KEY WEST, Fla. — Key West mayoral candidate Sam Kaufman said Monday that, if elected Aug. 18, he would seek to replace City Manager Brian Barroso and begin a search for a full-time, in-house city attorney, saying City Hall needs “a change in management” and “a change in direction.”
Kaufman, the District II commissioner challenging incumbent Mayor Danise Henriquez, made the remarks during the Hometown! candidates forum at the Tennessee Williams Performing Arts Center.
The forum was moderated by Todd German with panelists Keys Weekly Editor Mandy Miles, US 1 Radio’s Joe Moore and community organizer and philanthropic board member Bryan Green. The Key West Citizen’s John Carroll also participated.
Green asked Kaufman whether he believed his often-contentious relationship with Barroso could be repaired if he were elected mayor.
“Your relationship with the city manager has been at times publicly contentious,” Green said. “How would you reset that dynamic, and if you can’t, what would you do then?”
“That is an excellent question,” Kaufman replied. “With respect to the city manager, we need a manager that will provide all of the information to all of the commissioners in a timely fashion and fulfill his job function.”
Kaufman also criticized Barroso’s communication with the public.
“The city manager is supposed to provide information to the public through the media,” Kaufman said. “He won’t give any media interviews. That is a problem. He needs to change that. How are we going to have transparency if we don’t have a manager that does that?”
Pressed by Green on whether the relationship could be repaired, Kaufman offered a definitive answer.
“We need a change in management; we need a change in direction,” Kaufman said. “The people in this town are hungry for a change.”
He pointed to issues including water quality testing, housing affordability and redevelopment.
“When I talk to people around town, they know that we need water quality testing; we need affordability; there’s no planning for affordable housing,” Kaufman said. “Look at what is going on at Searstown. Look at what is going on at Key Plaza. There is nothing going on.”
Kaufman said he has been advocating for those issues for years but believes the city has failed to make meaningful progress.
Asked a second time whether he believed his working relationship with Barroso could be repaired, Kaufman responded, “The answer is no. The answer is I do not believe he is the right person for the job.”
The exchange followed sharply different performance evaluations the two mayoral candidates submitted earlier this year for Barroso.
In his January evaluation, Kaufman gave the city manager mostly scores of 1 and 2 on the city’s five-point evaluation scale, indicating performance below expectations. In written comments, Kaufman cited concerns about communication, transparency, employee relations and follow-through, concluding that “significant improvement in these areas is essential for continued service in this role.”
Henriquez, by contrast, awarded Barroso predominantly scores of 5, writing that he had “demonstrated strong executive leadership throughout the rating period” while providing steady leadership, accountability and continuity during a challenging year.
Green later turned to the city’s legal representation, asking whether Kaufman would continue using Orlando-based contract City Attorney Mayanne Downs, whose services are billed at $500 per hour, or pursue a different approach.
“The city is currently using an out-of-town contract city attorney at a cost of $500 an hour,” Green said. “If elected, would you replace that arrangement with a full-time, in-house city attorney? And if not, what justifies that cost to the taxpayers?”
“My record on this has been very clear,” Kaufman responded. “Prior to hiring the current city attorney, I presented the option multiple times of hiring a law firm in the Keys, Vernis & Bowling, that is familiar with the Keys at $215 an hour, a real bargain.”
Kaufman questioned the city’s decision to hire Downs — who also serves as city attorney for Orlando, a town that is roughly 12 times larger in terms of population than Key West.
“I don’t understand,” he said. “There are over 100,000 lawyers in Florida and we had to pick the same attorney that former City Attorney Ron Ramsingh selected to help fire Al Childress? That’s very odd.”
Kaufman added that he respects Downs professionally but believes the city should move in a different direction.
“Mrs. Downs is a fine attorney,” he said. “But is she the right fit for Key West? I don’t think so.”
If elected, Kaufman said he would recommend retaining Vernis & Bowling on an interim basis while the city conducted a search for a full-time, in-house city attorney.
Henriquez responded that, if re-elected, “we will go out for a search for a new city manager uh city attorney beginning Aug. 19.”
Mail ballots are arriving in voters’ mailboxes ahead of the Aug. 18 primary election, which will determine Key West’s next mayor and reshape the City Commission.
