KEY WEST, Fla. — Vice Mayor Donie Lee is proposing that Key West negotiate an “amicable separation agreement” with embattled City Manager Brian Barroso, potentially ending a tenure that has become increasingly defined by disputes over management, transparency and the relationship between the city manager and elected officials.
Keys Weekly editor Mandy Miles was first to break the story Tuesday afternoon, reporting that Lee had spoken with Barroso about the proposal and hopes a negotiated departure could avoid potentially costly litigation and disputes over whether Barroso could be terminated with or without cause.
The proposed resolution is scheduled for consideration at the commission’s Sept. 22 broader meeting and would direct the city attorney to negotiate Barroso’s departure on mutually agreeable terms.
Potential issues include a departure date and transition period, severance, accrued leave and benefits, nondisparagement and confidentiality provisions and other considerations. The attorney would be directed to treat negotiations as a priority and report back to commissioners Oct. 1.
The resolution would not itself terminate Barroso or establish the financial terms of his departure.
BACKGROUND
BREAKING: Barroso Questions Kaufman’s Sincerity and Accuracy in Citywide Email
KEY WEST, Fla. — City Manager Brian L. Barroso questioned Mayor Sam Kaufman’s sincerity Tuesday in an email distributed to all 402 employees of the city of Key West after the newly elected mayor called a special City Commission meeting that could determine whether Barroso’s contract is extended — or potentially terminated.
Mayor Sam Kaufman, who has repeatedly clashed with Barroso over his management style and the division of authority at City Hall, told Above the Fold Tuesday evening that he supports Lee’s effort.
“I appreciate Vice Mayor Lee bringing this forward. I believe it is in everyone’s best interest for the City, our employees, the City Manager and the community to work toward a professional and mutually agreeable resolution,” said Kaufman. “I support having that discussion and finding a path that minimizes further disruption, provides stability at City Hall and allows everyone to move forward.”
Barroso did not return phone calls or emails from Above the Fold seeking comment Tuesday — but generally eschews the media.
Commissioner Chris Massicotte said he had been caught unaware by Lee’s proposal or The Weekly’s breaking news and was still trying to evaluate the situation.
Mark Rossi, District II Commissioner told Above the Fold that it was the first he had heard of Lee’s resolution and said he would reserve comment until he had an opportunity to research it more thoroughly — but said that it was Lee’s prerogative to do whatever he felt was best for the city.
Lee and Commissioners Monica Haskell and Aaron Castillo had not returned Above the Fold’s calls or emails seeking additional comment as of publication.
Not the First Attempt at a Negotiated Exit
Lee’s proposal comes less than a week after a separate attempt to explore a negotiated departure for Barroso failed to produce an agreement.
Following the commission’s Sept. 3 rejection of Kaufman’s effort to preserve the city’s contractual right to revisit, modify or terminate Barroso’s employment agreement before its 120-day notice period expired, Kaufman approached Barroso through part-time contract City Attorney Mayanne Downs about a potential negotiated separation, according to Above the Fold’s previous reporting.
That proposal carried a deadline tied to the city’s Sept. 10 special budget meeting, but no agreement was reached.
Kaufman disclosed the existence of those discussions at his Sept. 9 inaugural mayoral press conference, telling reporters he had allowed time for the possibility of a separation agreement to be explored before publicly escalating his concerns about the manager. “No separation agreement has been reached,” Kaufman said at the time.
BACKGROUND
IN-DEPTH: Kaufman Calls for Investigation of Embattled City Manager; Says Separation Agreement Was on Table
Editor’s note: A full recap of Mayor Sam Kaufman’s first press conference will be published tomorrow.
The earlier negotiations are significant because Lee’s resolution now seeks formally to authorize essentially the same broad approach: an agreed separation rather than a contested termination.
A Reversal for Lee
Lee’s proposal also represents a significant change from his position less than two weeks ago.
Kaufman called a special meeting Sept. 3 seeking to preserve the commission’s options under Barroso’s employment agreement before a contractual notice deadline. The proposal would not have fired Barroso; it would have notified him that the city intended to retain its right to review, modify or terminate the agreement instead of allowing it to renew automatically.
BACKGROUND
BREAKING: Kaufman Calls Special Meeting on Barroso Contract
KEY WEST, Fla. — Mayor Sam Kaufman has called a special Key West City Commission meeting for 4 p.m. Thursday to consider providing City Manager Brian Barroso with the 120 days’ notice required to preserve the city’s right to modify or terminate his employment agreement.
Above the Fold reported ahead of the meeting that the notice provision was intended to preserve the commission’s options
The measure failed 4-3. Kaufman, Haskell and Massicotte supported preserving those contractual options. Lee joined Castillo, Lissette Carey and Rossi in voting against the proposal.
BREAKING: Kaufman Calls for Independent HR Investigation of Barroso
KEY WEST, Fla. — Mayor Sam Kaufman called for an independent investigation by the City of Key West’s Human Resources Department into City Manager Brian Barroso’s behavior Wednesday during the first press conference of Kaufman’s administration.
Without the required advance notice, Barroso’s agreement moved toward an automatic two-year renewal beginning Jan. 7, 2027. His amended compensation package provides a $265,000 base salary and a 5% increase upon renewal, which would raise the base salary by $13,250 to $278,250.
Lee is now asking the same commission to pursue a voluntary separation instead.
Months of Conflict Between Kaufman and Barroso
The latest development follows months of Above the Fold reporting on disputes between Kaufman and Barroso — first while Kaufman represented District II on the City Commission and, more recently, since he became mayor.
In June, Above the Fold reported that Kaufman had formally denied allegations raised by Barroso involving the alleged misuse of City Hall facilities and city resources and demanded evidence supporting those claims.
The dispute became considerably more public after Kaufman took office.
On Sept. 1, Kaufman notified Barroso that he was calling the special meeting to address the manager’s contract. Barroso responded in an email copied to commissioners and city attorneys, then distributed his response to all 402 city employees, questioning the sincerity and accuracy of what Kaufman had told him during a private discussion the previous day.
BACKGROUND
BREAKING: Barroso Questions Kaufman’s Sincerity and Accuracy in Citywide Email
KEY WEST, Fla. — City Manager Brian L. Barroso questioned Mayor Sam Kaufman’s sincerity Tuesday in an email distributed to all 402 employees of the city of Key West after the newly elected mayor called a special City Commission meeting that could determine whether Barroso’s contract is extended — or potentially terminated.
Kaufman maintained that preserving the commission’s contractual options did not contradict his willingness to attempt a professional working relationship with Barroso. The proposed Sept. 3 action, Kaufman said, would not itself terminate the manager.
At his Sept. 9 press conference, Kaufman escalated the dispute by calling for an independent investigation of a series of concerns involving Barroso. Kaufman said some were matters he had personally witnessed while others were allegations or unresolved questions that should be independently examined. Barroso was not present at the press conference to respond.
IN-DEPTH: Kaufman Calls for Investigation of Embattled City Manager; Says Separation Agreement Was on Table
Editor’s note: A full recap of Mayor Sam Kaufman’s first press conference will be published tomorrow.
Above the Fold subsequently reported that Kaufman described an Aug. 31 meeting with Barroso as productive, with both men agreeing to try to move forward, before their relationship deteriorated again the following morning. Kaufman said the breakdown raised a larger question about whether the city manager and elected leadership could maintain the communication and trust necessary to operate city government effectively.
Kaufman Covers Wide Range of Topics
KEY WEST, Fla. — Mayor Sam Kaufman opened his first City Hall press conference Wednesday with an invitation for questions and spent more than an hour answering them, co…
Lee’s proposed resolution now reaches much the same issue from another direction.
Resolution Cites Disruption at City Hall
Lee’s resolution says continued disagreement between the mayor and city manager has become disruptive to city government, created uncertainty for employees and affected public confidence. It presents a negotiated separation as an alternative to prolonged disputes or a contested termination.
Lee told Keys Weekly that he had already spoken with Barroso about the concept. The newspaper reported that Lee hopes an agreement could reduce the potential for litigation and allow both the city and Barroso to move forward.
The proposal marks a noteworthy shift because Lee voted against the earlier effort to preserve the commission’s contractual options before Barroso’s agreement automatically renewed.
It also creates a different legal and political path forward. Rather than attempting to establish cause, terminate Barroso without cause or litigate the meaning of provisions in his employment agreement, the city attorney would be authorized to determine whether both sides can agree on the terms of a voluntary departure.
The central question for commissioners now is no longer simply whether Barroso’s contract automatically renews.
That deadline has passed.
The question before the dais on Sept. 22 will be whether to formally authorize negotiations to bring the employment relationship to an end by agreement — or not.
Okey dokey 😜