The verdicts are in for Jag Gallery’s Fourth Annual POOLSIDE juried show.  With entries from artists nationwide, POOLSIDE 2024 promises to be our biggest ever featuring work from over 80 finalists from this year’s fiercely competitive field of a record breaking number of submissions in a variety of “pool-centric” disciplines including painting, photography, drawing, sculpture and more.

So grab some sunscreen and see this year’s best with selected entries of artists from coast to coast along with work from such Key West and gallery favorites as Rebecca Bennett, Fran Decker, Margo Ellis, Kathy Corey, John Martini, Billy Kearins, Kaline Carter and many more at an opening reception, Saturday August 3rd from 5:30-7:30.  

Considered a top destination offering distinctive, carefully curated exhibits showcasing work of prominent artists from Key west and beyond, Jag Gallery is located at the Simonton Street entrance to Duval Square, 1075 Duval Street with ample, free parking.  Gallery hours are Tuesday-Sunday noon to 5, and always by appointment. For additional information call 305.407.6202 or email [email protected] and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

​We are excited to unveil a new logo for the Hellings Curry Museum, home of the Key West Woman's Club. 
As we approach our 110th year anniversary of the Key West Woman’s Club, our new logo captures the rich history and vibrant spirit of our beloved museum and historic clubhouse located at 319 Duval Street. The redesign symbolizes our commitment to preserving the legacy of our historic home while also embracing the future of our organization. We invite everyone to visit the Hellings Curry Museum, home of the Key West Woman’s Club to explore the unique history of the Hellings Curry family and learn about the incredible women of the Key West Woman’s Club who continue to be dedicated to the betterment of Key West and our island community. 

In Conversation With…Erika Heffernan & Mark Hedden ​

MONROE COUNTY, FL – Monroe County has focused on informing the public about the Rate of Growth Ordinance, or ROGO, also known as BPAS in some municipalities, for the last few months. Strategic Planning is on track to give a total of 28 presentations in addition to hosting several public town hall meetings to be scheduled at the end of August throughout the Florida Keys and on Monroe County TV to allow everyone to participate in this process. 
 
Two public ROGO surveys have also been distributed so far. Survey #1 focused on determining where our community receives its information and received over 1850 responses. Survey #2 is currently live, and as of the July 17 BOCC meeting, it has received 1577 responses and will be available until Sunday, July 28 at 5 p.m.
 
“These results signal an uptick in public interest, which is important,” says Senior Director of Strategic Planning Kimberly Matthews. “We want to ensure we have a kaleidoscope of information from our community to address the nuances of these decisions and how they will affect the Florida Keys.”
 
Survey #2 focuses on housing, commuting, livability, and getting a multidimensional view of citizen life. All residents are encouraged to participate in the surveys. The survey can be found directly at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MCROGOSurvey2 or at www.monroecounty-fl.gov/rogo2024.
 
Additional surveys will be made available throughout the process to focus on other concerns regarding the hurricane evacuation modeling.
 
The Dept. of Commerce’s hurricane evacuation modeling is based on a Florida Statute requiring that Monroe County residents be able to evacuate the Florida Keys within 24 hours before a storm. Any ROGO/BPAS allocations awarded could be issued over the next 10 to 30 years or at a rate that does not lead to unbalanced growth or additional takings liability. To learn more about these terms, why they are important, to view the process, or to see upcoming meetings, visit www.monroecounty-fl.gov/rogo2024. The results of Survey #1 are also available on the website. 

MONROE COUNTY, FL – Today, the Monroe County Board of County Commissioners discussed potential grant applications for road adaptation projects and other projects to be submitted for funding under year four of the Resilient Florida program, which was signed into law by the State of Florida in 2021 (Section 380.093, F.S.). 
 
The goal of the Resilient Florida program focuses on evaluating local assets, assessing their vulnerability, and providing grants to support long-term resilience needs. This year, County staff proposed three project applications to be submitted by the Sept. 1, 2024 deadline:

• Stillwright Point Road Adaptation (Key Largo): Design and permitting is grant-funded and underway (expected to be completed in March 2025). Staff again will apply for construction funding for 50 percent of the $40 million cost. A federal match for 50 percent has already been identified and is on reserve for the project.
• Sands neighborhood construction (Big Pine Key): The design and permits are complete. The County secured $8.1 million in CDBG-Mitigation grant funding and will apply for the additional $12,225,289 from Resilient Florida.​ The County also applied last year, and an award may be pending. If an official award is received before this year’s Sept. 1 deadline, then a resubmittal of the application would not be necessary.
• Planning Grant to Update Sea-Level Rise Projections and Develop Conceptual Design and Cost Estimates for Adaptation Priorities: Staff proposed submitting a Planning Grant application to address new sea-level rise projections signed into law this year and develop conceptual design and cost estimates for non-road adaptation projects. The municipalities will be included. This ultimate project list would provide grant opportunities for future years.

Since the start of the Resilient Florida program, Monroe County has been awarded $45.2 million for projects like the Stillwright Point road elevation design, Twin Lakes road elevation and stormwater, Harry Harris Park resilience redesign, road elevation projects in Winston Waterways, Conch Key, and Big Coppitt, and living shoreline adaptations on Long Key and Duck Key. An additional $12.2 million award for Sands neighborhood road elevation may be pending.

“These grant awards represent the culmination of a decade of planning work by County staff,” said Monroe County Chief Resilience Officer Rhonda Haag. “Additional awards may be more challenging due to limited funding and increased competition.”  
​
Monroe County staff have obtained more than $200 million in federal and state awards for Florida Keys resilience projects.

​MONROE COUNTY, FL—The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners proudly helped Fire Chief Jim Callahan sware in four new firefighters to Monroe County Fire Rescue (MCFR). The newly sworn-in firefighters gave their oaths to support and uphold MCFR’s mission and were given their official badges by members of their families. Three are Hotshot graduates.
 
Please welcome:
 
Evan Hernandez, Firefighter/EMT, from Miami. He received the Fire and EMT certifications at Miami Dade College. He enjoys spending time with his family and fishing. Growing up, he spent most of his weekends in the Keys with his family. His passion for helping people and wanting to be more involved in the community has led him to this position. He said, “There’s a lot that I am excited for now that I am with MCFR. One of them is being part of the fire service brotherhood.” 
 
Victor Pugliese, Firefighter/EMT, from Miami. He is a graduate of the Hotshots program. He received the EMT certification from the American Medical Academy. In his spare time, he enjoys working out and riding his Harley Davidson. He said, “It wasn’t a second thought to come and work for Monroe County; I have heard nothing but great things about this department. I am most excited about broadening my skillset and expanding my horizons with the professionals at MCFR.” 
 
Jesus Acosta, Firefighter/PM, from Miami. He is a graduate of the Hotshots program. He received the EMT certification from the American Medical Academy. He is expecting his first child on Nov. 5 and, in his spare time, loves to fish and work out. He said, “I truly couldn’t be happier accomplishing my dream to become a firefighter. I hope to move up the ranks and join the Trauma Star Program one day.” 
 
Chad Rodriguez, Firefighter/EMT, from Key West. He received the EMT certification from the College of the Florida Keys and is a graduate of the Hotshots program. In his spare time, he enjoys coaching varsity softball at Key West High School, is a referee and umpire for high school football, baseball, and softball, and is the Monroe County Officials Association president. He comes from a long line of firefighters and is continuing the legacy. He said, “I am most excited to begin my career and learn and grow as much as possible with MCFR.” 
 
The Hotshots program is a free firefighting and first responder training for qualified Monroe County residents in exchange for a commitment to volunteer for three years or work as a firefighter anywhere in the Florida Keys. To learn more about the Hotshots program, visit www.monroecounty-fl.gov/hotshots.

 MONROE COUNTY, FL – The Monroe County Board of County Commissioners met today to discuss the proposed $715.7 million Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) budget. The budget includes the Board of County Commissioners, the constitutional officers, which include the Sheriff, Tax Collector, Property Appraiser, Supervisor of Elections, and Clerk of Court, and other appropriations for the Tourist Development Council, capital projects, and reserves. Each entity has its own independent budget within the total budget.
 
Monroe County Acting Administrator Kevin Wilson and Budget and Finance Director Tina Boan presented the tentative budget with FY25 estimates of residential real estate trends, taxable property values, sales taxes, and state shared revenues, along with fund balance, reserves, and general fund.
 
“While there is an increase of $48.4 million in this year’s budget, it is important to point out that the Board of County Commissioners operating budget increase supported by property taxes is less than 5 percent,” said Wilson. “The majority of the other budget increases are paid primarily by other funding sources and not out of your property taxes.”
 
With the proposed budget and countywide average property values, a homesteaded residential property owner with an average appraised taxable value of $500,777.90 will see a $2.54 monthly increase in their property tax for the FY25 year with the tentative budget. Of the total taxable value in Monroe County, 20 percent is from homesteaded properties. Non-homesteaded residential properties (with an average taxable value of $922,891.20) comprise 59 percent of the taxable value. Non-homesteaded properties would see a $17 per month increase. Commercial property and vacant land represent 17 percent and 4 percent of taxable value, respectively.
 
Of the total budget, $156 million is ad valorem (or from property taxes), 70.8 percent of the ad valorem funds public safety (like law enforcement, fire rescue, detention centers, medical examiner, and the health department), and 22.2 percent funds the constitutional officers’ operating costs.
 
“The total $1,348.54 per year a homesteaded property owner would pay in property taxes with a house that has an average taxable value of $500,000 funds everything it takes to run this county from personnel, police, fire rescue, electric in county buildings, parks and beach improvements, children, senior and Veterans services, trash collection, and more,” said Wilson. “The rest of the budget is funded by sales tax, state shared revenues, license and permit fees, fines and forfeitures, and service charges.”
 
Additional FY25 Budget Key Points:

• Countywide millage rate: 2.6929 or $269.29 per $100,000 of value, most likely the lowest in Florida again. This is 1% below the FY24 rate of 2.7191. The FY25 aggregate millage rate is 3.3779, which is 0.8% lower than the FY24 rate.
• Reflects a property value increase with a total taxable value of $46.2 billion, another historical high. Property values have doubled in the past 8 years, a 10.6 percent increase compared to last year.
• Reflects continued investment in roads and bridges, resilience adaptation, facilities, and public safety, including funding for the three new Trauma Star helicopters (spread out over several years), operational costs of the new Emergency Operations Center, funding for 24 firefighters who have been paid through a Safer Grant for the past three years, a new Sugarloaf Fire Station, and a replacement firetruck, ambulance, and the addition of two new fire rescue boats.
• Sixteen notable capital projects with $110 million in total costs have $66 million in grant funding, a testament to staff success in finding grants (OPM) to fund local projects and shows a balanced approach to fostering resilience in Monroe County.
• Funds higher operational costs, such as increases for vendor contracts, fuel, supplies, and materials costs, utility and property insurance costs, and personnel costs, while committing to keeping property taxes low.
• Provides more than $2.2 million in funding for 30 community-based nonprofit organizations.
• 12 full-time vacant staff positions were eliminated from the budget, a savings of $1.3 million.

 
FY25 Budget Timeline:

• The First Public Hearing of the adoption of the tentative budget and millage rate will be Wednesday, Sept. 4 at 5:05 p.m. at the Harvey Government Center in Key West.
• The Final Public Hearing will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 11 at 5:05 p.m. at the Murray Nelson Government Center in Key Largo. The BOCC adopts the final millage rate and budget at this meeting. Both meetings are hybrid and can be attended in person or via Zoom.

 
The Monroe County Office of Budget and Finance coordinates and develops the budget. The award-winning office continues to work with inflation issues and Hurricane Irma and Ian impacts while providing for the department’s daily operations, program enhancements, capital projects, and infrastructure improvements.
 
For more information about the budgeting process, visit www.monroecounty-fl.gov/budget.

​KEY WEST, FL (JULY 15, 2024) – Keys Medical Group welcomes Brien W. Tonkinson, MD, board-certified Otolaryngologist and Head and Neck Surgeon with additional focus on Facial Plastic Surgery. Dr. Tonkinson provides comprehensive medical and surgical care of the ears, nose, throat, head and neck for pediatric and adult patients. Conditions treated include airway conditions, cancers of the head and neck, salivary diseases, thyroid disease, sinusitis and nasal polyps, deviated nasal septum and obstruction, hearing loss, swallowing and voice disorders, tinnitus, tonsil or adenoid infections, tympanic membrane, mastoid, rhinoplasty and rhytidectomy and vertigo and dizziness.
 
Dr. Tonkinson began his academic career at the United States Military Academy, West Point, NY. He obtained his medical degree at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, MD and was the president of his medical class 1995. He completed his surgical internship at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in El Paso, TX, and his residency at San Antonio Uniformed Services Education Consortium at Lackland Air Force Base, TX. He has also been awarded the residency professor of the year teaching ENT surgery.
 
A decorated military veteran of 29.8 years, Dr. Tonkinson’s many recognitions include Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Valorous Unit Award, and numerous Army Commendation Awards. He passed the Combat Diver Course in Key West in 1988 and was a diving instructor and the diving medical doctor stationed in Key West from 1996-1999. It has been a dream of his to serve the Keys community.
 
Lower Keys Medical Center CEO David Clay said, "We are pleased to welcome Dr. Tonkinson to our hospital, medical group and community. We are committed to supporting skilled, experienced providers and specialists that help our residents receive quality care close to home.”
 
Keys Medical Group Otolaryngology/ENT  is located at 1111 12th Street, Suite 210 in Key West. Appointments may be requested at (305)292-5811 or at KeysMedicalGroup.com. Medicare, Medicaid and most major health plans are accepted. 
 
Keys Medical Group is a multi-specialty physician practice offering primary care, otolaryngology/ENT, obstetrics and gynecology, orthopedics and sports medicine, gastroenterology, cardiology, and psychiatry. Telemedicine virtual visits are available with most providers.