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Fredy Varela, Sr., has announced his candidacy for Key West City Commission representing District 4. He is challenging incumbent Commissioner Tony Yaniz.

Fredy Varela challenges Key West’s Yaniz for commission seat

BY PRU SOWERS

KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER

First-term Key West City Commissioner Tony Yaniz will have at least one challenger when he comes up for reelection on Oct. 6.

Fredy Varela, Sr., a life-long city resident and, like Yaniz, born in Cuba before moving to Key West, has thrown his political hat into the ring to represent District IV.

The 66-year-old has not held elected office in Key West but served on two government boards in the 1980’s and 1990’s, the Civil Service Board and the Code Enforcement Board. Varela also was appointed to the city manager search committee under former Mayor Dennis Wardlow.

Asked why he is running, Varela said he has heard complaints from residents in his home district, which encompasses most of New Town, including all of Flagler Avenue, that they don’t feel their issues and concerns are being heard by city officials.

“They seem to be overlooked and need a better voice that will listen and bring [those issues] to the commission for debate,” Varela said in a phone interview Feb. 25. “You are elected to represent. You are not elected for your own opinions. You’ve got to find out what direction your district wants to go. Not your opinion. Their opinion.”

Varela worked for the Sears & Robuck Co., for several years after graduating high school. He and his wife then opened and ran the restaurant El Miramar for 18 years. After that, Varela worked for Gordon Food Service, a food distribution company, until he retired.

Varela is past president of the Key West JayCees and a member of the local Elks Lodge. He is also the current treasurer of the Key West Vietnam Living Memorial Committee, which recently raised funds to erect a memorial park for Vietnam War veterans inside of Bayview Park.

Varela said he has two “pet peeves” that will be on his immediate agenda if elected on Oct. 6. One is to reexamine the current once a week garbage collection schedule. Varela said he wants to explore reinstating a twice a week schedule, even though recycling rates increased after the city moved to a once a week schedule.

“If recycling takes a drastic dive, then we go back to once a week,” he said. “You go by these garbage cans that have been sitting there for a week, particularly in the summer, and the sanitation is really bad.”

Varela also wants to work towards creating more jobs in Key West that pay a living wage. Too many young people are being forced to leave the city because they can’t make enough money to support themselves and their families. Too many of the larger construction and consulting jobs in Key West are awarded to companies located outside of the city, he said.

“The big paying jobs, instead of filling them from the outside, fill from the inside. The biggest asset any community has is its youth,” Varela said.

As for his competition, Commissioner Yaniz said at the new City Hall groundbreaking on Feb. 24 that he welcomes Varela and any other potential challengers for his commission seat.

“I don’t think there should be anyone reelected without a challenge,” he said.

Also up for reelection on Oct. 6 is Commissioner Teri Johnson from District V. Commissioner Mark Rossi’s term will also end on Oct. 6 but he has announced he will not be seeking reelection. Local attorney Sam Kaufmann has announced his candidacy for Rossi’s District II seat.

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