|
Village Weekly Update
September 15, 2025
| | | | |
The Village Council will hold its second and final budget hearing tomorrow, September 16, at the Founders Park Community Center, at 5:30pm. The Council held 3 budget workshops last month and a budget hearing on September 4th.
The proposed budget would maintain the current year’s property tax millage rate of 2.65 mills, despite mandatory contractual cost increases in our public safety budget.
| | That means if there is no increase in your property’s assessed value as determined by the Monroe County Property Appraiser, you would see no increase in the real property taxes you pay to the Village for all the services we provide, even those with increased costs. | | |
The Village Council met twice last week. There was a regular Village Council meeting on Tuesday and a Land Use Village Council on Thursday.
Copies of the meeting agendas and associated documents can be found by going to the Village’s website at www.islamorada.fl.us, clicking on the Agendas & Meetings portal, and then on the particular meeting. The meeting files can be found by clicking on the left side. Video recordings of both meetings are also on the Village’s website.
| | As we work on the budget for the upcoming fiscal year, we want to bring you along for the journey. There’s a lot that goes into the process, some of it might not be noticeable at first glance. Each week leading to the budget hearings, we'll highlight different components through our "Budget Breakdowns" series. Some questions were brought up at the Public Information Session which we will address in this and future editions of the newsletter. | |
As we head into Budget Hearing #2 on Tuesday, September 16 at 5:30 p.m. Council will finalize the FY 25-26 budget, and we are going back to the basics.
We often hear "Municipal finance isn't like regular budgeting," but what does that actually mean?
Here are some of the key differences that may make that concept a bit easier to grasp.
Purpose
- Personal → Manage income to meet needs and save.
- Business → Plan spending to maximize profit and growth.
- Florida Cities → Legally required to balance budgets to deliver services and maintain community well-being.
Sources of Revenue
- Personal → Paychecks, pensions, investments.
- Business → Sales, investors, loans.
- Florida Cities → Property taxes (ad valorem), utility charges, permits/fees, state revenue sharing, grants.
-
Difference: Municipalities can’t “earn more” like people or businesses; their revenue is limited by law and public approval.
Spending
- Personal → Food, housing, transportation, savings.
- Business → Payroll, materials, operations, marketing.
- Florida Cities → Public safety, parks, streets, utilities, debt service, capital projects.
-
Difference: Municipal spending is service-driven and restricted by statute or earmarked funds.
Rules & Oversight
- Personal → Self-imposed discipline only.
- Business → Must follow tax laws, accounting standards, industry regulations.
- Florida Cities → Florida Statutes, balanced budget requirement, TRIM notices, public hearings, annual audits.
-
Difference: Municipal finance is the most regulated and transparent of all three.
Flexibility
- Personal → High — you can adjust spending habits quickly.
- Business → Moderate — budgets shift but investors expect accountability.
- Florida Cities → Very limited — many funds are legally restricted and require approval from elected officials to reallocate.
Accountability
- Personal → To yourself/family.
- Business → To owners, shareholders, creditors.
- Florida Cities → To residents, taxpayers, and elected officials.
-
Difference: Municipal accountability is both legal (audits, laws) and political (citizens, elections).
Bottom Line:
- Personal budgets = flexibility + individual priorities.
- Business budgets = profitability + competitiveness.
- Florida municipal finance = public service delivery + legal compliance + transparency.
| | Check out our budget calendar to review the next steps in our budget process. We welcome community feedback and hope to see you all at our public meetings and workshops. | |
Four Ways to View Village Meetings
| | |
The Village offers four different ways to watch Village Council, LPA, Workshops, and other meetings—so that residents can stay informed in whichever way works best for them.
Zoom
Zoom is an online platform for video and audio meetings, webinars, and screen sharing. Attendees can watch live and also participate in public comment by using the “raise hand” feature. The Village Clerk will call on Zoom participants after in-person attendees have had their turn to speak.
To join, go to zoom.com, select the Meet tab, then Join a meeting, and enter the 11-digit Zoom ID listed in the Public Notice and Agenda on the Village website.
For a faster option, a direct link is posted to the black ALERT bar at the top of islamorada.fl.us one hour before each meeting—just click Join the Meeting on Zoom.
YouTube
Village meetings are live-streamed on the official YouTube channel at youtube.com/@Islamorada_FL. YouTube can be viewed on your computer, as well as your mobile device, or smart TV through the YouTube app. Streams typically begin about five minutes before the scheduled start, with information displayed while viewers wait. Subscribing to the channel ensures you’ll receive notifications when new videos or live streams are available.
Recordings remain available on the channel, so meetings can be watched anytime, from anywhere. A direct YouTube link is also posted to the black ALERT bar on the Village website one hour before each meeting.
Village Website
Residents can view meetings directly through the Village website. Simply go to islamorada.fl.us, click the Agendas & Meetings button, select the meeting, then click Meeting Media on the left-hand side. As with YouTube, the stream usually begins five minutes before the official start time, so the page may say “There is no video for this Event” if accessed too early. The recording remains available afterward on the same page for future viewing and includes timestamps.
Comcast Channel 77
Meetings can also be watched live on Comcast Channel 77, with replays running for at least two weeks following the meeting. However, please note: Channel 77 is consistently available only within Village boundaries, between approximately Mile Marker 90 and Mile Marker 72. Outside of this range, you may experience interruptions or have no access to the channel at all.
In Summary
Whether through Zoom, YouTube, the Village website, or Comcast Channel 77, residents have several ways to stay engaged. These choices ensure that meetings are accessible both live and on-demand, and they also provide redundancy in the event that one of the platforms we rely on experiences technical difficulties.
| | Test Your Hurricane Know-How! | | | | |
Hurricane season is here, and knowledge is one of our community’s strongest defenses. To help everyone stay storm-ready, we’re launching a multi-part Hurricane Facts Quiz series in our newsletter. Each edition will feature a short set of questions to test your storm preparedness know-how, covering topics like evacuation zones, storm surge safety, supply kits, and more.
Whether you ace the quiz or learn something new, each round will give you valuable information to help protect your family, your home, and our village when a storm approaches.
Click on the button below to take the latest quiz!
| | Coming Soon - Dog Park to be Dedicated to "Mangrove" Mike Forster | | |
| |
Earlier this spring, the Council discussed dedicating the dog park at Founders Park in honor of the late Mike Forster. Following a public poll, the park will officially be named the "Mangrove" Mike Forster Dog Park.
Mayor Mahoney and Village staff are now planning a special dedication ceremony this fall, which will include a commemorative plaque and bench to celebrate Mike’s legacy.
To make this tribute truly special, we’re inviting the community to help bring the celebration to life. Donations will directly support the ceremony and memorial features. If you’d like to contribute, visit Centennial Bank and ask to donate to the “Mangrove Mike Dedication” account, or contact Mayor Mahoney for more information.
| | | | |
Save the Date! 7th Annual Trunk or Treat Halloween Party & Haunted Hayride: Saturday, October 25th, 6:00-9:00pm. Halloween Festivities, Food, and Fun! Registration is open now!
Click below to register your Trunk and/or register a Spooky Spot on the Haunted Hayride! Contact the Park for more details.
Decorate your vehicle and provide candy to Trunk or Treaters:
CLICK HERE to register a Trunk!
Decorate a spot on the trail and bring spooky fun to Haunted Hayride Trail riders:
CLICK HERE to register a Spooky Spot!
| | |
| |
We're thrilled to celebrate a major victory for our community: a unanimous 5-0 vote rejecting the proposal for four lanes through the Florida Keys. This decision reflects the power of local voices and a shared commitment to preserving the special character of Monroe County. Thank you to everyone who spoke up and shared their thoughts about this important issue.
There is still a lot of time to go as we enter the peak of hurricane season. Keep your emergency kits stocked, and your evacuation plans ready. We've had a quiet season so far, but as we all know, that can change quickly.
And finally, a huge thank you to all who have donated to the "Mangrove" Mike Forster Dog Park. Your generosity is turning a dream into reality. We’re eagerly counting down to our ribbon-cutting ceremony in November—date to be announced soon!
| | As always, I encourage you to reach out to me via phone or email to share your suggestions or concerns about ways to improve our community. Islamorada is even better when we work together. | | |
Megan Rumbaugh
Senior Floodplain/CRS Coordinator
| | |
Megan Rumbaugh is an Islamorada native, committed to protecting the community that she grew up in! After returning to the Keys from college, she worked with Monroe County for a year before becoming part of the Village team in 2017 with the Planning Department. In 2021, she joined the Building Department in a floodplain management role.
Today, Megan is the Senior Floodplain / CRS Coordinator, a Certified Floodplain Manager. She ensures Village development follows Islamorada’s floodplain code, the Florida Building Code, and NFIP standards, while managing the Community Rating System (CRS) program, earning and maintaining CRS points and keeping residents safe from flooding.
She leads efforts to elevate homes while championing living shoreline and upland conservation throughout Islamorada to reduce flood risk and protect the community.
| | |
Did you know that native canopy trees and landscapes play an essential role in absorbing floodwater? Homeowners can take simple steps today to help protect the community from flooding, tidal surges, and heavy rainfall. Plant native trees and shrubs, restore natural drainage paths, reduce hard surfaces, create rain gardens, or install bioswales to boost flood protection for your home and community.
To explore Islamorada’s flood data, visit Forerunner.
| | | | |
