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, covering his dispute with City Manager Brian Barroso, city spending, public transportation and unfinished government reforms.
Barroso did not attend the Sept. 9 session, which brought together reporters in person and by Zoom. Kaufman said he intends to continue the conferences and invite public questions at future sessions, although he asked reporters for input before settling on a schedule.
“No question is off limits,” Kaufman said, before explaining that he generally would avoid discussing the specifics of pending litigation on advice of counsel.
The conference ended with Kaufman distributing documents concerning Barroso and calling for an investigation. But much of the discussion focused on decisions ahead for the city, from finding an in-house attorney to paying for transit and maintaining Higgs Beach.
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.
A Meeting, Then a Breakdown
Responding to questions from Above the Fold, Kaufman described an Aug. 31 meeting with Barroso that he initially considered productive.
During the approximately 90-minute discussion, Kaufman said, he raised concerns directly with the manager about his involvement in the election, information being shared with commissioners and their working relationship.
At its conclusion, Kaufman said, both agreed to move forward together.
That changed the next morning, according to the mayor.
Kaufman said Barroso came to his office shortly after an email exchange Sept. 1 and behaved in a way he considered unacceptable. The mayor said he documented the encounter in a memorandum to the city attorney within hours, requested that it be placed in Barroso’s personnel file and added further details the following day.
“So I think it’s very important that the public understands everything that has happened, has all the information, so that a true evaluation of the situation is made,” Kaufman said.
Asked whether the documentation was a first step toward firing Barroso for cause, Kaufman stopped short of that conclusion.
“I am asking for an investigation,” he said.
The allegations represent Kaufman’s account. Barroso was not present to respond during the conference.
An In-House Attorney
Kaufman said he wants a resolution on the Oct. 1 commission agenda to move forward with recruiting an in-house city attorney.
He said City Hall needs an attorney who is physically available to staff, while describing current City Attorney Mayanne Downs as qualified.
“I think she’s a fine attorney. I think she’s extremely qualified,” Kaufman said. “I do respectfully disagree with her opinions from time to time.”
One disagreement involves the interpretation of Barroso’s contract and the commission’s unsuccessful effort Sept. 3 to preserve its ability to prevent automatic renewal.
Kaufman questioned why a contract would contain a notice provision if commissioners could not use it to stop renewal. He also said he should have received the attorney’s interpretation before the special meeting was scheduled.
Those comments reflected his legal position, rather than a ruling on the contract’s meaning.
Kaufman said he opposes using a screening committee for the attorney search and instead favored the commissioners acting as the selection committee.
No Layoffs Now, Financial Pressure Ahead
Kaufman said he does not support the manager’s proposed reduction of 15 positions and understood the commission’s position to be against a reduction in force.
He nevertheless warned of a potential $5 million to $6 million budget gap in fiscal 2028, citing anticipated debt service, employee cost-of-living adjustments and inflation.
Kaufman said the city should examine vacancies, employee departures and consolidation before eliminating occupied positions.
“I’m not convinced that the reduction in the 15 positions that the manager was proposing is necessary,” he said.
The challenge, according to the mayor, is to control staffing costs while maintaining services for residents and businesses.
Parking Revenue Could Support Transit
Asked about preserving Key West Rides and other transit services, Kaufman said additional recurring revenue could require higher parking rates.
His preference would be to protect residents from those increases and explore expanding free parking for locals beyond the existing four-hour limit.
“I would really like to see us get to a situation of free for locals entirely for parking, not just a four-hour limit,” said Kaufman.
Kaufman described that as an idea requiring financial analysis, not an adopted policy.
He also said the transit department was preparing options to increase Island Hopper service from hourly departures to every 45 or 30 minutes, along with restoring two Stock Island stops through cooperation with Monroe County and credited transit staff with responding to commission direction despite limited funding.
Sargassum Options and Costs
Kaufman said a Sept. 22 special meeting would examine collecting sargassum before it reaches shore, including presentations about operations in Mexico and possible commercial uses for the collected material.
His goal, he said, is to determine what could be permitted, what it would cost and whether buyers could help pay for removal.
He described the effort as preparation for the next season.
Kaufman said he had requested figures on the amount of sargassum removed under the city’s existing beach-cleaning arrangements so presenters could compare costs. Management had not supplied that information as of the press conference, he said.
The proposed approach would require review of environmental requirements and permits, he said.
Higgs Beach Priorities Questioned
Kaufman called the financial outlook for Higgs Beach “a big question mark” and urged greater public involvement in deciding which projects should come first.
He questioned prioritizing artificial turf at the dog park and pickleball improvements while other needs remain, including the seawall, historic structures and the African cemetery.
“Those decisions were not made in public meetings,” Kaufman said of the priorities he attributed to management.
He said the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board should help evaluate needs and recommend grant priorities, with Commissioner Chris Massicotte taking a leading role.
Kaufman also argued that the city’s amphitheater needs improvements to attract performers and a management operator. He cited backstage accommodations, bathrooms, equipment and food-and-beverage infrastructure among the shortcomings.
Spending Authority and Public Information
Kaufman said the manager’s authority to approve personal services contracts of up to $100,000 deserves reconsideration.
Responding to an Above the Fold question, he said the threshold allows significant staffing decisions without commission approval or discussion.
He pointed to the city’s public information operation as an example, saying the city lacked a public information officer even though it had a social media coordinator.
Kaufman praised the coordinator’s abilities but said commissioners should at least receive an explanation of the city’s communications plan.
He also said he was launching a mayoral Facebook page. On comments, he said he would follow legal advice for now and offered to share a memorandum explaining that advice.
Revisiting Grand Jury Recommendations
Kaufman said he intends to propose a charter review commission or similar committee to examine recommendations from the grand jury reports that the city has not implemented.
His priorities include independent oversight and greater independence for human resources.
He argued that an internal auditor or inspector general could help identify problems, examine job functions and provide employees a way to raise concerns.
Asked whether the grand jury reports had run their course, Kaufman disagreed.
“The substance of the matters have not,” he said.
He acknowledged that the recommendations do not require the city to act, but said the underlying concerns warrant attention.
More Questions to Come
Kaufman asked reporters whether future conferences would be most useful before commission meetings, afterward or at another interval.
He said the sessions would supplement his availability by phone, text and email, and that future conferences would include questions from residents.
Near the end, Above the Fold asked whether a mayor willing to speak with reporters would be joined by a city manager willing to do the same.
“Well, that’s not for me to answer,” Kaufman said.
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