The City of Key West Commission on Nov. 24 adopted a resolution establishing the procedure and timetable to fill the vacant District 5 commission seat, including an application period that staff said will close on Nov. 28 at 5 p.m. and an appointment to serve until Aug. 18, 2026.

The resolution, introduced as Item No. 1 and tied to section 2-3.1 of the City of Key West Code of Ordinances, was approved by voice and roll call after a brief discussion of eligibility and process. Commissioner Castillo moved to approve the resolution "as it stands," and Commissioner Kauffman seconded; a roll call later recorded unanimous yes votes by Commissioners Carey, Castillo, Haskell, Kauffman, Vice Mayor Lee (participating remotely) and Mayor Enriquez.

The measure sets an application process and clarifies eligibility requirements: prospective appointees must be registered voters within the City of Key West, full-time city residents for at least the past year and residents of District 5. The commission encouraged candidates with prior experience—Commissioner Kauffman said he "would echo that we should not emphasize anybody who is declared candidate" and said former commissioners with budget experience could be helpful given the city's operational scale.

Staff said the application form is included in the resolution; it was newly created for this process and republished after correcting a typographical error to show the correct district. The resolution also incorporates a selection rule discussed in prior practice: commissioners may hold up to 10 rounds of voting to try to select an appointee. If no selection is made after those rounds, the city must hold a special election; staff noted that, because of the city's election calendar, any required special election would need to occur before the August election to comply with timelines.

Commissioners were advised that interviews can be coordinated through each commissioner's liaison, identified in the meeting as Dorian. The commission recorded that Vice Mayor Lee would participate and vote remotely under Florida law and City of Key West policy.

The commission adopted the resolution unanimously. The city clerk will open the application period through Nov. 28 at 5 p.m., and commissioners said they may conduct interviews at their discretion; the appointed person would serve the remainder of the term through Aug. 18, 2026.