United We Stand, Divided We Fall

By Roger McVeigh

It has been a rough couple of weeks at Key West City Hall.

The culmination has been the surprising recent revelation that our elected leaders believe the City needs to replace Key West City Manager, Albert Childress, after 14 months of a 4-year contract.

For those not following City Hall, Mr. Childress was hired and began work in April 2023.  Mr. Childress was selected via a professional search on the recommendations of a City Commission appointed Selection Committee comprising respected and experienced City Leaders.  By all indications, bringing in Childress appeared to be an exceptional find based on qualifications, 35 years, professional experience with 25 years in senior governmental executive roles in South Florida and education including multiple graduate degrees in business and public administration.

Ironically, Mr. Childress was recently evaluated where a super majority of our elected leaders gave him glowing accolades.  His accomplishments included strong support for public safety (police and fire), emphasis on a cleaner City, a focus on communications and informing the public and setting standards for staff accountability for responsiveness to residents.  He has streamlined monthly City Commission meetings, hired an experienced Human Resources Director, completed successful labor negotiations, while fully engaging with the community.  His community engagement has included invitations to groups to present at City Commission meetings and attendance and speaking engagements at numerous community meetings.

Suddenly, with some very tough situations and decisions, a narrative has evolved with criticisms such as: too regimented and authoritarian, a big City mentality, moving too fast, morale issues, and losing our best/brightest.  To date, there has been a lack of substantive evidence to support his removal.  To almost anyone on the outside, the appearance of this proposed action is an ill-timed knee jerk reaction as we enter the thick of Hurricane Season and approve the City’s fiscal 2025 annual budget.

Our excellent local media sources including social media appear to point to a strong community sentiment in support of City Manager Childress despite a small vocal minority.  For example, our own Keys Citizen have labeled the removal with a Jeer and our community pulse, the Citizens Voice, has come out in support of Mr. Childress 15-1 to date and counting.  As far as one can tell, Mr. Childress’s propensity to embrace change, particularly bringing sunshine to local government, allowing a resident vote on financing options, and his perseverance to tackle legacy internal problems related to control over future development, among other items has brought us to this day of reckoning.

And all this is happening in lightning speed in the dead of summer with a hastily called Special City Commission Meeting on the eve of the largest turnover of elected policy makers in recent City History.

As of this writing, the future is uncertain.  All we can ask for come Wednesday is a venue welcoming open minds and public input, a thoughtful and thorough discussion and evaluation of the facts and circumstances, and a respectful dialogue and decision.  I am hoping that this process will place the best interests of All Residents first.  For in the end, I believe we can be united by the love we all share for Key West.  I choose to believe these are the times when we are at our best.

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