The Cost of Silence
By ignoring — or just not dealing with — the antics of the Bubba Bozo Trio, Key West tax payers could potentially have more than $37m in financial exposure.
Happy Sunday morning from by Ted Lund.
Still lots going on and we are doing our best to stay out of the game.
So, let's start by getting this out of the way early:
All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law by a jury of their peers.
Remember this statement — like they say about voting in Chicago — early and often.
Like much of the country, Key West is gripped in an us-versus-them struggle.
And this one ain’t pretty.
On one side, you have the Conchs, who were born and raised here, many of whom have multi-generational ties to the island and seemingly want the city to return to being a noxious, inbred stew of corruption and greed.
Now before the obligatory wailing and gnashing of teeth starts, I am not painting all Conch’s with the same brush.
There is a difference between Conchs and Bubbas. Conchs are good people that want the same things most of us do: be left alone, make a decent living, provide for their families and live life in the shadow palm trees and the smell of salt water.
Bubbas — the bad ones — are happy as long as the system is rigged for them, and when they need a building or a permit or a variance they can talk to a cuzzy Bubba in the building or code department and get what they need.
No paperwork to fill out, no lines to wait in.
A good friend whose family is seventh generation has a favorite saying that still rings true today: The bubba system worked… until all the non-bubbas got involved.
And at this point— with regards to the Bubba Bozo fiasco — we’re not quite sure if there were supplemental “administrative fees” to get your paperwork to the top — or bottom — of the pile.
On the other side is, well, everybody else.
People who fell in love with our island paradise the first time they visited or moved simply want the best for the Southernmost City: reasonable taxes, decent public services, and upstanding, non-corrupt criminals at the helm that actually do their jobs and don’t merely look at how deep they can nuzzle their snout in the public trough of greed.
I will leave it to you to determine who the “us” and the “them” are.
Thanks to the action — or rather inaction — of the Bubba Bozo Trio and nobody doing anything about it for years, the City of Key West could be on the hook for nearly $37,000,000 after the final gavel falls, jail cell shuts, and lawsuits are settled.
Protect Our Residential Neighborhoods (Ed. Note: Although I am a fan of different types of PORN, that is their acronym, not mine) is a newly formed, non-politically affiliated group of residents dedicated to the preservation of our quality of life and the protection of Key West’s dwindling residential neighborhoods.
From the group's bipartisan website: “For far too long, important issues to our community involving land development and regulations have flown under the radar, silently pushed along by paid lobbyists and special interests.
“They get approval over the objections of the Planning Department with little attention drawn. Applications slide through our system with little public input and rare opposition, eventually approved by an overburdened City Commission that relies too heavily on the Planning Board recommendations. And thus the damage to our community is permanently done, and our citizenry eventually asks themselves, ‘How in the heck did that happen?’”
In the wake of the recent indictments of the Bubba Bozo Trio centering on corruption at 1300 White Street, the group is looking at potential impacts for our community and taxpayers.
As PORN put pencil to paper, here is what the group estimates to be the ultimate costs related to the unethical and — as is increasingly likely — illegal actions of the troika.
In total, the group believes the City of Key West could be facing a total financial exposure anywhere between $15,890,000 to $36,340,000 for the fiscal year 2024-25.
This has some at 1300 White Street concerned — as it should.
Budget workshops begin this summer, and just the $221k payoff insisted upon by commissioners Lissette Carey, Mary Lou Hoover, Donie Lee and Aaron Castillo for the disgraced City Attorney looks to total to a 2.5 percent increase in taxes.
I don’t even want to do the math on what a possible $37m liability translates to.
It is important to note that none, some, or all of these scenarios outlined by the group may or may not occur. But it is a good jumping off point for descent into the rabbit hole, and erring on the side of caution, the PORN leaned towards the high side on its estimates.
*Ed. Note: The content of PORN’s analysis is their intellectual property, and was only edited for grammar, context, and, when necessary, brevity. Items added for context will be in italics, just like this.
The group broke it down as follows:
Legal and Personnel Liabilities
1. Wrongful Termination
($450K–$800K)
Former City Manager Al Childress was fired without cause despite positive performance reviews from all but one commissioner, Lissette Carey.
Ron Ramsingh reportedly helped orchestrate legal cover for the firing to protect his brother, CBO Raj Ramsingh’s job. Jim Young allegedly spread misinformation about Childress. The three reportedly conspired with several then-commissioners, including Carey, Billy Wardlow, Clayton Lopez, and Jimmy Weekley.
*Ed. Note: Local media wondered how the four commissioners (three who gave Childress high marks in his first review, along with some areas to improve) all came to the same conclusion. The commissioners involved have yet to be indicted, but the FBI/SAO have interviewed several.
2. Fraudulent Permits & HARC Lawsuits
($1M–$3.5M)
Raj Ramsingh authorized permits bypassing the Historic Architecture Review Commission (HARC). Code Director Jim Young allegedly tampered with records, but Ron Ramsingh failed to stop or report the misconduct (to protect his brother allegedly).
3. Loss of CRS Flood Insurance Discount
($2.5M–$5M)
Improper inspections and permits by the CBO threaten the City’s FEMA flood rating; Jim Young overlooked violations; Ron Ramsingh provided legal cover for their actions and to protect his brother. All of this smacks of pencil-whipping.
4. Loss of HARC Status
($500K–$1.75M)
Under the CBO's leadership, historic demolitions were permitted without proper review, and the City Attorney refused to investigate complaints.
5. Sunshine Law and Ethics Violations
($300K–$700K)
Ron Ramsingh was involved in coordination among commissioners outside public meetings. Jim Young provided behind-the-scenes support to officials. As mentioned, those commissioners include Carey, Mayor DeeDee Henriquez, and Donnie Lee. All three were interviewed by the FBI/SAO joint task force. Former commissioners involved were Lopez, Weekley, and Wardlow. It is unclear if they have been contacted as a part of the ongoing corruption investigation.
6. Wrongful Death Liability (e.g., La Te Da)
($250K–$1.5M)
Faulty inspections or unpermitted work approved by the CBO could lead to fatal consequences; Young allegedly failed to flag violations, and a construction worker at La Te Dah was injured during the renovation of the historic property — eventually dying of his injuries.
It is unclear at this time if the SAO will pursue involuntary manslaughter charges in that tragic event.
7. Termination without Cause
($221K.)
The Ron Ramsingh payout. After the Bubba Troika attempted to hide its actions by allegedly destroying, altering, or concealing communications with the aforementioned parties, Ramsingh was fired and received severance to the tune of $221,000.
8. Raj Ramsingh Payroll During Suspension
($150K–$300K)
The City of Key West had a predetermination hearing in which City Manager Brian Barroso said he intended to terminate the CBO. However, because the SAO released additional discovery, city leaders postponed the meeting indefinitely. The CBO remains on paid leave despite seven additional felony indictments, adding a significant payroll burden.
9. Lawsuits from Property Owners ($1.5M–$5.7and 5M)
Owners may sue over damage or noncompliance due to Raj’s fraudulent permits and Young's inspections.
10. Whistleblower/HR Retaliation ($100K–$300K)
The City Attorney allegedly suppressed HR complaints; whistleblowers reported retaliation, possibly by Young or others.
11. Legal Defense for Officials
($50K–$400K)
The Ramsingh brothers may require public defense of their actions while in office, Ron and Raj may require public defense, and commissioners the trio conspired with may also require defense from the city.
12. Internal Investigations and Audits
($100K–$300K)
Required to assess damage from Raj's and Young's actions; The City Attorrney’s involvement may complicate findings.
13. Insurance Premium Increases
($100K–$500k)
The risk profile has worsened due to legal exposure caused by the trio’s misconduct.
14. Turnover & Replacement Costs
($25K–$75K)
Hiring replacements for Ron, Raj, and others forced out or resigning.
15. Public Relations Campaigns
($50K–$150K)
Needed to restore public trust after scandals linked to the Ramsinghs and Young.
16. Monitoring/Consent Decree Compliance
($50K–$200K)
Potential state/federal oversight tied to permitting fraud and ethics violations.
17. All Aspects Contract
($200K)
Hired to stabilize the Building Department’s functions due to the CBOs' suspension, systemic failures, and alleged double-dealing. This number is conservative because the City will likely be auditing and bringing affected properties into compliance, and there is no telling how long that will take. And All Aspects is expensive. But if a deal can be worked out with them or similar entities, why not sub the responsibilities so the City has recourse and an opportunity to regain the public trust and rehabilitate its reputation? One other possible pitfall is that one of All Aspects managing partners is Ron Wampler, former Building Officer for the city. One of the others is former FKAA Executive Director Jim Reynolds,
18. ADA & Accessibility Violations
($100K–$1M)
Permits issued by Ramsingh may have bypassed America’s Disabilities Act. There is a very real chance of this; when you start to take a hard look around our island city, there are projects that have been completed post-ADA passage—and yet the City is WOEFULLY inadequate when it comes to access for those with disabilities. The potential cost for mitigation of these violations and potential related litigation could wildly exceed these estimates.
19. Constructive Dismissal Claims
($50K–$250K)
Employees pressured to resign due to a toxic work environment fueled by retaliation and mismanagement could potentially have cases for a toxic work environment created and maintained by the Bubba Bozos.
To say that the building (and to some degree planning) department was a dream place to work (with a building officer who owned his own contracting company and could also issue, falsify, approve, and inspect work being done in one-stop shopping) wouldn’t exactly be correct.
20. Negligent Hiring/Supervision
($100K–$400K)
Well, gee, this one doesn’t look like it could be hard to prove. Despite red flags and prior misconduct, the City may be liable for retaining Raj Ramsingh and Young. Both have previously been terminated by the City of Key West (Ramsingh while working as an inspector; Young for the same behavior alleged here). Both were eventually re-hired by the City, with Ramsingh ascending to Chief Building Officer and Young to Director of Code Enforcement.
21. Federal Civil Rights or HUD Investigations
($250K–$2M)
Discriminatory code enforcement or permitting policies may be investigated, particularly under Young. The more the merrier! We already have one alphabet soup agency investing in the activities of the Bubba Bozo Trio; what’s with a couple more?
22. State Audit Penalties
($50K–$500K)
This is where the rubber starts to come back off the shoulder of the highway and hit the proverbial road. Oversight bodies may fine the City for fiscal mismanagement. The state also has the authority to send in observers or an administrator to oversee Key West’s improvement of existing policies and procedures and to figure out precisely what is happening in the Southernmost three-ring circus.
23. Recall or Special Election Costs
($75K–$150K)
Residents looking for a paradigm shift in City Government, how it is run, and the status quo may need to take matters into their own hands and recall several of the commissioners allegedly implicated in Sunshine Law violations with regards to the conspiracy to either force former City Manager Al Childress, terminate him with cause, and the ensuing coverup to try to conceal any involvement by the trio and former and current commissioners.
24. Pension Forfeiture Disputes
(TBD)
No total value is put on this line item, but it could get expensive.
This is especially true for the accused and former Code Director Young.
Young has retained local attorneys Cara Higgins and Jerry Ballarotto to clear his name and save his Key West pension and one he has been collecting as a retiree from the Broward County Sherriff’s Office, where he retired in 2003.
25. Ethics Commission Fines
($25K–$100K)
The Ramsingh brothers and Young could face Florida’s Ethics Commission regardless of the outcome of their legal woes. If sanctioned by the Ethics commissions, fines could range to $100,000.
26. Contractor Claims
($100K–$500K)
Contractors and developers may sue the City and possibly the disgraced, indicted former employees due to delays or revocations linked to illegal permits. The cost could range from $100,000 to $500,000 for each instance.
II. At-Risk Grant Funding
In addition to allegedly lining their pockets and saving their jobs (why else would one conduct city business in the manner they did?), the Bubba Bozo Trio, through their actions and conduction of the city’s daily work, may have potentially endangered funding opportunities to help the city gird for climate change or disasters.
27. FEMA Flood & Resiliency Programs
($1M+)
The alleged allegations compromised permitting, which in turn threatens eligibility.
28. HUD Housing Infrastructure
($1.5M)
Fraud within the City government undermines federal confidence and could also threaten funding.
29. CLG Grant Eligibility
($990K)
The trio could potentially risk Key West’s eligibility for this funding by unlawfully demolishingproperties around the island (think Casa Marina).
Florida’s Certified Local Government (CLG) Program was enacted as part of the National Historic Preservation Act Amendments of 1980. The program links three levels of government -federal, state,and local- into a preservation partnership to identify, evaluate, and protect historic properties. Designation as a certified local government, either as a municipality or a county, makes historic preservation a public policy through the passage of a historic preservation ordinance. The ordinance establishes a historic preservation board to develop and oversee the functions of its historic preservation program.
The Bozos will have their day in court, but what do you think the chances are that they treated historic properties and their renovation and preservation with the respect they should accord?
30. State Historic Grants
($300K)
The group believes Ramsingh’s allegedly rigged permitting structure could directly threaten this funding source.
31. FDEP Grants
($500K)
These grants come from the state's Department of Environmental Protection, and improperly issued or approved permits could risk the money.
32. USDOT/FDOT Grants
($2M)
There is a plethora of road work—both City and County—that requires finding from the United States and Florida Departments of Transportation. However, alleged Sunshine violations and other ethical breaches could halt funding.
33. DOJ/FEMA Public Safety
($500K)
PORN believes Young’s conduct as Director of Code Enforcement could directly threaten funding that the City is eligible for and currently receives from Federal Emergency Management Administration sources.
34. Private/Foundation Grants
($250K)
Loss of trust and integrity could deter future grants from various sources that help ensure Key West can continue funding and administering programs via private philanthropy for $250,000 or more.
Whew.
That is a lot to unpack. And it is going to take months — if not years — to see the damage done by three people who allegedly believed that they had some power over the City and deserved special treatment because they were born in Key West.
Those days are over.
And paying our way out of them won’t be cheap, possibly totaling more than $37,000,000 in grants and funding.