FKAA Director Greg Veliz Could Be Appointed Interim Commissioner Amid Optics Questions
Key West City Commission considers Veliz for District V seat to replace Mary Lou Hoover despite felony drug trafficking convictions and federal prison time in the 1990s.
Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority Executive Director Greg Veliz is under consideration to fill the District V vacancy on the Key West City Commission on Tuesday.
He is one of six residents that applied, along with former commissioner Harry Bethel, Fred Covan, Susan Harrison, Sherry Ivey Jones and former commissioner Margaret Romero. None have declared an interest in seeking the permanent position which comes up in next year’s election cycle and the two declared candidates for the seat vacated by the passing of Mary Lou Hoover — Chris Massicotte and Harry Russell — declined to apply.
To be clear, Veliz has paid his debt to society, had his civil rights restored, and is a registered voter in District V.
But the appointment raises questions about optics in a city recently rocked by the largest corruption scandal since Bum Farto.
Background / Context
This is not a new issue.
In 2016, Dennis Reeves Cooper at The Blue Paper first highlighted Veliz’s federal cocaine-trafficking conviction and the constitutional prohibitions on holding public office.
Veliz held city positions including assistant city manager and eventually served as City Manager before leaving to become executive director of FKAA. His rights were restored by executive clemency and has been a registered Republican since 2018 according to District V voter rolls. The district is home to 2,798 voters.
Political and Optics Questions:
Municipal attorneys generally consider a city commission seat — which involves voting on ordinances and resolutions — to constitute “public office.”
While Veliz’s civil rights have been restored and he is legally eligible to serve, critics within the community, including Conchs, note that placing a federally convicted cocaine trafficker on the dais is a sensitive issue for Key West, which is still grappling with eroding public trust after recent corruption scandals involving an indicted former City Attorney, former Chief Building Officer and the longtime Director of Code Enforcement.
The City has struggled convincing the community that it is adequately addressing transparency issues, outlined in a scathing grand jury report released earlier this year, and a Veliz appointment could be another blow to City Manager Brian Barroso’s attempts to stop the bleeding of public confidence in his and Mayor Danise Henriquez’ administration.
Veliz’s Criminal and Professional History:
Age: 63
1991 Federal Conviction: Cocaine trafficking
Prison: ~3 years served; sentence reduced
Civil Rights: Restored; registered voter in District V
City of Key West: Served as assistant city manager and City Manager
FKAA Role: Executive Director
City Commission Seat: Potential interim appointee, District V
Upcoming Commission Action:
The City Commission is scheduled to select an interim commissioner Tuesday to replace Mary Lou Hoover. The meeting begins at 9 a.m. tomorrow at City Hall, 1300 White Street, with an afternoon session set for 5 p.m. The proceedings will be live-streamed on the city’s website. Members of the public can also register comments in advance via eComment.
Not sure what's worse. In charge of our water quality, or this. Not many places and their leaders can you say, "you can't make this $hit up".
Wait, he has time time to both jobs justice? Color me skeptical and suspicious. What a system!