for the last 10 months,” said Mira-Talbott. “I’ve visited every school, listened to administrative staff. … I have been involved with teachers and education since my children were in school.”
The event concluded with short introductions by the Republican candidates for state committeeman and committeewoman. Bethany Bartlett, Jill Davis and Michael Washam spoke about their backgrounds and experience.
On Aug. 13, school board and commissioner hopefuls appeared at Crooked Palm Cabana on Plantation Key in Islamorada for a meet-the-candidates mixer.
