BREAKING NEWS: Key West City Commission Tentatively Approves Budget at Rollback
Barroso receives direction from dais to explore a reduction in force.
The Key West City Commission took less than five hours to conclude its budget workshop — originally scheduled for two days.
In the end, commissioners tentatively agreed on a budget set at rollback, meaning that although the budget may increase, resident’s taxes will not as the adopted millage rate would raise the same amount of funding as the previous year.
City Manager Brian Barroso had presented a proposed budget at rollback -1 mill, but several commissioners including Greg Veliz and Donie Lee didn’t agree.
“We can always go down,” said Veliz.
Barroso has until September to don his green eyeshades, roll up his sleeves and sharpen his pencil before attempting to bake in the commission’s recommendations, but a majority of the commission directed him to look into a reduction in force.
Former Police Chief Lee said that he had identified vacancies in both the police and fire departments that would recoup nearly $2 million in savings if left unfilled, and said he believed that Public Works, the city’s largest department, could provide savings as well.
In the end, the city manager proposed a 5% RIF, which would be about 27 employees and could come in the form of eliminating vacant positions, attrition, (not filling retirements or resignations,) layoffs or reorganization or consolidation of departments.
The latter is a very real possibility as Commissioner Kaufman suggested that at least one department had been added (Growth Management) without the required sanction of the Commission.
Commissioners will be awaiting a legal interpretation on the topic of reorganization from Assistant City Attorney Kendal Hayden.
One of the most striking cuts by Barroso was the elimination of the award-winning Key West Rides on-demand transit program. Key West Rides will continue to operate until before the new year, when a counter-rotating fixed loop service will replace it, although only running from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., a reduction in services to residents of two hours per day.
The Duval Loop, a popular downtown route that served not only tourists but members of the workforce utilizing park and ride services remained out of the proposed budget.
Now it will be up to Barroso to find the synergies and adjust the spreadsheets before commissioners revisit the subject after the Aug. 18 election that could radically change the makeup of the dais.
This is an evolving story. Watch this space.