PROFILE IN COURAGE AND INTEGRITY

Our Key West community is fortunate. In all the cities and towns in our great democracy, none has a better mayor than KW.

Our KW form of government doesn’t give our mayor the authority most mayors have. In spite of this, our mayor, Teri Johnston, leads by example every day and focuses on what’s best for our community. No one works harder, listens more sincerely, and is more conscientious and honest about implementing what voters need now and in the future.

The most recent example is the professional and honest evaluation of senior staff’s effectiveness in serving the community and the commissioners. Sadly, and for self-interest reasons, all the commissioners gave the current City Attorney (the powerful and highest-paid government employee) an “outstanding” grade for serving citizens and the commissioners. In contrast, a majority of KW citizens have complained about the City Attorney’s obvious obstruction of the voters' will, expressed by election, and habit of supporting wealthy dark interests in the Cruise Ship business while refusing to follow the commissioner’s instructions.

It’s hard to explain why good commissioners, who knew and understood the City Attorney’s nonfeasance and malfeasance, gave false praise to the highest-paid insubordinate in local government. Perhaps there is fear or indebtedness involved where accuracy and faithfulness to public duty should have been.

The lesson here is that in the future, KW voters need to elect individuals who are honest, and independent, and put community before self-interest - like Mayor Teri.

Roger Kostmayer