We continue to work diligently to educate the public regarding local issues that impact quality of life, our fragile environment and our limited infrastructure.

Is anyone in Village Hall listening?

For many years, I was responsible for the submission and execution of substantial operational government budgets. Result? I have an opinion based on experience.

I can honestly say that I have never seen a budget process as broken as the Village budget protocol. At last week’s Budget Hearing, in less than 5 minutes, the Village Council approved spending $60 million resident tax dollars.

The budget Task Force of village residents commissioned by Manager, Ron Saunders, a few months back, did a great job and made common sense, actionable recommendations. They recommended a review of the “gold plated Rolls Royce” of employee benefits, including health insurance benefits bestowed by prior manager, Ted Yates, without Village Council approval (ignoring law?) Where was HR? Where was the Village Attorney?

They took a baby step to try to fix the issue, reducing employee family health insurance coverage from 97% paid by taxpayers down to 80%.  They then used the savings to provide salary increases.

Task Force recommendations also included:

• A request to improve the budget process and presentation to the residents.

• Suggested hiring a full-time grant writer to supplement funding

• Institute performance-based standards for employee raises

All these recommendations hit the mark and are common practice in the real world. Unfortunately, so many very relevant recommendations seem to have fallen on deaf ears.

We may have shared the following information in prior newsletters but it needs to be repeated.  The cost of government/resident:

• Islamorada (7,170 residents) - $2301/resident

• Marathon (9,689 residents) - $1,070/resident

• Key West (26,444 residents) - $817/resident

Our total general fund expenditures have increased from $11 million in 2021 to $17 million in the current cycle. A yearly increase of 11.24%. When does this stop and why do we spend so much?

Has anyone on Council ever executed multi-million-dollar budgets made up of taxpayer money before? You can’t manage what you don’t understand.

In order to stop the bleeding, we have several recommendations:

• Conduct an operational audit. Perhaps programs that were begun several years ago can be tweaked or eliminated. We have never done this in our quarter of a century existence.

  
  

• Require staff to submit cost cutting budgets: 10% and 15% potential budget cuts in future submissions. That would reveal programs and positions that can be eliminated. It is efficient and good business. Throughout my managerial career we were required to submit three budget requests: 10%, 15%, and 20% cuts. This is not a foreign concept. This may demonstrate some full-time positions that could be contracted out to avoid costly employee benefit packages.

  
  

• Invite the Florida Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to help us analyze how we can be more efficient. Why would any government official not welcome DOGE assistance? DOGE recommendations do not have to be implemented, but for the first time in a quarter of a century, the Village would have a state-of-the-art analysis performed by an outside entity.

I think that knowing we are not going about budgeting efficiently should be an eye opener for residents.

If you don’t care how your tax money is spent, then I am not speaking to you. I am speaking to those who do care.

Contact your Village Council and Village Manager and urge them to do better with our taxpayers’ funds…  and listen to residents.

What they are doing is not working.

Thank goodness that elections have consequences.

Tom Raffanello

Reply to: ICA.in.Keys@gmail.com

The 2026 Florida Legislative Session begins on Jan 13, 2026 and there are bills already being introduced.  

The Village contract with lobbyists, Gray Robinson, will end on Sep 30, 2025.

At the April 8, 2025 Council Meeting, the current council directed staff to finally require competitive bidding for the Village lobbyist. The RFP was posted and immediately canceled.  Why?

We have had the same lobbyists for over 10 years, each year approving a contract, while waiving competitive bidding.  

The contract with the Village lobbyist expires in two weeks.  The 2026 legislative session is right around the corner. Islamorada hasn’t created a list of priorities.

Legislative Wish List: A year ago our lobbyist was asked at a council meeting… what have you done specifically for Islamorada.  The answer - “You haven’t asked us for anything.”  

Are we just wasting $108,000 of taxpayer money?

Monroe County has an entire Legislative Affairs Department and creates a complete agenda for their lobbyists… a vast majority of their “wish list” would be identical to the Village priorities. Perhaps we should team up!  Click here to see the County priority booklet for 2025, or just their summary one pager.

Critical 2025 US 1 Level of Service Study

was also on the Commission agenda Sep 10. This study is used by Monroe County and the municipal governments to determine if there is sufficient capacity available on U.S. One to accommodate all existing and approved development.

Failing Grade: When the study has a failing grade, below C, for the entire U.S. One, the County Commission has consistently rejected the study (2019, 2023) because most development, other than single family homes, would be curtailed or traffic impacts mitigated in most areas of the Keys.     Passing Grade: When there is a passing grade of C or above the Commission approves the study. The 2025 study had a passing grade and was approved. There was significant public comment critical of the annual report. The Average Daily Trips documented for 2025 were the lowest number of daily trips recorded for the last 15 years.  Few found the statistics believable.   The studies must be done during the peak season - before the end of March.  The 2025 study was delayed and completed later than “peak season” as required.

Islamorada Traffic according to the Study: There were three traffic segments out of 24 segments in the Keys that had a failing grade in 2025, all the failing grades were in Islamorada: Lower Matecumbe, Upper Matecumbe, Windley Key.  Plantation Key had a passing score because construction delays (FKAA Water Pipeline project) are ignored.  But it didn’t mean the congestion didn’t impact drivers! Islamorada Standards: In Marathon and unincorporated Monroe County, if a segment falls below a Grade C, construction in the segment can only be approved with costly mitigation, except for single family homes. In Islamorada, the determining traffic is measured on an overall countywide basis not dependent on individual US 1 segments. Therefore building permits can continue to be issued in spite of three segments in Islamorada falling below a Grade C.

The County Commission voted 4-1 last February directing staff to prepare a Comprehensive Plan amendment to give FDOT the right to decide what areas of US 1 in Unincorporated Monroe County, including the 18-mile stretch, should be 4-laned.  Last month the Planning Commission voted to recommend to the County Commission that they deny the change they requested.  

At a meeting with county officials, FDOT District 6 Secretary Stacy Miller indicated that before FDOT would take step 1, a feasibility study, they would require the right to decide on the widening issue for all areas of the Keys, including Islamorada. Four lanes through Islamorada would be especially devastating in business areas.

The members of the County Commission were inundated with emails and phone calls leading up to their Wed Sep 10 meeting.  The meeting room was full of residents and business owners against 4-laning.  Residents and business owners were united against giving up local control regarding such a critical issue.

One by one, the members of the commission who had requested the change, informed the public that they would now be voting against their requested amendment.

Vice Mayor Don Horton spoke against the amendment on behalf of the Islamorada Council. He suggested that instead of 4-laning, FDOT should provide the funding, needed for widening, to Islamorada so the Village could reduce congestion by providing a bus or trolley system within Islamorada for residents and visitors.

FDOT has been providing Islamorada funding through a “Transit Development Grant” which has been paying 50% of the $553,330 of the Village’s contract with Freebee to provide an on demand rideshare service.  Some would argue that the Freebee program, while beneficial to riders, is not decreasing congestion in Islamorada.

What a showing at the “Swim For Alligator Lighthouse” last Saturday

The Annual Alligator Light Swim is a daunting 8 mile open-water race that attracts swimmers from all over the globe. Four swimmers from Coral Shores dominated the Women's field. This open water swim attracts swimmers from all over the country and the world.

Layne took 1st place for the Women, 9th place Overall, with a time of 3:39:51 in the solo swimmer event. Sofia placed 9th for the women in the Solo event. Sisters Larkin and Parks participated in the 2-Person Relay and secured 4th place in the Women's Relay category. Congratulations to the coaches: Jon, Owens, and Mailen for having the swimmers so well trained and prepared!

We continue to work diligently to educate the public regarding local issues that impact quality of life, our fragile environment and our limited infrastructure.

The Crooked Palm code change fiasco last Thursday is the poster boy for our Village making decisions based on influence and business relationships rather than the merits of the case.  Have you forgotten playing by the rules and equal treatment for all?

Personally, I do not doubt that the petitioners are good people and “good neighbors.” This is not about that and should have had no bearing here. It is about everyone playing by the rules, and what is best for the future of the Village, not the profitability of one.  

Planning and Council members, what were you thinking?

We are not stupid. There are so many rules ignored and bent that I will just give you my “low lights.” A more comprehensive list will be published in our next newsletter.

(1) The applicant applied for a minor deviation to a conditional use. The deviations requested were not minor. The changes requested were recognized by the planning department as not being minor, but the request was nevertheless processed as an amendment to a major conditional use.

This was not what the applicant requested.  Who did?  the Planning Department, Village manager?

It never should have been on the agenda.

(2) The site plan in the agenda was not the same site plan the applicant submitted and was approved by council in 2022. The site plan in the agenda is from 2024 and was  not approved by council.

Planning Department, Village manager?

(3) Code clearly states that: “Before any conditional use is amended, extended, varied or altered, the applicant SHALL demonstrate that change of circumstances or conditions has occurred which MAKES IT NECESSARY to amend, extend, vary or alter the conditional use.”

Ensuring a business owner’s profitability is not a factor or “change in circumstance” for our planning department, Village Manager or our Village Council. While being a “good neighbor” is commendable, it is not a circumstance or condition qualifying for code changes.

The Village code does not require being a good neighbor and the entity being unprofitable. What circumstances or conditions were stated by the applicant?  All of the circumstances cited, complained of their inability to “operate.” Click here.

Circumstance cannot justify the lifting of the restrictions which were implemented to ensure the property and entity — whoever owns it and regardless of whether it’s sold would remain a “good neighbor”.

What happens if the next owner is not a “good neighbor”? I will tell you — intractable problems and a series of “woulda, coulda, shoulda” excuses from those responsible for this mess.

(4) The Council and staff missed the very reason in our code as to why this was a “conditional use” and not treated like every other similar business: the necessity of individual review of location, design, intensity and density of the use to ensure appropriateness and compatibility of the use at a particular location.

This specific location is like no other in the Village - near churches, schools and is part of a neighborhood with more children than any other neighborhood in Islamorada.

Council: To do this to the residents, who put you in office, with such a brutally overt perversion of our codes based on your friendships and business relationships, should disqualify those responsible for and who supported this from serving our Village in any capacity.

Insulting!

Reply to: ICA.in.Keys@gmail.com

The 2025 IGFA Fishing Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's, was held on Sep 6, 2025, at Johnny Morris’  National Museum in Springfield, Missouri. The IGFA Board of Trustees  elected this year's five inductees unanimously. The 2025 class represents a diverse array of talent and dedication, with each inductee shaping the sport of fishing through their skill, innovation, and passion. Congratulations to Islamorada’s Captain Richard Stanczyk on his selection. His impact at Bud N’ Mary’s and his pioneering swordfishing techniques will leave a lasting legacy.

The Islamorada Community Alliance has joined nearly 2 dozen organizations throughout the Keys, objecting to this possible 4-laning in Unincorporated Monroe County.  Click here to read the details as to the concerns.

The County Commission will be considering a change to their Comprehensive Plan to allow the Florida Department of Transportation to decide issues related to road widening in the county, including the 18-mile stretch.  It is believed that Islamorada would not agree to widening through the Village.  Especially not through Upper Matecumbe’s business district.

It is surprising that this “fight” has not been discussed at a public meeting in Islamorada.

2025 US 1 Level of Service Study Approval: also on the Commission agenda.  

When the study has a failing grade, below C, for the entire U.S. One, the County Commission has consistently rejected the study. Otherwise certain types of development throughout the Keys would be curtailed or traffic impacts mitigated.  When there is a passing grade of C or above the Commission approves the study.  

The 2023 study had a failing grade of “D” and was not approved. The 2025 has a passing grade and is expected to be approved by the County Commission.  

The studies are done during the peak season - before the end of March.  The 2025 study was delayed and completed later than “peak season” as required.

What! No Deadline? 779 pages in the Council Meeting agenda packages for this week, and no agendas available for public review until almost noon Sunday, little more than 2 days to speed read the 25 TABs. If a member of the public misses a deadline - tough luck. If it is the Village - they don’t even have a deadline?

On Thursday there are 5 Quasi Judicial Hearings.  There is significant concern that with this many critical hearings, there will be less time spent on each just to avoid an all night meeting. Crooked Palms Distillery: While all quasi-judicial hearings are significant, the last one is especially concerning.  The Crook Palms building was originally a bank building, backing up to a residential neighborhood, near both Coral Shores High School and Plantation Key School; an area known for a high population of children.   When the application for the major conditional use as a distillery was applied for, 17 months of workshops, meetings, negotiations and hearings followed until the use was approved with 19 conditions and numerous variances that were accepted by both the Crooked Palms and the neighbors.   A year after the grand opening, Crooked Palms owners are not happy, blaming some conditions agreed to previously (including restricted hours of operation and limited outdoor live music hours) for business problems.  All while they are not even opened as many hours as allowed. On Thursday, there will be a quasi judicial hearing to change the conditions previously negotiated.  The Village staff has sided with Crooked Palms and has recommended removing six conditions previously negotiated. According to Village code Sec 30-216 (j): Before any conditional use is amended, extended, varied or altered, the applicant shall demonstrate that a change of circumstances or conditions has occurred which make it necessary to amend, extend, vary or alter the conditional use.

$65 million in Islamorada annual expenses approved at a record breaking 32-minute budget hearing! On Sep 4, a millage rate of 2.65 (same as last year) was approved by the Village Council along with a budget that itemizes over $23M for costs for the General Fund and over $65M in costs across all Village funds.

Value of Islamorada Properties up $593,613,080 (over $1/2 Billion) this year.

Although the millage rate remained the same, property taxes are projected to increase  for a majority of property owners, as most properties had the taxable value increased.

Staff Costs: Major costs in the approved budget were for the Village staff at over $16M.  Of that total - Fire Rescue employees accounted for costs of over $7.5M.

To ease the costs, four staff positions were eliminated and health insurance for employees’ families was changed from 97% paid by the Village to 80%.  Family health insurance coverage has been a controversial and costly part of the budget since it was added as an employee benefit several years ago without prior council approval.

The Fills is no longer leased by the Village from FDOT/FDEP and the overtime cost of weekend Public Works employees monitoring for illegal parking has been eliminated.

Increases: No across the board cost of living increase for employees this year, but as a result of a salary study done for the Village Human Resources Director, 57 employees will have salary increases. The study indicated those employees had salaries below an acceptable level. The increases ranged from $1,249 to $2,744.  As a result of their contract, all 38 salaried firefighters got raises ranging from $5,695 to $13,517, with total salary increases for Fire Rescue near $286,000.  Total salary increases for all employees: $442,868.

Projected staff overtime for the year - $678,000 - but now all overtime must be approved by the Village Manager.