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KEY WEST GETS NEXT CITY MANAGER & NEW ATTORNEY
AL CHILDRESS STARTS APRIL 3; RON RAMSINGH ALREADY AT WORK
MANDY MILES mandy@keysweekly.com assistant city attorney. Before that, he worked for a personal-injury law firm on Florida’s Treasure Coast. Ramsingh also spent five years in the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office.
“Ron grew up in Key West, is a proud KWHS Conch, graduating in 1991, and is an even bigger Florida Gator fan where he went to college,” states the city’s website.
As for the city manager, Childress starts work on April 3, but was in town for orientation this week, and for the March 7 city commission meeting, where lawmakers approved his fouryear contract with an annual salary of $225,000. The contract also provides Childress with $15,000 in relocation expenses, $150-per-month cell phone allowance and either a city-owned vehicle or a $500-per-month car allowance.
McLauchlin, who has seen it all in her 35-plus years working for the city, retires in June, thus providing sufficient overlap for Childress to learn the ropes in time to begin the city’s budget process in the spring.
Childress was selected from 43 total applicants, nine finalists and three top candidates to be the city’s top administrator.
Key West lawmakers made it official.
Al Childress will succeed Patti McLauchlin as city manager. And Ron Ramsingh will take the legal reins as city attorney.
The city commission voted unanimously on March 7 to promote Ramsingh from interim city attorney to permanent city attorney. His contract is being negotiated and is expected to be finalized at the April 4 commission meeting. Local attorney Greg Oropeza, who chaired the selection committee that recommended Ramsingh for the job, has volunteered to represent the city in those negotiations, said Ramsingh, who has been doing the job of city attorney since the Dec. 30 resignation of Shawn Smith.
Ramsingh has worked in the city attorney’s office since 2007. He was an assistant city attorney and then chief
The commission voted at a special meeting on Feb. 15 to hire Childress after hearing statements from the top three finalists — Childress, Abe Conn, David Burke.
More than a dozen residents spoke in favor of Conn at that Feb. 15 meeting, while local government watchdog Tom Milone touted Childress as the most qualified given his education and experience, and based on the city’s job description and criteria.
Following the commission’s vote for Childress, Conn immediately took to social media, responding to the Keys Weekly’s breaking news post about Childress’s selection.
“Wishing Al the best,” Conn wrote. “He’s going to be awesome. Can’t wait to help anyway I can. Welcome to the Key West family.”
Childress has master’s degrees in business administration and public administration and spent eight years as city manager and assistant city manager in Doral, Florida.
Facts From The Tax Collector
Sam Steele
monroetaxcollector.com
305.295.5000
March
• We would like to congratulate Chief Deputy Tax Collector Angela J. Hitchcock on her retirement of 37 years of service with the Tax Collector’s o ce!
• All unpaid 2022 property tax must be paid by March 31 in order to avoid delinquent penalties on April 1
• The fourth and final 2022 installment property tax bill is due by March 31
• A property that is being rented out for six months or less must have a tourist development tax account
• As a reminder, online rental platforms (Airbnb, VRBO, etc.) DO NOT remit the 5% tourist development tax to our o ce. It is the homeowner’s responsibility to ensure the tax has been remitted
• A local business tax is required for ALL property rentals, regardless of how long they are being rented
• Renew your vehicle and vessel registration through our website and save time with our ExpressLane by prepaying online and selecting an o ce location of your choice to pick up the registration
• Save time with our ExpressLane by prepaying your vehicle and vessel registrations online and choosing an o ce location of your choice for pickup
• Please visit our website and follow us on Facebook for helpful information, forms, applications, and important announcements
Follow us on for more important tax information
The Monroe County Tourist Development Council has funding available to governmental entities and non-profit organizations for capital projects.
The project/facility must have the primary purpose of promoting tourism and must fall into one of the following categories:
Convention Center, Sports Stadium, Sports Arena, Coliseum, Auditorium, Aquarium, Museum, Zoological Park, Nature Center, Fishing Pier, Beach or Beach Park Facility, Channel, Estuary, or Lagoon, Public Facilities in Accordance with Conditions set forth in the Florida Statutes.
The deadline for receipt of applications is April 18, 2023 , and applications must be downloaded from Demandstar (www.monroecounty-fl.gov/bids).
For more information, please call the TDC Administrative Office at: 305-296-1552, and ask to speak with Ammie or Maxine.
