Let’s Pick a Mayor!

There will be an important decision made by our Village Council at the meeting on December 9th. Council will elect a new Mayor and Vice Mayor.

We are told that, in typical council fashion, the winners have already been decided. Don Horton will be elected Mayor and Anna Richards, Vice Mayor.  What a shock! Collusion!?

One source suggests the embroidered shirts have already been ordered.

Does it matter who the mayor is?  Haven’t we heard over and over that the position is purely “ceremonial”?  

Let me give you the facts: The Village Charter says the mayor and vice mayor “shall have the same legislative powers and duties as any other council member.”

In 2020, with three new members of council, the Village Attorney explained the jobs to the council and the public before the vote. He commented: “The roles of Mayor and Vice Mayor are ceremonial; both positions have the same duties as the rest of the Village Council; the Mayor is the head of the Village for purposes of signature duties, service of process and appearance at functions.”

We think there is something else rather important… the Mayor presides at Council meetings. We have witnessed a previous Mayor routinely concede more speaking time to his friends on issues he supported. Abuse of power?

The Village Charter and Village Code: Numerous mayoral powers are spelled out:

• Special Council meetings may be held at the call of the Mayor

• The Mayor and Vice Mayor are authorized signatories for the village's bank accounts.

• The Mayor appoints council members as committee liaisons.

• The Mayor, Vice Mayor, or in his/her absence the Manager, has the sole authority to declare a state of local emergency.

• At Quasi Judicial hearings the mayor shall keep order and may direct a party conducting the cross examination to stop a particular line of questioning

Village Council Meeting Procedures, approved by a majority vote of council, includes the word “mayor” 50 times. These are some examples:

• The Mayor shall decide on all questions of order.

• The Mayor may limit repetitive comments to ensure efficiency of the meeting.

• The Mayor shall preserve order and decorum at Council meetings.

• The Mayor shall have the right and the authority to require an unruly person to leave the Council Chambers

• The Mayor and Staff decide what items should be in the Consent Agenda, those are then without necessity for discussion. (We think the consent agenda has been abused for years to hide poor decisions and to hide major expenditures.)

• Meeting agenda items may be removed from the agenda by the Mayor, Village Manager or Village Clerk

These powers can have a profound effect if not judiciously executed.  We’ll be watching.

It is often mentioned that traditionally the person elected Vice Mayor becomes the Mayor the following year. But in fact it is not automatic. The Vice Mayor has been selected as Mayor in just two of the last four years. 

The Mayor is a position of trust within the community and should be treated as such.

In 2022, the council voted 4-1 to not allow public comment before the vote for Mayor. Why not? The council wanted to make a choice not popular with the public.

We know that between 2020 and 2024 one member of council was mayor three times.  After not being elected mayor a 4^th time, he resigned. His successor on council was selected by a majority vote of council. Not the residents. Not democratic.

Shouldn’t special elections be held to fill council vacancies as they arise, especially weeks after the November election?

Election of Mayor by Voters

We think the position of mayor is not simply ceremonial. It is important enough that the mayor should be elected by voters to a two-year term. The mayor, being selected by voters, has become increasingly popular in council-manager form of local government. Election of mayor by voters allows voters to have more direct input in the political process so they may review the qualifications of the candidates.

Being a business associate or relative of a sitting council member should not be a factor. Unfortunately, it is.

Eliminate SEAT #s

We also energetically support the top 5 vote getters being seated on the council.

Irrelevant seat numbers for council positions encourages seat switching at the last minute, encourages gamesmanship, and pits neighbors against neighbors, often with attacks by opponents running for the same seat.  

In conclusion, pay attention to the election process and know what power you are ceding to your representatives.

Changes in our election process is long overdue. Participate in the process and let your voice be heard.

It’s obvious, that elections have consequences.

Tom Raffanello

In Islamorada, we see frequent zoning change requests geared to maximize the applicant’s profitability. Is there is too little regard for the vision of the community, the Comp Plan, environmental impact, stressed infrastructure, effect on neighbors and the Village as a whole?

There is a perfect illustration on the Dec 9 agenda.  

The Islamorada Tennis Club: At MM76.8 on Lower Matecumbe, there was once a private tennis club nestled into one of the Village’s most important high-quality tropical hammocks. It came to be in 1993, a few years before the Village incorporated. Pretty shocking that the County allowed a large swath of high-quality hammock to be cleared. Perhaps it was the low impact and the lack of recreational uses on Lower Matecumbe that allowed the clearing of so many native trees.  

When Islamorada approved their FLUM and zoning maps, the property was classified as Residential Conservation/Native Residential as was an entire stretch of high-quality hammock to the north, the south and to the west.

The purpose of the native residential (NR) zoning district is “to provide the highest degree of protection for large residential tracts supporting or having the potential for restoration of high and moderate quality hammock, wetlands, beach or berm, to ensure the perpetuation of species reliant upon native habitat.”

The Village apparently considered the tennis club a legally non-conforming use and thus it could legally continue.  The current owner bought in 2017 with those map classifications and the legal tennis club in operation. But he closed the tennis club and by doing so gave up the right to the non-conforming use.  

Now the owner thinks the Village should provide a zoning change - to allow him to gain a legal use of the property. But not just restore the low impact recreational use as a tennis facility.

Several months ago, the Village agreed to his requested change to Mixed Use/Highway Commercial, on first reading.

On Dec 9, the issue is on the agenda for second reading, without changes requested by the State of Florida.  

Florida Department of Commerce doesn’t agree with the zoning change, siting numerous concerns: no data supporting the need, conflicts with village comp plan policies.  They also suggested a possible less intense classification - Recreational zoning so the original tennis use would be legal.

The state has rarely objected to map changes in recent years, apparently preferring to allow local governments to judge the appropriateness within their communities.

The Village Planning staff recommends denial of the requested map changes.  

Now the test… will the Council pay attention to the state and their own planners? Will they consider the potential impact of this on a very special environment.  Or will they think it is more important to consider the financial impact on the property owner and ignore the local and state regulations.

This wouldn’t be the first time the Council has decided on financial benefit to the property owner over environmental impact and neighborhood character.

Zoning is meant to protect a community, the environment, and overall quality of life, not the finances of an individual property owner. Especially a property owner who created his own problem.

Don’t miss this opportunity to voice some critical concerns:

• Oil Drilling offshore

• SB180 - hampering planning decisions

  
  

• SB208 - “in other words, no local planning… just builders and developers running amok…” - Capt. Steve Friedman

  
  

• HB 479 - bar local government from adopting policies on water quality, pollution control, wetlands. Powers would be preempted to the state.

We get interesting email!  A variety of issues seem to bother our readers.  Is there something that bothers you?  Maybe we can bring some attention to it!

This bugs one reader:  

Does this Village Council think taxpayers are giant ATM machines? I am tired of runaway government spending.  We need a visit from DOGE! What is Blaise Ignolia’s cell phone # or email address?