Key West commissioners debate $40,000 emergency allocation for local food pantries; larger and smaller motions both fail
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Summary
After debate about need, timing and funding sources, the City Commission rejected a $40,000 emergency relief allocation for food pantries and later rejected a compromise $20,000 allocation; commissioners asked staff to survey need and propose an allocation process.
Commissioners debated a resolution directing the city manager to allocate $40,000 in emergency relief funds to help local food pantries cope with increased food insecurity.
Lede: The resolution (Res. item 2) proposed a $40,000 allocation and asked staff to identify eligible established food pantries, equitable distribution and accounting processes. Finance staff said there is no line item currently identified and suggested using a repurposed UNESCO line item; staff cautioned that the budget shows $0 available absent a directive and that agencies generally do seasonal appeals at this time of year.
Nut graf: Commissioners were split on urgency and process: proponents argued pantries are strained after government shutdowns and county cuts and that $40,000 would provide immediate relief; opponents said staff should first survey need to avoid overserving or underserving and worried about diverting limited public dollars at budget time. Two separate motions failed: the initial $40,000 allocation failed on roll call, and a follow‑up compromise motion to allocate $20,000 also failed.
Key details: The first motion to approve $40,000 was made by Commissioner Kauffman and seconded; roll‑call recorded 2 yes (Haskell, Kauffman) and 4 no (Carey, Castillo, Lee, Mayor Enriquez) and the motion failed. A subsequent motion to allocate $20,000 was made and seconded; that vote also failed (3 yes / 3 no tie) and the Mayor voted no, leaving the motion failed per commission procedure.
What next: Commissioners asked staff to collect data from local pantries about actual need, to consider routing funds through the Continuum of Care if the commission later chooses that method, and to return with a recommendation about amounts, recipients and selection methodology. Commissioner Carey specifically requested staff outreach and an itemized need assessment if the allocation does not pass.
Why it matters: Local pantries and service providers deliver food to residents who report trading food for rent or other bills; commissioners signaled a desire to balance immediate relief with fiscal responsibility and transparency about how recipients are chosen.
Provenance: Discussion and roll calls occurred between SEG 1222 and SEG 1750.