TDC audit failure - Weekly briefing - 7 November 2023

Human-curated Florida Keys news, all in one place. 

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TDC failed financial audit. An audit of the Monroe County Tourist Development Council (TDC) — the Florida Keys’  tourism marketing agency — revealed significant concerns with its financial oversight and operations. Coverage in the Citizen, Keys Weekly, and WPLG Miami. 

• The 32-page report by the Monroe County Clerk found repeated noncompliance with the county's purchasing policy as well as a significant lack of internal controls and management oversight over TDC' s financial transactions and annual financial reporting. 
• The county administrator, a county commissioner, the county attorney, and other county staff met last week with TDC representatives to produce proposals to address the issues.
• The Board of County Commissioners will discuss the audit publicly during its monthly meeting beginning at 9:45 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 8, at the Harvey Government Center in Key West, 1200 Truman Ave.
• Monday p.m update: Monroe County officials propose suspension of TDC director. The Monroe County Commission will vote Wednesday, Nov. 8, on recommending suspending the director of the Tourist Development Council with pay.

Monroe traffic study also on the agenda. The U.S. 1 Arterial Travel Time and Delay Study was completed using the BOCC’s adopted methodology and indicated that the overall "Level of Service" (LOS) grade for the entire length of U.S. 1 has fallen from LOS C to LOS D, and there is no reserve capacity for additional trips. 

• The BOCC will discuss the 2023 draft study at its regularly scheduled meeting on November 8 at 11 a.m. (time approximate) at the Harvey Center. The meeting will also be available via Zoom.

Committee says no to court consolidation, unanimously. During a virtual Nov. 3 meeting, a state judicial committee voted unanimously in favor of a motion to recommend keeping the circuit court district boundary structure intact. 

• After weighing data and thousands of surveys from law professionals and the public, the committee will recommend no consolidation of Florida’s 20 circuit courts to state legislators. 
• In June, Florida House Speaker Paul Renner tasked the state Supreme Court with analyzing a consolidation of the 20 judicial circuits. 

Charter workshop. The County Commission hosted a public workshop on Monday, Nov. 6, to discuss a proposal that would be the largest change to its form of government in recent decades. 

• Earlier this year, the BOCC agreed to pursue changing the way it governs and instituting a charter form of government as a way to generate revenue for critical infrastructure programs without having to raise property taxes or go to the state Capitol to ask for funding.

We're among the lucky ones. Linda Cunningham remembered why she and her husband made Key West their home.

Refuge closure. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be closing Boca Grande Key, Woman Key and the Marquesas Keys Nov. 8-12 to protect wildlife and critical habitat from disturbance. 

Daylight saving time ended at 2 a.m. on Sunday, and the earth continued its rotation without interruption. 

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Our Eyes

Dunlin on Big Pine Key - Philip Dodderidge.

Previously in Key West Voices

• Linda Cunningham boldly ventured to touch the third rail by asking, "What does it say about us as a community when we can raise $587,375 for puppies and kittens while 43 percent of our neighbors can barely afford to feed and shelter their families?" Linda called for change, "We are better than that." Linda's earlier column detailed the reality of poverty in the Keys.