 Florida Keys Journal
City of Marathon, Florida Keys, Paradise
2008 † City of Marathon † City Council Election
[Endorsements] [Worthington] [Tempest] [Ramsay] [Bartus] [Woodland] [Snead]
[Nelson] [Pedersen] [Cofield] [Endorsement Q&A Format] [The Dull Stuff] [Advertising]
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Florida Keys Journal supports Amendment 6: the "Constitutional Amendment Article VII, Section 4 Article XII, New Section" Assessment of Working Waterfront Property Based Upon Current Use. Vote Yes to Help Preserve Our Precious Working Waterfront. Florida Keys Journal presents candidate submissions in the order that they were received. Until we receive content, the order of candidate is arbitrary. We do not edit or change anything in these submissions. The content is exclusive to each candidate. Candidate answers are in green. Our endorsements will appear in the October magazine edition. The Florida Keys Journal is NOT responsible for the content or expressed opinions from the candidate submissions. We do NOT necessarily agree with any such content or expressed opinions as well. This service is provided for the edification of the voting public and provided FREE for all Marathon candidates. Some candidate submissions used the Keynoter, Journal, and/or Free Press format of questions and answers. Please vote and be counted to improve our city! THE CITY OF MARATHON HAS DESIGNATED THE FOLLOWING PROPERTY FOR POLITICAL SIGN LOCATIONS. Please remember to keep line of sight open for safety reasons.
Vacant property in front of the Guidance Clinic (US-1 by 41st St. Ocean) to the West of the American Legion. North side of Aviation Blvd. in the right-of-way between Mango Lane & Grouper Dr. Sombrero Beach Rd from Sombrero Blvd. to Comcast on the West side of the road behind the light fixtures & pedestrian path. Florida Keys Journal's Endorsements
October 1, 2008 - Marathon - L. E. Shaffer: City of Marathon City Council Election Endorsement from The  Florida Keys Journal are Announced. Please check out the full City of Marathon City Council election coverage at http://MarathonJournal.US/journal/elections/08election.htm. Marathon City Council Elections are on November 4. Early voting is October 20 to November 1. Early voting is conducted at the local elections office on 63rd Street [Ocean] in the county building. Since the Journal has been doing endorsements the last three years, this election season is the most difficult decision that we have had to make concerning endorsements. I would really like to endorse all the candidates. All eight are capable of doing a good job for Marathon residents. Some are more experienced and knowledgeable than others. Even then, on-the-job training is not necessarily a bad thing. These eight candidates are mature and serious residents of this fine city. All of them want to do what is best for the city and its residents. Yet we must pick three out of the eight candidates in this race, no easy task. CANDIDATE EVALUATION: Joanie Nelson could easily shake up city council. She would, though, find that taking the oath to the Florida constitution and abiding by the national constitution changes everything. She would not be able to deliver on her “little guy” precepts. Still, she could do well on city council. Keep running, Joanie. Allen Pedersen is an unknown quantity. He did not answer our question and answer series. That is too bad. That makes this process more difficult. The Journal has gleaned some tidbits here and there. He is capable of being a good councilman, but on-the-job training would take over a year at least. The rest are ready to serve on day one. That is amazing considering that there are only three spots open. These six would not be a waste of your votes. The difference between them is rather small. Experience, then, becomes a predominant factor. These next few years are critical to Marathon’s long-term future. Marathon’s tenth anniversary in November 2009 is very close. Kevin Woodland has been engaged and is ready to serve. Ginger Snead has taken a cram course on city government. She could do well on day one. Dick Ramsay, John Bartus, Pete Worthington, and Marilyn Tempest have a ton of experience. The City of Marathon would benefit from Dick Ramsay’s common sense, knowledge, and experience. Unfortunately, there are only three spots on the city council open. John Bartus served six years and helped Marathon get beyond the birthing pains. All of our mayors have done well, but John Bartus seemed to represent the ideal Marathon Mayor. We need Mr. Mayor to take us to our tenth anniversary and beyond. Pete Worthington is our current mayor. Pete has come a long way. He is adaptable and works well with others. Consensus building is a critical skill. Everyone needs a Marilyn Tempest on board. While her attention to detail can be worse than chalk screeching on a chalkboard, her talents are necessary to balance the city council. She is careful, considerate, and deliberate. We can't put off our decision any longer. Florida Keys Journal can only look at which three candidates can do the most good. All eight candidates are capable and ready to serve. Since we can't elect all of them, our choice for Marathon City Council is John Bartus, Pete Worthington, and Marilyn Tempest.
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Thanks
Larry Shaffer, Editor/Publisher
Florida Keys Journal
http://MarathonJournal.US/journal/index.htm
Pete Worthington in his own words
 RE-ELECT
PETE WORTHINGTON
FOR MARATHON
CITY COUNCIL
KEEP PETE
He’s committed!
Commitment to Community Past Member:
Marathon Jaycees 1983 – 1989
Florida Keys Artificial Reef Association 1982 - 1983
Boot Key Harbor Ad Hoc Committee 1989 - 1993
Boot Key Harbor Committee 1995 – 2001
Florida Keys Water Quality Committee 1989 - 1990
Florida Keys Amateur Radio Club 1991-2006Present Member:
Marathon City Council 2002 – 2004 & 2006- present
Organized Fisherman of Florida 1981 – present
R.A.C.E.S. Emergency Communication Emergency
Operations Center 1992 – present
Seafood Festival Volunteer “Chief Fish Fryer” 1981– present
Radio Communications – 7 Mile Bridge Run 1993 - present
Monroe County Marine Port Advisory 2000 – present
Amateur Radio Relay League 1991 – present
Fl Keys Commercial Fisherman’s Assn Board Member 2008
Monroe County Transportation Board 2006-present
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Water Quality
Committee 2002 – 2004 & 2006-presentPolitical Advertisement Paid for and Approved by Pete Worthington for City Council 310 CALZADA DE BOUGAINVILLEA
MARATHON, FL 33050
Phone: 305-289-0792 1. Do you believe that City Hall situated in rented trailers is safe during a hurricane surge event like Wilma? Why or why not? No, All of the City's, planning, code, building, records are located in the trailers 2' above ground on an ocean front lot. With out fire sprinklers. We have the computers backed up off site. However not everything is on computers. We need to have a City Hall in place after a bad storm to help the residents recover. I am not confident the trailers will provide that.
2. What actions would you undertake to improve Fire/EMS services? Consider adding 1 more person per/shift. More hydrants, add drafting locations thru out the city, improve volunteers participation, and add money in the budget for part time Fire/EMS. Every resident that doesn't have a hydrant or drafting location within 1000' of their house will save hundreds of dollars per/year in insurance premiums if the city puts hydrants within 1000' of their homes.
3. Should the city change to a strong mayor system to eliminate certain costs and integrate more council control over staff? Why or why not? No. The City needs to be run by a qualified City Manager, not an elected official that may or may not have a clue as to how to run our City. The City Manager is like the Captain of a ship. Qualifications and experience will determine how the City will manage it's services to the residents.
4. If elected for 2 years, what will you do specifically to solve the affordable and workforce housing crisis? Continue to support the proposed projects and groups working on affordable housing solutions.
5. What actions must the city take to help affordable and workforce-housing landlords keep their rents low enough to keep Marathon’s workforce in Marathon? Give tax breaks for affordable housing through deed restrictions on the properties for a minimum of 5 years. Also continue working with FIRM on keeping windstorm rates comparable to other parts of Florida.
6. How should affordable and workforce home ownership properties be assessed for ad valorem taxes? If deed restricted, there should be tax incentives for the properties maintaining affordable status.
7. What actions must the city take to relieve the insurance burden for residents? Continue to support the FIRM Organization with lobbying efforts and dollars if necessary.
8. What are the city's various funding sources and which one is the direct burden of the city’s residents? Ad Valorem taxes, infrastructure taxes, communication taxes, sewer assessments, grant monies, road improvement taxes, & impact fees, with ad valorem taxes and sewer assessments having the biggest impact.
9. How big is the city’s slice of the overall ad valorem taxes collected countywide? About 12% of the total bill.
10. What steps must the city take to address historical preservation within Marathon? That has been addressed in our comprehensive plan and LDR's, and needs to be enforced.
11. Do you take all campaign contributions from anyone or are you selective? Why? Selective. I have turned down contributions in the past. I did not want the perception that I owed any special interest group anything more that I would any others.
12. Should Marathon un-incorporate? Why or why not? No, we are much better off as a City. Parks and Recreation, events, the building department, Marina and Boot Key Harbor under our control and have benefited by the City, rather than under Monroe County.
13. Should Marathon build and operate some kind of municipal swimming pool? Why or why not? I do not support a pool built by and maintained by the City. I do not feel it is supported by a majority of the residents.
14. What are the limits of developments and redevelopments? That is identified in our Comprehensive Plan and LDR's. We spent over a year writing our Land Development Regulation with public input. That will set the limits in the future.
15. What are the limits of property rights? That is defined by the Constitution of the United States.
16. How would you beautify the US1 corridor and pay for same? I will continue to support code enforcement on abandoned buildings, and un -kept properties. Our LDR'S define redevelopment of our commercial corridor. I Support planting some trees and plants with the recommendation of our Beautification Committee. Paid for by grants and mitigation fees.
17. What use should Boot Key [the island] play in Marathon’s future? The City should not buy Boot Key. The State of Florida and Florida Forever should purchase it for conservation. It would make a great place for eco tours. The mixed use commercial portion could continue operating if the city would provide a ferry service to the island. I do not support spending up to 10 million dollars fixing the 50 year old bridge.
18. What must the city’s policy be on displaced resident mitigation? I would defer to Florida statute on this issue.
19. What position(s) should be grandfathered on city staff? Positions should be based on an as need basis to provide services to the residents.
20. Should there be another hiring freeze at city hall? Why or why not? Employees positions should be filled when there is a need to provide the best service to the residents. If there is no need then positions should be eliminated.
21. How do you resolve the calls for lower taxes and increased calls for more high-quality city services? There is a balance required. Services are important to maintain. The City has one of the lowest tax rate in the State of Florida. I will continue to consider both, but will be careful to ensure necessary services are not cut to simply achieve lower taxes.
22. Should the city designate the western portion of Coco Plum Beach as a nude beach following the Haulover Beach model in North Miami Beach? Why or why not? I have not heard from my constituents on this issue. Until I do, it is not an issue with me.
23. Should building permits be tied to the evacuation time model? Why or why not? The State has a mandated evacuation time I support controlled growth that would allow for evacuation safety.
24. Should council members raise or lower their pay? Why? I think the pay is adequate. It takes time, and costs money to sit on the Council. $1,350 per month is good.
25. What must the city do to get minorities involved at all levels of the city? I think it is up to individuals to get involved, not the City. Anyone can apply to any committee or job in the City without being discriminated against. Marilyn Tempest in her own words MARILYN TEMPEST for Marathon City Council
"IT'S ALL ABOUT THE ECONOMY. These are my goals."
 Reduce expenses further;
Focus on wastewater costs;
Support local economy;
Promote user friendly City Hall;
Continue listening to you.
Stay in touch: tempestin2008@comcast.net
Political Advertisement Paid for and Approved by Marilyn Tempest, Candidate for Marathon City Council 900 CORTE DEL SOL
MARATHON, FL 33050
Phone: 305-731-4480 Do you believe that City Hall situated in rented trailers is safe during a hurricane surge event like Wilma? Why or why not? Yes, the trailers are safe. They are installed in accordance with strict code. No person would be in those trailers during any flood event. All key city documents are digitized and stored off site. Paper files may be reproduced if needed, and contents of trailers are insured. The city is well prepared in my view. What actions would you undertake to improve Fire/EMS services? Many actions were identified in the workshop held in June, and we expect that some of those would be implemented quickly. Examples are: reinvigoration of volunteer program; GPS or similar equipment for fire vehicles; new pumper truck; registered drafting locations; prompt installation of hydrants; upgraded training; additional personnel; and frequent training and performance evaluation. Should the city change to a strong mayor system to eliminate certain costs and integrate more council control over staff? Why or why not? I am against the strong mayor form of government for Marathon. I believe a Council, which has members of equal influence, represents the citizens more fairly. We have seen strong mayors in action, and the power bases that are built become difficult to unseat. If elected for 2 years, what will you do specifically to solve the affordable and workforce housing crisis? Marathon has taken great steps during the past two years in support of affordable housing. The city purchased 6 pieces of property on which Habitat for Humanity and MKCLT have built housing. They purchased 104th St with the idea that it might serve as a City Hall site, but changed course to provide it as a site for moderate-income housing. The county has stepped forward and provided the land for work force rentals behind the Wooden Spoon. Together, 100 units of housing will be coming on line.
I am particularly pleased with the Development Agreement approved for Keys RV Park, on which I worked along side staff. It gives much needed protection to those who have non-conforming structures in an older park. Preservation of existing affordable housing , of which this is an example, should receive more attention during this coming term. What actions must the city take to help affordable and workforce-housing landlords keep their rents low enough to keep Marathon’s workforce in Marathon? The city can continue to support all efforts to keep insurance and tax rates from increasing. Different treatment of deed restricted housing by the appraiser’s office would be a big help. Key West is having those discussions now, and we should do the same. How should affordable and workforce home ownership properties be assessed for ad valorem taxes? If they are deed restricted, they should be assessed at current use vice highest and best. What actions must the city take to relieve the insurance burden for residents? The city is not in the insurance business, but can urge our lobbyists and citizens to actively support legislation that prevents rate abuse in Monroe County. FIRM has done a huge job for the county in this regard. What are the city's various funding sources and which one is the direct burden of the city’s residents? There are a lot of funding sources. The main ones are: Ad Valorem taxes, Communications taxes, Building Permit Fees, Planning & Zoning Fees, Sales Tax Revenue, half cent sales tax, various grants, rents, court fines, & interest. Owners of property pay the ad valorem taxes directly to the city. City residents participate in the payment of all of these sources except grants, rents, and interest. How big is the city’s slice of the overall ad valorem taxes collected countywide? In the last two years, Marathon’s share has been 20.7% (2006) and 18.6% (2007). At submission time, the new ratio was not available. What steps must the city take to address historical preservation within Marathon? Mr. Dan Gallagher, a Marathon resident, has written two books that address the history of the Marathon area, and he has identified many of the structures that might be of historical interest. I trust his work, and diligence of long time residents to prevent demolition of an historical asset. Do you take all campaign contributions from anyone or are you selective? Why? I welcome all contributions, so long as contributors know to expect no special treatment for my part. I find that this keeps the amount contributed by any single donor at a reasonable level. Should Marathon un-incorporate? Why or why not? Marathon should not unincorporate. The main reasons that the city incorporated were to spend its own tax revenues on Marathon infrastructure, provide a more citizen friendly government, clean up Boot Key Harbor, replace ROGO with fairer rules, and protect property rights of residents. We have come a long way since 1999 in achieving those goals. Let’s not stop now. Should Marathon build and operate some kind of municipal swimming pool? Why or why not? No pool for now. What are the limits of developments and redevelopments? DCA has pretty much defined the limits of our development and redevelopment. The market will take care of the rest. What are the limits of property rights? The limits of property rights are encoded in the city, county, state and federal law. One person’s rights end where the next person’s begins. How would you beautify the US1 corridor and pay for same? Continue to work with the Beautification Committee on ways to upgrade the appearance of the US1 corridor. If the city wants to make our core attractive, we have to provide at least a modicum of financial support in the budget. Grants, matching funds, and donations from local business are also part of the effort. What use should Boot Key [the island] play in Marathon’s future? There may be a future for Boot Key that is beyond our thinking today. But for now, let’s leave it in its natural state. If Florida Forever has an interest, we should encourage that interest What must the city’s policy be on displaced resident mitigation? The city has no policy, nor should it, on residents that move as a result of redevelopment. What position(s) should be grandfathered on city staff? No positions are grand fathered on city staff. Should there be another hiring freeze at city hall? Why or why not? I will take the recommendation of the city manager in that regard. Personnel is not the business of Council. How do you resolve the calls for lower taxes and increased calls for more high-quality city services? Prioritize. We cannot do everything for everyone. Should the city designate the western portion of Coco Plum Beach as a nude beach following the Haulover Beach model in North Miami Beach? Why or why not? I am not an expert on the pros and cons of nude beaches. I personally would not favor it. Should building permits be tied to the evacuation time model? Why or why not? I do not have a lot of faith in the evacuation model, as it presumes that all people are in residence, and that all people will evacuate. There is no attempt to estimate the numbers that will stay regardless of the urging of authorities, or the numbers of vacant dwellings during hurricane season. There are lots of reasons to control growth, but I wish there were a better model out there to hang our growth decisions on. Should council members raise or lower their pay? Why? I think the current pay is fair. What must the city do to get minorities involved at all levels of the city? The city is an equal opportunity employer—no ifs, ands or buts about it.
Dick Ramsay in his own words
· 35 year Marathon Resident
· Successful Marathon Business Owner for 28 years
· Served on Civic and Community Committees
· Committed to a Strong Marathon
www.Ramsay2008.com
-The experience, background and business approach needed to make decisions which will move our city in a more financially secure direction.
-Committed to a more stable, consistent, efficient, and consumer friendly city government for all.
~YOU TALK - I'LL LISTEN!~
DICK RAMSAY for MARATHON CITY COUNCIL
political advertisement paid for and approved by Dick Ramsay for marathon city council
PO Box 500802
MARATHON, FL 33050-0802
Phone: 305-289-1671
http://www.ramsay2008.com/ Do you believe that City Hall situated in rented trailers is safe during a hurricane surge event like Wilma? Why or why not? No, I believe that moving to these trailers, which are at best questionable structures during a hurricane, was not the best decision. I believe we should have remained in the 100th Street Building (the old City Hall) until a decision was made for a permanent structure. What actions would you undertake to improve Fire/EMS services? I believe we have already started to take action to improve these services. Among the issues being addressed are (1) installing additional fire hydrants; and (2) reestablishing in configuration with the full-time fire fighters our proven, very successful volunteer system. Should the city change to a strong mayor system to eliminate certain costs and integrate more council control over staff? Why or why not? The current City Charter calls for a strong City Manager supported by and directed by an elected City Council. Any changes to the Charter would have to be approved by the voters. If elected for 2 years, what will you do specifically to solve the affordable and workforce housing crisis? We now have various workforce projects underway. I will follow these projects closely to make sure they are completed. What actions must the city take to help affordable and workforce-housing landlords keep their rents low enough to keep Marathon’s workforce in Marathon? Before considering any preferential treatment to these landlords, we must be sure through deed restrictions that these properties are in fact servicing workforce housing. We must think outside the box, which includes suggestions I have made concerning the financing of the wastewater hookups between the home and the wastewater system. Presently, there is financing in place for the central sewage hookup, but not for connecting individual houses to the central system. How should affordable and workforce home ownership properties be assessed for ad valorem taxes? See answer to Question #5 above. What actions must the city take to relieve the insurance burden for residents? The City must continue to lobby on this issue, and support local organizations such as FIRM. What are the city's various funding sources and which one is the direct burden of the city’s residents? These sources are obviously varied, but in a nutshell they can be boiled down to just one word: TAXES. How big is the city’s slice of the overall ad valorem taxes collected countywide? Since I did not know the answer, I took the time to find out. The answer is twelve percent (12%). What steps must the city take to address historical preservation within Marathon? The City should take input from historical preservation groups and its citizens regarding this matter. Do you take all campaign contributions from anyone or are you selective? Why? I welcome all contributions. I offer nothing in return, except honesty and a commitment to the people of our City. Should Marathon un-incorporate? Why or why not? No. As a new City, we are getting better all the time. Should Marathon build and operate some kind of municipal swimming pool? Why or why not? No, certainly not at this time, due to the economic downturn and my dedication to fiscal responsibility. What are the limits of developments and redevelopments? Those limits have been imposed upon us by the State of Florida and by the City’s Comprehensive Plan and our land development regulations. What are the limits of property rights? I am a property rights advocate. How would you beautify the US1 corridor and pay for same? By working closely with D.O.T., our City’s Beautification Committee, and the citizens of Marathon. The funding will come from various sources, which include D.O.T., grants, and local support. What use should Boot Key [the island] play in Marathon’s future? It is too early in the game to answer that question. There are many possibilities that must be investigated; however, the City’s repairing of the bridge is out of the question. What must the city’s policy be on displaced resident mitigation? I do not believe this is a City issue. What position(s) should be grandfathered on city staff? None. Should there be another hiring freeze at city hall? Why or why not? If elected, the information necessary to make this decision would come from various sources, such as the City Manager, Finance Department, and our citizens. How do you resolve the calls for lower taxes and increased calls for more high-quality city services? Everyone knows that you get what you pay for. I will never compromise on basic services. Additional services (high quality) need to be supported by a majority of the citizens. We must be fiscally responsible in these tough fiscal times. Should the city designate the western portion of Coco Plum Beach as a nude beach following the Haulover Beach model in North Miami Beach? Why or why not? Nude beaches are not my specialty. Should building permits be tied to the evacuation time model? Why or why not? Monroe County and the City of Marathon are under a State Area of Critical Concern and all permits are directly tied to evacuation models, and these are state and federal mandates. Should council members raise or lower their pay? Why? The current salary of $18,000.00 per year is sufficient and covers the council members’ expenses while serving the City. What must the city do to get minorities involved at all levels of the city? Our City has always been an equal opportunity employer.
John Bartus in his own words
 Vote John Bartus for City Council
Most Experienced Candidate in Current Field
Quality City Services for Less Taxes
Consensus Building a Primary Skill
Tell John What You Need from the City
Political Advertisement Paid for and Approved by John Bartus, Candidate for Marathon City Council
P.O. BOX 2523
MARATHON SHORES, FL 33052
Phone: 305-731-1177 Do you believe that City Hall situated in rented trailers is safe during a hurricane surge event like Wilma? Why or why not? The City of Marathon had the perfect temporary location for City Hall in the 100th St. Center, a concrete building that had weathered the hurricane season of 2005 and was high above Wilma’s storm surge. The move to trailers, allegedly made to save the City a token amount of money, may end up costing Marathon taxpayers much more than originally bargained for, even without a storm event. If a real hurricane comes, our “City Hall” will be left in ruins. What actions would you undertake to improve Fire/EMS services? The Fire Department must have a plan for how to fight fires for every street and parcel in Marathon. They must know the drafting locations for each street and neighborhood. We must begin to install much-needed fire hydrants in our neighborhoods. We must make sure our paid and volunteer firefighters have the tools and equipment they need to do their jobs. We must bolster our volunteer ranks with both support for their efforts as well as a career path for those who would like to move into paid positions with the City’s Fire/EMS Department. And we should not ridicule or diminish the efforts of residents like Johnny Maddox who wish to be part of the solution to the problem we all face. We must also open a dialogue with Islamorada, Layton, and Monroe County to find the best, most cost-effective way to provide protection to residents in Grassy Key, Conch Key, and Duck Key (as well as other unincorporated areas) without the duplication of facilities and services that taxpayers can’t afford. Should the city change to a strong mayor system to eliminate certain costs and integrate more council control over staff? Why or why not? No! The City Manager needs to be a strong manager who executes the will of the majority of the City Council as expressed by Council votes at noticed meetings. Our Charter wisely forbids Council members from interfering with staff members and the performance of their duties; this helps keep base politics out of the City’s day-to-day operations as much as possible. This City has suffered from some Council members’ inability to comprehend the Charter’s prohibitions against such, and our City Manager needs to remain vigilant, strong, and independent enough to be able to tell a Charter-violating Council member to leave the City staff alone. If elected for 2 years, what will you do specifically to solve the affordable and workforce housing crisis? I would continue to support developments like the Seagrape complex, which actually was initiated during my tenure on Council. I would also like to see the City move ahead with Paradise Landing, as well as continuing its relationships with the Middle Keys Community Land Trust and Habitat for Humanity. The City must continue lobbying the State for additional affordable housing ROGO-exempt allocations that are essential to solve this crisis. I have more experience lobbying State and Federal officials than any other candidate or current sitting Council member.
Additionally, we must continue to work with the Legislature and FIRM to keep a handle on skyrocketing windstorm insurance rates, and seek legitimate and real property tax solutions for those who rent their properties out as affordable/workforce housing. We must also hold developers’ feet to the fire and make sure that their contributions to the City’s affordable housing fund go to their best possible use. We must also encourage the Legislature to restore all the funding under the Sadowski Act back to affordable housing needs. What actions must the city take to help affordable and workforce-housing landlords keep their rents low enough to keep Marathon’s workforce in Marathon? The two problems facing landlords are ever-increasing taxes and insurance. Relief for both of these issues must come from the state level; I will work to ensure passage of a property tax exemption for landlords who keep rents affordable as well as continue to support and work with FIRM to help keep our windstorm rates lower. How should affordable and workforce home ownership properties be assessed for ad valorem taxes? Affordable residential rental units should enjoy a protection similar to the Save Our Homes homestead tax exemption. As I mentioned above, I will work to ensure passage of a property tax exemption for landlords who keep rents affordable. What actions must the city take to relieve the insurance burden for residents? As mentioned above, the City must continue its working relationship with FIRM, the grassroots organization that truly made the difference for all of us. We must also continue to work with our Legislator, and hold the Legislature and Governor to their campaign promises, as well as make sure they don’t forget all of us in the Keys still on Citizens policies. The success achieved so far is but only a beginning of the real solution that all of Florida needs. What are the city's various funding sources and which one is the direct burden of the city’s residents? The City reaps the benefit of many funding sources, including various license, permitting, and impact fees, fuel and communications taxes, local, state, and federal grants, user fees and enterprise funds, the State Revolving Fund (sewer/stormwater loans), etc. The largest revenue sources are the infrastructure sales tax and the ad valorem taxes. The ad valorem tax is the revenue source (property tax) that is a direct burden on the City’s property owners, but all revenues are tax dollars of one kind or another, and should be spent wisely. How big is the city’s slice of the overall ad valorem taxes collected countywide? The City of Marathon’s share of the total countywide millage is approximately 12% of the total ad valorem millage. What steps must the city take to address historical preservation within Marathon? The City must stay involved with the County and FDOT as the closure and eventual rehabilitation of the old Seven Mile Bridge gets underway. Likewise, the City should have a seat at the table with the County and the Pigeon Key Foundation as the future of the island is discussed. The old bridge and Pigeon Key are our direct links to the history of our island chain, and must be preserved and protected so that future generations will remember the past. Do you take all campaign contributions from anyone or are you selective? Why? I am selective; there are those from whom I will not accept donations. That being said, campaign contributions in and of themselves will not influence my vote on issues. My decisions, like they always have been, will be based on what I believe is best for the people of Marathon as a whole. Should Marathon un-incorporate? Why or why not? Unincorporation would be the single worst move for Marathon. Right now, the City is able to keep all its own infrastructure tax dollars instead of having them siphoned off to other areas of the Keys as they were before incorporation. With the City, local decisions are made by local residents with a stake in the city’s future. (All five City Council members must reside in Marathon. Currently, only one County Commissioner lives in Marathon.) During my last term as Mayor, I was responsible for leading the successful fight to control our own destiny on the City’s wastewater project. The FKAA’s plan came with a price tag ranging from $180 million to $255 million. The City hired its own team and devised a more practical plan that will come in somewhere between $80 million and $100 million. Why anyone would want to go backward on these issues is beyond me. Should Marathon build and operate some kind of municipal swimming pool? Why or why not? Until sewers are finished, we can’t afford a pool. I know that many residents have expressed their desire for a pool, and many have expressed their concerns over the costs of building and operating a pool. City taxpayers should not have to foot the bill for this project by themselves. If we are to see a pool built at some point in the future, the school district (a potential major user of a pool) should step up to the plate with their infrastructure (non-ad valorem) dollars, and private business interests could come forward to sponsor and offset the annual operation costs of a pool. What are the limits of developments and redevelopments? Those limits are those defined in the United States Constitution and Code of Federal Regulations, Florida Statutes and Constitution, and the City’s Land Development Regulations. This is important: any other limits people may believe to exist likely don’t, and that is why continued public participation is crucial to our vision for the future of Marathon. What are the limits of property rights? Please refer to the above answer. I would expand upon that by stating that the Constitution acknowledged that public good may at times outweigh private property rights, so long as the property owner was compensated at fair market value. This is why, in a nutshell, that the state needs to remain a partner of the City: state-imposed growth management restrictions have caused and will continue to cause major financial repercussions for local governments in the Keys. How would you beautify the US1 corridor and pay for same? FDOT has funds available for landscaping the US 1 right-of-way, and they’ll do so (someday), as the City’s Beautification Committee has learned. As president of the Marathon Chamber of Commerce, I’ve worked to rally the business community behind the idea, and the Chamber has donated $10,000 to the City’s beautification efforts. We must continue to work with our residents and businesses (as well as competent grant-writers) to help get these projects funded. What use should Boot Key [the island] play in Marathon’s future? There are major environmental concerns that will likely prohibit any real development on Boot Key. The owners of the undeveloped parcels would face huge hurdles in any effort to develop. Resolving the drawbridge issue is one that will take large amounts of money, no matter which path is chosen. Without development options on Boot Key, however, finding a way for the landowners to pay for the bridge will be difficult at best. One idea would be to get the state involved to come in, help clean up the island, and preserve it as a state park. What must the city’s policy be on displaced resident mitigation? I’m not sure the City can prevent residents from being displaced if the landowner wants the tenants off the land and follows the procedures outlined in Florida Statutes. Those statutes delineate the rights and responsibilities of trailer park owners to their tenants, as well as those of the tenant residents. In light of the statewide affordable housing crisis, the Legislature should revisit these statutes and bring them into the Florida of today. The City cannot pass local ordinances that conflict with Florida statutes, and I believe that this has to be handled at the state level. What position(s) should be grandfathered on city staff? Although the City does need a number of certain essential employees, I’m not sure any positions need to be “grandfathered.” Should there be another hiring freeze at city hall? Why or why not? If the City Manager can meet the budget figures voted on by the Council, I see no need to micromanage the Manager in this way. How do you resolve the calls for lower taxes and increased calls for more high-quality city services? The City needs to expedite the permitting process so that simple permits don’t have to spend inordinate amounts of time caught up in a bureaucratic mass of red tape. Let’s use our planning staff for the real work of redevelopment, and get them out of processing basic building permits. Should the city designate the western portion of Coco Plum Beach as a nude beach following the Haulover Beach model in North Miami Beach? Why or why not? I would have to hear a lot more of the naked truth from the residents and beachgoers before I could make an informed decision. Rest assured, I would not frequent this beach. Should building permits be tied to the evacuation time model? Why or why not? Absolutely not! It’s way past time to separate public safety from growth management – these are two separate issues. I was on the Council when the DCA and local governments worked on the concept of evacuating non-residents well ahead of any approaching storm, and long before the 24-hour window started. This issue came up during discussions about the City’s hotel/motel redevelopment ordinance, as well as in response to conclusions reached by many that the Miller Model (used to predict hurricane evacuation times in the Keys) was fatally flawed.
Whatever the number of hours it realistically takes to evacuate should be the number of hours stated. I totally support the early evacuation of non-residents as well as the phased evacuation of residents as ordered by Emergency Management. Anyone who has evacuated during storm threats knows that the evacuations proceed relatively smoothly. Suffice it to say that I trust our local emergency managers with these decisions far more than I do politicians or activists with an axe to grind. Should council members raise or lower their pay? Why? At this point, the $18,000 annual salary should be left where it is. Council members put in an inordinate amount of work for the salary received, and they certainly earn their pay.
When the City gets into a better financial position, we then perhaps might look at a small increase. If only the rich and wealthy retired can run for office, then our Council truly will not be representative of the people of our City. What must the city do to get minorities involved at all levels of the city? Sadly, it’s not just minorities who don’t get involved. When turnout on our municipal Election Day in Marathon averages 28% of registered voters, it shows a real apathy that crosses ethnic and socio-economic lines.
The City – and this should come from the Council itself – needs to take a proactive role in reaching out to all the members of this community. The City needs to let its residents know about the things that it’s doing to make their lives better. The City needs to tell its residents just how their tax dollars are being spent. These efforts have to be over and above what’s said at Council meetings, or what’s reported in the local news sources. If returned to the Council, I will hold informal town meetings in different neighborhoods throughout the City – meetings where residents can let a Council member know what’s on their minds without having to worry about a two-minute time limit.
That being said, residents also have a responsibility to participate in the decisions and issues that affect our community. As it has been said, if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. This community is at its best when people come together to accomplish meaningful things, and that’s what we need to get back to doing as a community.
Kevin Woodland in his own words
 Kevin C. Woodland for Marathon City Council
Criticism comes easier than craftsmanship
It is time for craftsmanship
Common Sense Solutions
Community Unity
Workforce Housing Advocate
Keep Jobs in Marathon
Experienced in City Government
Political Advertisement Paid for and Approved by Kevin Woodland, Candidate for Marathon City Council
423 80TH ST
MARATHON, FL 33050
Phone: 305-743-1853 Do you believe that City Hall situated in rented trailers is safe during a hurricane surge event like Wilma? Why or why not? Possibly considering the anchored trailers are elevated above base flood elevation which all waves moving at high velocity to pass beneath them. What actions would you undertake to improve Fire/EMS services? Firefighter rescue squad and emergency medical personnel have a special understanding of the problems with extinguishing fires protecting life and property. Would it not seem practical to create a parallel mechanism agreement with the MVFD members who live here locally. Should the city change to a strong mayor system to eliminate certain costs and integrate more council control over staff? Why or why not? At the discretion of council who would decide on this, however what would the city manager being doing. Perquisites need review. If elected for 2 years, what will you do specifically to solve the affordable and workforce housing crisis? Serving on the city's Land/Enviro Acquisition Advisory Committee who was instrumental in setting forth a process of an area-wide comprehensive planning strategy in identifying potential acquisition sites and rated environmentally sensitive parcels. This enabled us to insert transitional measures of leveraging funding and purchased various sites that laid the foundation for 104th St. What actions must the city take to help affordable and workforce-housing landlords keep their rents low enough to keep Marathon’s workforce in Marathon? Renting is expensive here in the Keys, increased land taxes, escalating insurances, create more jobs between city/county building projects locally instead of hiring outside workforce. How should affordable and workforce home ownership properties be assessed for ad valorem taxes? A classification based upon the use of property, according to the assessment basis and standard measures of value. What actions must the city take to relieve the insurance burden for residents? Globular clusters in the Caribbean are wreaking havoc on waterfront and residential properties, the replacement values and limited damage claims from windstorm and flood damage caused by rising tidal water and ground saturation from rainwater. The insurance companies doing business in Florida and assessment is passed to them who in turn pass them to the customers which of course have to bailout when insurance companies come up short and run out of money to pay the claims. What are the city's various funding sources and which one is the direct burden of the city’s residents? A right to exercise a taxable privilege. How big is the city’s slice of the overall ad valorem taxes collected countywide? $4.1 million dollars. What steps must the city take to address historical preservation within Marathon? Serving on the city's code board suggested implementing historic preservation laws to curb the destruction of old building of great historic value to the Marathon longtime residents. We can not allow developers to act as a wrecking crew. They must follow sound policies. Do you take all campaign contributions from anyone or are you selective? Why? I've chosen the method of acquiring signature petitions which is a savings of $720.00 and my campaign budget cap. Should Marathon un-incorporate? Why or why not? It's crossed my mind on numerous occasions arising from many concerns and rating priorities. Marathon serves as the perfect example of what had gone wrong with growth and development years of neglect in Monroe County resulted in the designation of state area of critical concern. Nov 2, 1999 declaring our independence from county big bureaucracy has come along way in the smaller scale of problems of providing public services. The lack of economic resources efforts to protect the natural environment from development impacts and impacts from tourism. A structured comprehensive work program with incremental milestones that address critical planning objectives with housing affordability, governmental spending has escalated and accrued bonded indebtedness is on the shoulders of real estate property owners. This decision of course should be up to the voters and acquiring state and federal funding to offset these capital improvement projects and the unique set of hurdles to overcome the present imbalance suggests remedies must be sought. Should Marathon build and operate some kind of municipal swimming pool? Why or why not? Serving on the city's Parks and Recreation Committee addressed many needs geared to sports related activities and the proper facilities needed. The county Parks and Recreation Advisory (Committee) got the ball rolling over a decade ago and a swimming pool was second choice and the desire to build on(e). The city took possession of the Marathon Community Park and acquired funding to purchase land needed, applied for infrastructure funds of $1.2 million (dollars) to build an aquatic complex. A smaller version swimming pool to the tune of $775,000.00 was submitted, but Community Services chose the Key Largo Jacobs Aquatic Design Layout which shot the cost well over $3.5 million (dollars). During the last few months it was decided to discuss possibilities of building one next to the Marathon High School on property owned by the school board. The MAACI Group is in the planning stages of negotiations. What are the limits of developments and redevelopments? Enhance the livability and character through the encouragement of an attractive and functional mix of living, working, shopping and recreational activities. The importance of preserving the natural resources and enhancing the quality of life of the state. Development shall be directed to those areas which have in place or have agreements in an environmentally acceptable manner. Fiscal abilities and service capacity to accommodate growth. Obtaining funding and building allocations are in short supply. What are the limits of property rights? Protect private property rights and recognize the existence of legitimate competing public and private interests in land use regulations and other governmental action. How would you beautify the US1 corridor and pay for same? Serving on the city's Beautification and Appearance Committee which has a diversified group of people from various sections of the community, and state agencies representatives. The city controls the environmental restoration mitigation account which new home builders must mitigate native tree removals at a 3 to 1 ratio, this tree bank could be used to relocate trees to acceptable sites around town. However many planning strategies resulted in limiting progress due to other county, state Dept of Transportation requirements and permit restraints. A small pilot project was implemented at the city offices property. What use should Boot Key [the island] play in Marathon’s future? Lack of bridge maintenance and upkeep has resulted in closure to the island, estimates up to $4 to ($)10 million plus operation costs not to mention buyouts of property owners is a heavy burden to tackle. Even if the state purchased it the local tax payers would still have to contribute monies. What must the city’s policy be on displaced resident mitigation? Fair percentages and relocation support(.) What position(s) should be grandfathered on city staff? Conservation and environmental Should there be another hiring freeze at city hall? Why or why not? The proverbial ball is in our pockets, wallets and bank accounts(.) Now is the time for firmness and consistency of saving not spending. The economy of Marathon is tourist dependent and too many services accompany cost of living expenses, bonuses and benefits. How do you resolve the calls for lower taxes and increased calls for more high-quality city services? The times are too critical and the stakes are too high and there are difficult times ahead . Learn to do with less and become thrifty just say no. Should the city designate the western portion of Coco Plum Beach as a nude beach following the Haulover Beach model in North Miami Beach? Why or why not? Probably not, population comparisons different scale. Should building permits be tied to the evacuation time model? Why or why not? No, storm proofing and stricter building practices and FEMA Safe homes (concrete-steel to withstand 250 mile per hour winds and able to withstand flooding impacts) Should council members raise or lower their pay? Why? When Marathon incorporated the projected salary for council was $25,000 with a $5,000 annual increase. The towns people-alike compromised with volunteering the first 2 years and settled with $18,000 agreed annually in 2001. Recently the city introduced an insurance package costing $7,000.00 a year for each council person. Let the people-alike decide. What must the city do to get minorities involved at all levels of the city? Community contribution programs would stimulate local trades, master gardeners, laborers, volunteering participation activities.
Ginger Snead in her own words
P.O. BOX 501105
MARATHON, FL 33050
Phone: 305-304-7842 Do you believe that City Hall situated in rented trailers is safe during a hurricane surge event like Wilma? Why or why not? I believe that at this time we are locked in to the situation with the trailers. In the event of a hurricane emergency, we have plenty of notice to properly prepare. I trust our city manager along with his staff will take every precaution to protect important city documents. I also believe that if Marathon had enough storm surge to destroy the trailers in which city hall is situated then the city would be faced with greater resident issues than the city hall.
When the time comes that our city’s financial focus can be directed at building or acquiring an appropriate city hall, I would be fully supportive. What actions would you undertake to improve Fire/EMS services? I believe that it is the city council’s job to direct our city manager to run the city. I do not believe that I can do anything more then bring the ideas to the council for approval and implementation.
The ideas I have include but are not limited to increased fire practice and training, increased volunteer base for all areas of service, increased education of the area for career fire fighters, active and incentive recruitment of local fire personnel, active participation, coordination and recruitment within the school system to help local graduates get trained and recruited as firefighters. Should the city change to a strong mayor system to eliminate certain costs and integrate more council control over staff? Why or why not? I believe that the form of government that we have in place is perfectly acceptable and functional. When electing a single person, especially in a small town there is no guarantee that the person is elected based on ability and expertise. The format that we use is the safest for small town residents. The residents elect five-people they trust to hire a qualified person to implement the decisions they make. If elected for 2 years, what will you do specifically to solve the affordable and workforce housing crisis? I am not sure that there is an easy answer to the affordable housing issue. We have two different entities that have the function of supplying affordable housing. I think we need to allow them to do their tasks. I do not believe that we as a city should be landlords or land developers. What actions must the city take to help affordable and workforce-housing landlords keep their rents low enough to keep Marathon’s workforce in Marathon? I feel every resident is responsible for contributing to the community. Though I believe there needs to be an adjusted cost. How should affordable and workforce home ownership properties be assessed for ad valorem taxes? What actions must the city take to relieve the insurance burden for residents? The city responsibility is limited to infrastructure that would reduce resident liability such as placing fire hydrants in areas to decrease home owners insurance. Through work and cooperation with FIRM insurance costs can be affected. What are the city's various funding sources and which one is the direct burden of the city’s residents? Our major sources of funds come from ad valorum taxes and assessments (such as the sewer). Other sources of funds are grants and impact fees. The ad valorum taxes and of course the sewer assessments have the greatest personal impact on the residents. How big is the city’s slice of the overall ad valorem taxes collected countywide? This is not an area in which I am knowledgeable. I have performed some research to locate this information and can only give a ball park figure of 10-15%. What steps must the city take to address historical preservation within Marathon? This issue should be addressed in our city’s comprehensive plan. Until I have had more time to research our historical assets as well as our written plan, I am unable to further comment on this topic. Do you take all campaign contributions from anyone or are you selective? Why? I have not been met with this issue. Many people, especially those who may think they have something to gain by donating to me, do not even know who I am. I guess this is one time that being new to the political arena is a plus. However if confronted with the issue I will be selective, nobody has anything to gain besides my fair judgment and assessment of each situation. Should Marathon un-incorporate? Why or why not? No, I do not believe it would be fiscally responsible for the City of Marathon to unincorporated at this time. The city is solvent, the county not as much. The city at this time is having a few growing pains, we need to address these growing pains not dissolve the city we have worked so hard to develop. Should Marathon build and operate some kind of municipal swimming pool? Why or why not? At this time I do not support this city taking on financially significant infrastructures that may take funds that may be needed in the development of the sewer system. The funds that would be used for that would be better allocated for budget needs that would benefit all residents. What are the limits of developments and redevelopments? This is set by a plethora of federal and state entities as well as the comprehensive plan and LDRs. What are the limits of property rights? This is limited through our comprehensive plan and LDRs. How would you beautify the US1 corridor and pay for same? I do not believe that the beautification of the US 1 corridor is as easy as it sounds. There are many regulations and restrictions that influence these activities. I am in total agreement that the city needs work in the aesthetics department. I think we need to pull the dusty plan designed when we first incorporated as a city, re-evaluate and re-design from there. What use should Boot Key [the island] play in Marathon’s future? The role of boot key in the future of Marathon is not clearly defined at this time. I do not believe that Marathon should purchase the island nor does it seem that most residents I have spoken to believe that. I think that if an organization like Florida Forever were to buy the island and build an eco-park it would be a great asset for our community. What must the city’s policy be on displaced resident mitigation? I am not really sure of the direction or intent of this question. What position(s) should be grandfathered on city staff? There should be no grandfathered positions in the city. Each position should be in place and filled as needed to run our city effectively and efficiently. Should there be another hiring freeze at city hall? Why or why not? There should not necessarily be a hiring freeze. I think there should be a reassessment of each position to assure its need in our city. If a position comes open it should be reassessed to assure its importance to the function of the city. How do you resolve the calls for lower taxes and increased calls for more high-quality city services? The budget is the responsibility of the city manager to provide to the council. I believe that the manager should be trusted to supply a budget that not only provides the services the we require as a city while also staying within or below the millage levels set forth by the council. Should the city designate the western portion of Coco Plum Beach as a nude beach following the Haulover Beach model in North Miami Beach? Why or why not? As the very mission statement of our city refers to the promotion of family values, I do not believe that the designation of a nude beach would be in keeping with our mission statement. I would; however, listen to the residents of this city and decide as they see fit. Should building permits be tied to the evacuation time model? Why or why not? In the event of emergency or evacuation needs there is typically a long enough notice period to allow all citizens to evacuate. The evacuation process is executed in plenty of time to allow all residents to safely leave the islands. I also believe that the comprehensive plan as well as the LDRs take that into account. Should council members raise or lower their pay? Why? The pay the council receives is meant to defer the cost of being a council member. I believe that it is an adequate amount. What must the city do to get minorities involved at all levels of the city? All jobs within the city should employ the person that is most qualified without regard to race. The panels as well as committees should be filled in the same respect. I think making the style of the city more friendly to the average resident will lend for increased minority participation.
Joanie Nelson in her own words
Bicycle Joanie Nelson for Marathon City Council
Joanie watches out for the "little guys"
No unfunded mandates
Shake out city council & try a new approach
Less government, less taxes, less development
No more developers displacing Marathon residents
Political Advertisement Paid for and Approved by Joan Nelson, Candidate for Marathon City Council Joanie Nelson
750 46th Street Gulf
Marathon, FL 33050
305-743-5061 Do you believe that City Hall situated in rented trailers is safe during a hurricane surge event like Wilma? Why or why not? Nothing in this world is really safe. Witness the Tower of Babel. Witness the well-built Twin Towers of 9/11. It’s a matter of luck X foreign/homegrown terrorism X weather X location X preparedness & who knows (some would predict) religious &/or scientific determinism theologically/philosophically versus free will. We are leasing the insured City Hall Trailer Compound. No people will be sheltered in the compound during a Hurricane. Therefore no on-site loss of life. If there is loss of paperwork -- Goody if it relates to the Unfunded Mandate to hookup to Central Sewage by 2010 whose price tag is squeezing the last fringe of existing Affordable Housing out of the Heart of the Florida Keys. Sure our multimillion $ brand new Bell Tower Firehouse with its blistering brand new roof would probably be a safer place to hang out in a Hurricane but it’s not reserved for us little people. Can the endangered sewage assessed taxpayers of Marathon afford another multimillion $ expenditure to erect a safer City Hall Tower to replace the existing trailers? Especially not if it is exclusively reserved for the elite & their canine pedigrees (like the Regional Marathon Government Center was during Georges). But closed to the little people who decide to stay on their own to protect their tax paid property during a storm. Sometimes water pours from above. Sometimes it floods from below. As a possible comment on relative safety, Tom Robbins wrote in his Single Cell Preface to -- When Water Walks on Fire, Fire gets the Blisters. UNION FIREFIGHTERS: please SHARE THE BELL TOWER with local VOLUNTEERS What actions would you undertake to improve Fire/EMS services? Seriously explore returning at least equal control & opportunity & benefits to the displaced Local Volunteer Firefighters so the local guys who have an experiential history of our watery terrain can work with the Imported Union fellows so that When Water Walks on Fire, more chance that Fire gets the Blisters. On-the-Job empirical knowledge about locations of natural, canal & pool water sources should not be extinguished by new official un-voted upon mandate which demands State CERTIFICATION & eliminates historic certification. The 21 new hydrants approved by City Council are a good start to prevent future Rocketman house fires. However there is still a problem with water pressure. Hurry & get installed the 3,000 gallon tanks equipped with water pressure on our fire trucks. Combine Marathon Fire Chief position with competent Islamorada Fire Chief William local Wagner if he agrees to pursue bringing back a local volunteer brigade. And if the merger is guaranteed to save us taxpayers $. Maybe a start to exploring (no paid high priced outside hired consultants; local volunteers please) regionalizing county-wise a Public Safety Department. When Marathon incorporated some of our founding fathers were more propelled toward separating rather than sharing services for the people with the rest of the county. Time to rethink this stance. Consult with/Bring on Board (instead of pulling the not-certification plug on) Johnny Maddox re- his Porky’s Sump firefighting Wagon. Maddox’s Invention be great to save historic Pigeon Key since our fire trucks can’t get there by bridge because of DOT safety. Locals like Johnny choosing to advance Safety on their Own re-saving the blistering of their property & lives should not be impeded by bureaucracy. Since when was our Nation built on certification versus Independent Innovation. Inventor Edison would have had a lightning fit. 5 STARS to all Union & Volunteer Firefighters & EMS professionals. When our Nation finally conserves taxpayers’ $ out of Iraq & into Universal Health Care, our EMS can be more assured of being part of the affordable solution which will insure that Health Care has an indelible connection to our Constitutional Rights of Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness. Meanwhile, we in Marathon stuck in the heart of the Conch Republic, can work toward affordable health care (including EMS/ambulances) for our low income/non-insured residents. A county in Michigan accomplished this without waiting for the Nation. Why can’t we Marathonians stuck in Monroe with the Memphis City Blues follow suit? By the way, while we are rushing to the 2010 Sewage Deadline, what happens if someone has a heart attack & dies because a ambulance can’t get down a dug up closed road potted with sewage holes sanctioned by an Unfunded Mandate contracted out by our City to Weiler? More reason to keep expensive Trauma Star. And badger Tallahassee to pay for the helicopter to insure life, liberty & pursuit of Happiness in the Conch Republic in exchange for keeping the Area of Critical State Concern status on the forever Florida books. Main thing: Volunteers & Union people/Firefighters & EMS, please work together & share so Fire gets the Blisters. Instead of the little people trying to mixed metaphorically Walk ON Water. It was suggested to me by a former seasoned dedicated volunteer fireman’s wife that one way to rekindle the lost local volunteer firefighter brigade would be to fire up an Explorer Program at Marathon H.S. Seems to me the dedicated volunteers didn’t jump ship. They were kind of delicately pushed overboard because their certification wasn’t THEIR CERTIFICATION. I met a nice Union fireman in line at the Post Office. I asked what happened to the local volunteers. He said we can’t find any. Why? Firefighter need to fight fires. Not each other. CHECK & BALANCE & TIGHT SHIPS Should the city change to a strong mayor system to eliminate certain costs and integrate more council control over staff? Why or why not? Jefe Mayor? Chief City Manager? The worst scenario is a collusion between top officials in Monroe who may have attempted to prioritize sinking a ship & resurrecting a restaurant above the basic needs of the people. Maybe Jefe & Chief should be subjected to the Sunshine Law even though they don’t sit on the same board. Since their backroom politics might adversely affect the little people they respectively are elected & hired to govern. A strong mayor system seems to make more democratic sense since Mayor is elected by City Council which is elected by the People while City Manager is further down the ladder on a rung hired by & empowered to operate at the pleasure of the people-elected Council. However if a Mayor had enough power to run over a City Manager & Staff for special favors that would be unfair to the Public. Got to figure out a workable check & balance system like our Nation’s Founding Fathers constituted. If we should go to a strong mayor system, seems that Mayor might be elected by the People via administrative qualifications & separate on the ballot from the other City Council candidates. Mayor could be monetarily compensated (a deep cut less than what we’ve been paying hired Administrative Chiefs). Then, like the onboard plan with shared Fire Chief William Wagner, we could afford to pay a logistics person & save the taxpayers $. If we keep the status quo, the hired City Administrative Chief should, with respect to interacting with City Staff, acknowledge that the Truman responsibility buck stops HERE at the top. The tightest departmental ship I have observed in Monroe County is Supervisor of Elections. The Check & Balance Captain in Command is Harry Sawyer. He knows how & when to delicately delegate. Harry once mentioned to me that he was sent to delegation school. Maybe Harry will volunteer to give us a lesson in check & balance delegation. Existing Residences versus New shifty Affordable Housing Projects If elected for 2 years, what will you do specifically to solve the affordable and workforce housing crisis? Save Existing remnant of Affordable Housing by eliminating/mitigating the sewage assessment on our Save Our Homes tax bills & additional lateral connection costs. Work with the Florida Wastewater Foundation. Investigate to make sure the Foundation Appointees aren’t making upscale salaries to the detriment of $ trickling down to US. Lobby Tallahassee & D.C. via Ron Saunders & Ileana. In a recent conference call I asked Ileana what she was going to do in D.C. to help us with this impending Unfundated Sewage Mandate. She said she has been persistently asking for $ to help fresh & saltwater conchs save their houses using the argument that over 1/3 of the property parcels in the Keys are government/non-profit-owned. Therefore not sewage/stormwater assessed, not taxed. Therefore the unbearable heavy load falls on me & you. The City Marina laundry expands. The last private laundry forced to close. Do not make mealy deals for 104th Street really unaffordable complexes with developers who swiftly shift with the real estate marketplace. City Council needs to take care of us endangered existing affordable housed first. Then maybe we’ll be ready for the Swifts with their projected compound rumored to be proposed to be loaded with a private swimming pool when we can’t even get a Public pool. For sure when I ever become a City Council person, I will never allow a Marlin Bay/Gulfstream trailer park fiasco. Terms ago I told Councilman Greenman: You all need to negotiate a better deal for us with Marlin Bay. Make them pay for the Whole Sewage System before you give them the Green Light. I was told that would be extortion. My response: No just a good Jewish deal. A whole community of real people got bulldozed. Then along with Dave Clark of Cay Clubs, also Earthmark shallowly planted @ Knight‘s Key, the Flowers-backed brothers took off because the real estate bubble busted. As for Gulfstream, I don’t blame Frank & Roseanne. I believe in property rights. The Mauros were ready to retire. I blame the City Council for serving the whole enchilada on a silver patter to the developers without insuring a Giant’s bite for the people via Goliath Impact Fees to be paid in advance of issuing any development agreements or permits. The developers pulled the plug on us. Instead of us pulling the plug on them. City Council ended a meeting with a wimp not a bang. No more Gulfstreams! What actions must the city take to help affordable and workforce-housing landlords keep their rents low enough to keep Marathon’s workforce in Marathon? Give these landlords a healthy break on their sewage assessment as long as they sign a legal document to agree to keep their rentals as true existing affordable/workforce safe housing. And we need to define just what is safe affordable rental housing. How should affordable and workforce home ownership properties be assessed for ad valorem taxes? Ad Valorem taxes should be tilted to the extreme to ensure the survival of affordable/workforce (especially long-term local middle & working class including the fixed-income retired) housed. Something like what Obama proposes. A deeper tax break for the 95% of us Middle Classers who are the backbone of American Democracy. Make up the difference to balance the budget via the other ad valorem 5%. For additional revenues reinstitute a toll targeted to non-residents like Marco & Jekyll Islands. We are an Area of State Critical Concern so DOT needs to treat us special re- the Overseas Hwy. Institute user fees to impact the visitors we love who impact the place they love to visit where we love to live. Especially get the government-owned properties to pay their fair share of taxes. The latter may be an unprecedented proposal but fitting for a Conch Republic that without precedent mockingly succeeded at its southernmost tip from the fiercely independent democratic Nation that without precedent really succeeded from King George. Don’t repeat on the Conchs the injustice we pulled on the American Indians re- their alluvial just rights. What actions must the city take to relieve the insurance burden for residents? Support & work with FIRM to keep up their good work & press FIRM to make sure their push to insurance reform trickles down to the little guy. Citizens still needs to be reined in. City Council needs to be constantly on Saunders’ butt to emphasize to Tallahassee’s Insurance Commissioner that Monroe is the State’s Crown Jewel & we expect proper treatment for our royal constituents. Why should we be treated more harshly than other areas of the Nation that are more prone to flooding & susceptible to a wide variety of other more deadly costly natural disasters? A bad Wilma every double decade perhaps but hopefully unlikely that a terrible 9/11 or an Indonesian tsunami will ever happen to us. Maybe the Insurance Industry that unconscionably gobbles up in the good times needs to be seriously regulated by the likes of a SEC. Then transformed into a People’s Cooperative akin to a FKEC utility. Not allowed to be a darling of the lobbyists that plague politicians (of both Parties) like Wall Street, Fanny, Freddie & AIG whose upper crusts we taxpayers just bailed out. What are the city's various funding sources and which one is the direct burden of the city’s residents? The direct burden of the city’s residents (even if you rent -- the cost filters down) is Ad Valorem. Other funds come from Cost & Recovery -- code, planning, building, EMS, Sheriff Department -- a.k.a. fees, fines, forfeitures & permits. How big is the city’s slice of the overall ad valorem taxes collected countywide? Figure 1.5% of the total TRIM to get our slice according to Finance Director Peter Rosasco. What steps must the city take to address historical preservation within Marathon? Save what we have left. Pigeon Key & the historic residents & their Conch life-style. Allow us free-spirits & inventions like Johnny Maddox’s Porky Sump firefighting Wagon to respectively survive irresponsible developers & put out unreachable out-of-control fires. Do you take all campaign contributions from anyone or are you selective? Why? Sure. But be pretty sure I’ll broker a good deal for the other people & me on the verge of being squeezed out of here economically & lifestyle-wise that I’ve been politically standing up for since 1997 plus the associated add-on issues that I believe in & am currently fighting for. And I’ll make sure we don’t get screwed. By consistently & persistently playing live chess this way, I’ve been effective on certain occasions. Sometimes almost elected. I still have a remnant of idealism left in me from my growing-up years. But I’m realistic enough to calculate that the current worldly political game, even in the Keys, is a bad gamble for a non-funded candidate to emerge as a winner. Rather be a statesperson. When I have to be a politician, can’t help but be transparent. When I found myself in a recent run-off position via Tempest & Vasil, I thought & thought how to be as useful as possible in promoting the little people survival stance I consistently voice via our platforms & re- my small spoiler power. For sure I didn’t want to stick on the think-too-much/do-nothing-fence like HAMLET & let the play end in a possible tragedy. Should Marathon un-incorporate? Why or why not? Why jump out of the frying pan back into the fire at this melting point when the county budget is burning hot red? However for all of Monroe County people’s sake we need to consider thinking regionally re- Public Safety & other should-be-shared services. Share & re-Combine when it makes economic & human sense. Sally Buehler’s un-incorporation movement should be kept ready-to-go on the back burner. From the inception of incorporation, I have been on the wait & see fence testing County versus City waters. Should Marathon build and operate some kind of municipal swimming pool? Why or why not? Sure. Better a pool by the park than a Sewage Treatment Plant where the pool was supposed to go. Better a Public pool by the park than a private pool on the rocks @ the sinking 104th Street so-called affordable projected housing compound. Seriously we need to sit in somebody’s sauna & meditate about a public pool re- how, where & when. In the vicinity of the Marathon H.S. in combine with the defunct Marathon Manor is a dreamy thought spot. We the People, a long time ago, stuck our thumb tacks in favor of prioritizing a Public Pool at a public gathering at Stanley Switlik school shortly after incorporation. Nobody thumb-tacked/voted for the Unfunded Mandate -- Sewage. We received recreational grants for a pool at our park. Where did the grant $ disappear/get shuffled to? Jonathon Swift, a master of satire via his Boiled babies re- the Irish Potato Famine piece, might comment today if he still be alive that maybe we can recycle the Sewage treatment plant’s cleaned up water & fill a pool so we can swim laps, so swim team can train, so red cross can give lessons to the little kids. What are the limits of developments and redevelopments? &&& 15. What are the limits of property rights? NOTE: She included this answer to the two questions above - Ed. Mixed. What happened to Gulfstream is a perfect Property Rights versus Development model. I believe in the Mauros’ right to sell their trailer park property. They were ready to retire. The mess-up can be partially pinned on the past compositions of City Council. They didn’t make a good Jewish Deal Development Agreement tied to Goliath Impact fees due on-the-spot with those imports -- the flowery Marlin Bay developers. The twin mess-up was our elected officials’ failure to cite & stand by the Florida State Statue which mandates that trailers park residents be secured a replacement site within 50 miles. Some of the Gulfstreamers & Jolly Rogers were, without a fuss, just inhumanely evacuated, not by a Hurricane, but somewhat quietly by politics, money & backroom power deals as usual. The Unfunded Sewage Mandate is an assault to property rights. A CRA that goes beyond the traditional limits re- hospitals, roads, schools giving Redevelopers the power to remove blighted neighborhoods at their exclusive discretion to take our little pink houses for corporate greed is Un-American & will advance the encroachment of corporate skyscraping towers threatening to darken the sunlight & endanger the survival of us existing little historical people. Both the Unfunded Sewage Mandate & an unbridled CRA are extortions. My appeal at a historic City Council meeting to Councilman Greenman via Gulfstream & Marlin Bay, the latter of which took off with Cay when the bubble busted, was go for a Good Jewish Deal not un-American Extortion. REPO (Real Estate Property Owners) is an acronym borrowed from & with appropriate credits to candidate Kevin Woodland. How would you beautify the US1 corridor and pay for same? Plant & Nurture a tree. You’ll get your personal golden green plaque attached. Like the park stepping stones at Rotary Park. Local businesses, residences, volunteers: follow the example of Claude of TLC who planted palms in the vicinity of the airport & Knight’s Key/7-Mile Bridge. If Heritage Trail & DOT want to help. More than Welcome. What use should Boot Key [the island] play in Marathon’s future? An environmental-shared playground for us & the tourists. The latter -- an entrance fee. Maybe if we can broker with Florida Forever, the Heritage Trail &/or other quasi/ regular governmental agencies in cooperation with the established Boot Key private owners, we can manage to resurrect the Boot Key Bridge. No more putting the Kid in charge of the Candy Store cause Daddy Mayor was out of town. When we adopted the Boot Key Bridge, we were programmed to consider ourselves the County’s step child. Okay by me if we contract some on-site (conch-style not-Disney world scale) for-profit vendors. Especially blessed people like Peter & Marie who donate their vegetable stand (in front of Nature Conservancy) profits to the community via Tina / Education Coalition to help us budget-wise survive as a City. What must the city’s policy be on displaced resident mitigation? Pass an ordinance that mirrors the Florida Statue that reflects & applies to trailer park folks which promises replacement location within 50 miles. Also need to protect other existing historic/low income homeowners in danger of being rooted out by non-traditional CRA-type redevelopments or other natural/ made-made disaster/developments. What position(s) should be grandfathered on city staff? None. No Golden Parachutes either. Should there be another hiring freeze at city hall? Why or why not? Yes. When the taxpayers are suffering, it’s time not to eliminate the pay raises of our city servants (starting deep from the top to not just eliminate raises but reduce actual pay). We started with a little city hall @ Caldwell Realty. Now we have blossomed into a bureaucracy. The taxpayers are hurting & Sewage Assessment is killing us. Obama made the campaign statement that low & middle class people deserve the health care benefits equal to those lavished on our elected Congressmen for whom we pay the tab. So do we in Monroe. Not only freeze & eliminate via attrition but why create an $80,000 Ports Authority position when we the taxpaying people have to use ER cause we can’t afford or jobs don’t provide us with health insurance? How do you resolve the calls for lower taxes and increased calls for more high-quality city services? Like Don Vasil said: What I’m hearing from the People is that Services are good. City Hall staff & management give me A+ customer care for whatever I ask for. As far as Rocketman Fire (mentioned by Pete Worthington/KEYNOTER/9/13), I disagree re- hiring more non-local Union firefighters. Better solve the situation by encouraging & rewarding a renewed local Volunteer brigade. Promote an Explorer Marathon H.S. new local blood program to share firefighting with Union Imports. For sure spend the $ on local Explorers not Union Kelly Days. Should the city designate the western portion of Coco Plum Beach as a nude beach following the Haulover Beach model in North Miami Beach? Why or why not? Concentrate on Sewage not Nudity @ western portion of Coco Plum Beach. I am a free spirit Jeffersonian who believes the Government that Governs Best Governs Least. But if we don’t put the reins on the Unfunded Sewage Mandate, all of us, bikinied or naked, will be kicked out of here. Unless we’re super richly endowed or work for the government. Should building permits be tied to the evacuation time model? Why or why not? YES. I didn’t use to think so. Because it doesn’t necessarily make reasonable sense at 1st review to tie ROGO to evacuation. I have an inclusive rather than snotty mentality. I used to feel that because I managed to get a cabin in the woods, I was eager to invite everybody else down here. However now that us endangered locals are in an immediate monetary crunch (because of the Unfunded Mandated Sewage Assessment) plus an impending wipe-out because the lifting of ROGO (a.k.a.) building permit relaxation if we kowtow to Tallahassee by 2010, the Area of State Critical Concern will most likely be de-Designated & we will be swept away by Unbridled Development. Thereby reinstituting the era of CAY clubs allowed to invade without paid-in-advance Goliath Impact fees because former compositions of our elected City Council were lobbied/influenced by bulldozing developers. Should council members raise or lower their pay? Why? Lower City Council Pay. If you Council People fix our unbearable Unfunded Sewage Assessment that we can’t afford maybe we will all hold a special session & reward the bunch of you converted wimps a proper tip. Reverse the creation of a new $80,000 + Ports Authority Manager position probably equipped with a Golden Parachute. Shifting a high paid administrative person from 1 unnecessary position to another unnecessary position doesn’t trim the budget & doesn’t make happy paddy-cakes to the taxpayers assessed to shoulder a growing bureaucracy. A community is not well & healthy when it can’t afford the cost of their government. What must the city do to get minorities involved at all levels of the city? Minor worries about minorities. About gender, race, color. Worry more about economic class & ethical conscience. Us struggling at the bottom & us struggling to stay in the middle backbone class of America (including the Conch Republic) need to unite as brothers & sisters (whites going minority, blacks, yellows, reds, browns, gays, lesbians) instead of being pitted against each other. Intermarriage can facilitate this coming together. I did it in the 60’s & was rewarded with 2 beautiful sweet latte kids. MORE: Because I’ve been persistent & consistent, I’ve come close to being elected. Although never elected, I’ve been effective. This is my change unofficial experience record. 1st time I ran for Marathon City Council 1. Earl Carty, a longtime influential pillar of the 41st Street Rock Black neighborhood, called me & said we have a problem. Can’t you help us? I responded what is it? Well the Clinic wants to put a halfway crack rehabilitation house right smack in our high cap rock neighborhood, just across from my house where my granddaughter stays until her Momma comes home from work, right smack up against Grace Jones Pre-School. I responded: This is an issue I can go to bat for because I believe right on it’s on the wrong track. O.K. I’ll get with your wife Grace & draw up a petition, I’ll get signatures in the community, I’ll get the news media, I’ll get Tilden’s wife Sally (Executive Director of Grace Jones) on board, you guys get your neighborhood fired up & get signatures, get us a meeting place like Mt. Zion Baptist Church. We met & Met & met. The news media came with their pads & reported the issue in their papers. Finally George Neugent was sent to Mount Zion & on the stage reported that the sponsor of the Halfway Crack House was pulling out of their plan to invade the Rock because the neighborhood was against it. 2. Rick Jones (at a City Council Meeting) introduced a Gestapo-sounding Harbor plan to rein in the free-spirited liveaboards affordably, historically housed in safe Boot Key Harbor. Harbor people stood up & vibrantly protested. I got on board & organized the Right to Anchor Association. We discussed Admiralty Law, reached out to Key West liveaboards, got donations. Via flyers & grassroots give-me-fives I got approximately 75 boaters & other community people to come to our meetings. Golly! Even City Council running mates Bob Miller & Greenman asked me if they could come & speak. As a candidate, I said sure everybody is welcome. At that Marathon Marine meeting I was nominated to be head of the association. I declined because I felt it should be handed to an actual Boot Key Harbor boater. We tweaked the Management Plan to a rocky reasonableness but didn’t eliminate it. 3. Now the wealthy people from Morton St. call me. Oh no what’s your concern? Look we have all these beautiful birds at our beautiful house right across the canal from where the Sheriff’s Department has claimed a Shooting Range. It’s upsetting & maybe potentially dangerous. Me said cool beans I don’t cuddle up to guns. Immediately I dove into a petition drive. At a political forum I remarked re- this Shooting Range issue that I didn’t shoot the Sheriff but I killed the Grassy Key deputy gun range. Sheriff Rick Roth in his seat doubled over with laughter. 4. I fought for & was very instrumental in getting rid of Marathon City Council seat designation. 1st time I filed for City Council, I asked SOE what seat I should sign up for since I live on 46th Gulf. Doesn’t matter was the reply. I signed up for Seat 2 since it’s my favorite #. After many campaign battles I came to the realization that there was no demographic rhyme or geographic reason for seat designation. Plus the non-at-large situation promoted a game of musical chairs where the more well-funded endowed candidates had the switch advantage. Plus it pitted people running against each other versus campaigns concentrated on issues. Persistently & Consistently yours, Bicycle Joanie Nelson
Allen Pedersen in his own words - He did not respond.
5409 OVERSEAS HWY # 298
MARATHON, FL 33050
Phone: 305-743-9322 Do you believe that City Hall situated in rented trailers is safe during a hurricane surge event like Wilma? Why or why not? What actions would you undertake to improve Fire/EMS services? Should the city change to a strong mayor system to eliminate certain costs and integrate more council control over staff? Why or why not? If elected for 2 years, what will you do specifically to solve the affordable and workforce housing crisis? What actions must the city take to help affordable and workforce-housing landlords keep their rents low enough to keep Marathon’s workforce in Marathon? How should affordable and workforce home ownership properties be assessed for ad valorem taxes? What actions must the city take to relieve the insurance burden for residents? What are the city's various funding sources and which one is the direct burden of the city’s residents? How big is the city’s slice of the overall ad valorem taxes collected countywide? What steps must the city take to address historical preservation within Marathon? Do you take all campaign contributions from anyone or are you selective? Why? Should Marathon un-incorporate? Why or why not? Should Marathon build and operate some kind of municipal swimming pool? Why or why not? What are the limits of developments and redevelopments? What are the limits of property rights? How would you beautify the US1 corridor and pay for same? What use should Boot Key [the island] play in Marathon’s future? What must the city’s policy be on displaced resident mitigation? What position(s) should be grandfathered on city staff? Should there be another hiring freeze at city hall? Why or why not? How do you resolve the calls for lower taxes and increased calls for more high-quality city services? Should the city designate the western portion of Coco Plum Beach as a nude beach following the Haulover Beach model in North Miami Beach? Why or why not? Should building permits be tied to the evacuation time model? Why or why not? Should council members raise or lower their pay? Why? What must the city do to get minorities involved at all levels of the city?
Michael Cofield in his own words WITHDRAWN
13 MAN O WAR DR
MARATHON, FL 33050
Phone: 305-289-4508 Do you believe that City Hall situated in rented trailers is safe during a hurricane surge event like Wilma? Why or why not? What actions would you undertake to improve Fire/EMS services? Should the city change to a strong mayor system to eliminate certain costs and integrate more council control over staff? Why or why not? If elected for 2 years, what will you do specifically to solve the affordable and workforce housing crisis? What actions must the city take to help affordable and workforce-housing landlords keep their rents low enough to keep Marathon’s workforce in Marathon? How should affordable and workforce home ownership properties be assessed for ad valorem taxes? What actions must the city take to relieve the insurance burden for residents? What are the city's various funding sources and which one is the direct burden of the city’s residents? How big is the city’s slice of the overall ad valorem taxes collected countywide? What steps must the city take to address historical preservation within Marathon? Do you take all campaign contributions from anyone or are you selective? Why? Should Marathon un-incorporate? Why or why not? Should Marathon build and operate some kind of municipal swimming pool? Why or why not? What are the limits of developments and redevelopments? What are the limits of property rights? How would you beautify the US1 corridor and pay for same? What use should Boot Key [the island] play in Marathon’s future? What must the city’s policy be on displaced resident mitigation? What position(s) should be grandfathered on city staff? Should there be another hiring freeze at city hall? Why or why not? How do you resolve the calls for lower taxes and increased calls for more high-quality city services? Should the city designate the western portion of Coco Plum Beach as a nude beach following the Haulover Beach model in North Miami Beach? Why or why not? Should building permits be tied to the evacuation time model? Why or why not? Should council members raise or lower their pay? Why? What must the city do to get minorities involved at all levels of the city?
This is Florida Keys Journal Marathon City Council candidate package. A submission email address will be provided. All submissions of any kind must use that email address. Our telephone number is 305-743-9648. An example of our campaign webpage is at http://MarathonJournal.US/journal/elections/07election.htm. An example of our endorsement page is at http://MarathonJournal.US/journal/2006/030106.htm. An example of a header ad that appears on all 750 of our web pages can be found at the top of any web page right beneath our red Runes of Ao.com banner. The header ad is contained within the yellow oblong box. Florida Keys Journal will announce endorsements on October 1. This question and answers [Q&A] format will be used to determine our endorsements. Your answers will be published on our special elections web page at http://MarathonJournal.US/journal/elections/08election.htm. The Q&A must be in text or doc format. No other formats are allowed. Your Q&A must be into us midnight September 22. The Florida Keys Journal allows candidates on a first come first placed basis to publish a header ad for 7 consecutive days. The header ad is contained within the yellow oblong box on all 800 web pages under the Runes of Ao.com banner. An ad day is midnight to midnight. Normally, header ads cost $625.00 per day. This ad offer is free of charge. You must report this as an in-kind contribution in an amount of $500.00 total for all 7 days. Candidates submit anything they desire that is not beyond the limits of common sense. Graphics/photos must be in jpg or gif format only. Bandwidth costs us money, so keep your photos or graphics as small in file size as possible. We can reduce graphics and photos in file size, if you want to leave this to us. Web size is limited to 300 pixels wide and 400 pixels high, 15 lines high max including small photo or graphic. Call us at 305-743-9648 for more information. Several candidates have already contacted us. Each candidate can modify their web entries anytime up to October 19. Entries published at http://MarathonJournal.US/journal/elections/08election.htm. Your input submission is anytime up to midnight September 22. So!1. Get your info into us for the free candidate placement of a header ad and on this web page as soon as you can.
2. Answer the Q&A and submit to us as soon as possible.
3. If you want any ad beyond the free offer, contact us as soon as possible. Subsequent ads cost money.Do you believe that City Hall situated in rented trailers is safe during a hurricane surge event like Wilma? Why or why not? What actions would you undertake to improve Fire/EMS services? Should the city change to a strong mayor system to eliminate certain costs and integrate more council control over staff? Why or why not? If elected for 2 years, what will you do specifically to solve the affordable and workforce housing crisis? What actions must the city take to help affordable and workforce-housing landlords keep their rents low enough to keep Marathon’s workforce in Marathon? How should affordable and workforce home ownership properties be assessed for ad valorem taxes? What actions must the city take to relieve the insurance burden for residents? What are the city's various funding sources and which one is the direct burden of the city’s residents? How big is the city’s slice of the overall ad valorem taxes collected countywide? What steps must the city take to address historical preservation within Marathon? Do you take all campaign contributions from anyone or are you selective? Why? Should Marathon un-incorporate? Why or why not? Should Marathon build and operate some kind of municipal swimming pool? Why or why not? What are the limits of developments and redevelopments? What are the limits of property rights? How would you beautify the US1 corridor and pay for same? What use should Boot Key [the island] play in Marathon’s future? What must the city’s policy be on displaced resident mitigation? What position(s) should be grandfathered on city staff? Should there be another hiring freeze at city hall? Why or why not? How do you resolve the calls for lower taxes and increased calls for more high-quality city services? Should the city designate the western portion of Coco Plum Beach as a nude beach following the Haulover Beach model in North Miami Beach? Why or why not? Should building permits be tied to the evacuation time model? Why or why not? Should council members raise or lower their pay? Why? What must the city do to get minorities involved at all levels of the city?
The Dull Stuff
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