City Prepares for Future through Budget Workshops

As the City of Key West and the City Commission gear up for budget workshops this month, it’s a good time to take a look at what tax funding has accomplished, and take a look at future projects that will continue to improve Key West for its residents and visitors.

Health and public safety are the primary duties of municipal government. The crime rate for Key West dropped drastically in 2020 and has been dropping every year for more than a decade. Key West Fire and Rescue responded to close to 5,000 calls for ambulance service, investigated 17 fires, and conducted 2300 fire inspections.

For the safety and well-being of the community, the City spent $3.6 million to repave roads and upgrade sidewalks and will continue improving our roadways into the future. Six parks and three ballfields were renovated.

Over the years, the Transit Department has continually upgraded service to the community by adding more trips for the Lower Keys Shuttle to creating and expanding the Duval Loop. These services not only relieve congestion on our roads but provide a vital service to commuters.

Of course, 2020 brought some different challenges than other years, but the City provided $760,000 to local non-profits for COVID relief ranging from rapid testing to rent relief.

The last few years have shown that Key West is on the front line when it comes to sea level rise. This past year, it invested $5.8 million to install tidal valves and pump stations to alleviate flooding.

But there’s much to be done on the horizon. To ensure the future of the island, the City is looking toward investing almost $5.5 million for elevating roads, constructing seawalls, and creating infrastructure to protect our water supply.

Some existing infrastructure is aging, and the City needs to plan for a variety of revitalizations and renovations, including Duval Street, Mallory Square, Bayview Park, and the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Pool.

Other efforts on the horizon include continued improvements to the City’s vital wastewater plant. The community needs to reduce waste, and a composting facility would go a long way to not only reduce waste but provide a viable alternative to trucking that trash to the mainland.

The community is strongly urged to take part in the workshops on June 21st, the 22nd  and the 23rd.  And it’s easy to get reminders of commission meetings and other City-related events. Just go to the City’s website at www.cityofkeywest-fl.gov and click the “Notify Me” button.

[livemarket market_name="KONK Life LiveMarket" limit=3 category=“” show_signup=0 show_more=0]