By danielo @ Shutterstock.com
As a Key West Old Town resident for nearly 35 years, I can assure you that City Manager Al Childers just received a good ‘ole Key West political screwing. Lawsuits all around will probably be the order of the day here. Timothy O’Hara of the Keys Citizen reports:
The Key West City Commission on Wednesday, June 26, voted 4-3 to fire City Manager Al Childress, who has been on the job for about a year.
Commissioners Lissette Cuervo Carey, Clayton Lopez, Billy Wardlow and Jimmy Weekley voted in favor of termination, while Mayor Teri Johnston and commissioners Sam Kaufman and Mary Lou Hoover voted against termination.
Kaufman also requested the city clerk schedule a meeting on Aug. 26, the day the three new commissioners and mayor take office, to rehire Childress. Commissioner Hoover second his request.
The decision comes after a series of text messages between Commissioner Weekley and City Attorney Ron Ramsingh were made public that showed Commissioner Weekley wanted to not call the meeting until Key West mayoral candidate Danise “Dee Dee” Henriquez, who ran unopposed, qualified to run at 12 p.m. Friday, June 14.
“My advice would to say absolutely nothing until Saturday,” Ramsingh stated in his text. “The calling for special meeting about it to others could get back to TJ (Teri Johnston) and she declares before Friday.”
“I thought of that,” Weekley responded. “I would look at 12:01 Friday.”
“Maybe should we wait for Pacific Time to be sure lol,” Ramsingh then responded.
Weekley also stated he “may talk to (District 3 candidate) Donie Lee (who also won the seat unopposed) and Dee Dee tomorrow,” Weekley wrote.
Read more here.
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