Following a heated and sometimes contentious special call meeting on Wednesday, June 26, the Key West City Commission 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 to schedule a meeting on Aug. 26, the day the three new commissioners and mayor take office, to rehire Childress. Commissioner Hoover second his request.
Wednesday’s decision came 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.
The texts also addressed a dispute between Ramsingh’s brother, Chief City Building Official Raj Ramsingh, and Childress about the status of the Raj Ramsingh’s state license as a building official. Earlier this month, a panic went through City Hall after the state Department of Building and Professional Regulation (DBPR) incorrectly listed Ramsingh’s license as inactive. The issue was resolved within a day, but it came just a day before the special meeting was called to vote to remove Childress from office.
Texts were also released Wednesday between Ramsingh and Commissioner Lissette Cuervo Carey. They texted about the issue with Raj Ramsingh’s license and the calling of a special meeting. Ron Ramsingh told Carey the issue with Raj Ramsingh’s license had been resolved and then the two later discussed how many commissioners were needed to call a special meeting and what times worked for certain commissioners.
Ramsingh told Carey how he broke the news to Childress about how commissioners Carey, Lopez, Wardlow and Weekley wanted to terminate his contract, the texts stated.
“I just told Al,” Ramsingh wrote. “He seemed to have taken it in stride. I think he’s going to be calling the four of you to talk about it, but I told him that was the request of the four sponsors and that I had hope to resolve it amicably without any allegations of fault.”
During Wednesday’s session, Childress’ attorney Henry Ferro called Childress a “whistleblower” and said he has reached out to the Monroe County State Attorney, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, FBI and the governor’s office because of “accusations of violation of (state) Sunshine laws.”
“This action is preliminary under any circumstances,” Ferro said. “This started actions from (Ron) Ramsingh’s brother.”
Many of the public speakers who spoke Wednesday referenced the text messages and the need for an investigation. State Attorney Dennis Ward and Assistant City State Attorney Joe Mansfield attended Wednesday’s meeting.
Ron Ramsingh sent a text to The Keys Citizen explaining the texts he sent Carey and Weekley.
“A critical function of my job is to advise the commission through their individual members on the content of the law, the practical aspects regarding the implementation thereof, timing measures, effect on the community, and many other aspects of not only being city attorney, but a counselor at law,” Ramsingh wrote. “The concern is ironic because I advised a commissioner to not bring up an issue so as to not influence an election, which is wholly unrelated to the action of [the] item concerning terminating the city manager.”
Ron Ramsingh did not serve as city attorney at the Key West City Commission meeting, as he recused himself from the issue because his brother, the city’s chief building official, was recently involved in a dispute with Childress regarding the status of his building official license. Private Orlando attorney Mayanne Downs was brought in to advise commissioners.
Ron Ramsingh did speak at the meeting and voiced a list of criticisms about Childress’ policies, his management style and dealing with the community and other government agencies. Ramsingh called his management style a “culture of intimidation.” Childress told Ramsingh that he wanted to fire Planning Director Katie Halloran and Raj Ramsingh and there was witness to that conversation, Ron Ramsingh said.
Ramsingh also blamed Childress for Assistant City Manager Todd Stoughton quitting months before his resignation, initially set for October. Stoughton left abruptly earlier this month.
“I can’t remain silent,” Ramsingh said.
Mayor Johnston called some of the comments “patently false.”
All the public speakers Wednesday spoke in favor of keeping the city manager. All 50 written comments were in support of Childress. Two police officers sent commissioners emails in support of Childress.
Key West resident Evan Haskell called Childress a “breath of fresh air” because he followed city codes and regulations when making decisions.
“We have a rule follower. Is that a problem,” Haskell asked. “You have asked him to change course and he did. You have a rule follower. He will listen.”
Commissioner Mary Lou Hoover that she has “counseled [the city manager] on certain issues and he listened.”
Commissioner Sam Kaufman brought up the text messages, as it was a “disrespect of the mayor.” Instead of firing him, Kaufman proposed to give commissioners monthly progress reports and having counseling sessions with the city manager.
Commissioners Carey, Lopez, Wardlow and Weekley spoke of a loss of confidence, morale issues among city employees and Childress’ prohibition on city employees from being able to speak directly to the city commissioners, they said.
Lopez said he is “leading from an ivory tower.”
Carey said Childress has not been responsive and had not spoken with her after her critical evaluation, especially in emergency situations. She cited one emergency situation where police were “carrying shotguns” and Childress did not respond to phone calls.
Lopez and Carey said the call to terminate the contract has nothing to do with the chief building official.
Downs and several of the commissioners said they spoke with Stoughton, and he said he would be willing to come back and serve as interim city manager.
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