Bill Drafted To Abolish City of Key West

Above, a view of Key West from a docked cruise ship. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Someone apparently with too much time on their hands has drafted a proposed bill to abolish the city of Key West, Florida as a municipality. The city leaders are taking it seriously.

I guess we're in the middle of the "silly season" (actually, the silly season has been going on for months).

According to the Miami New Times:

The concept is as ambitious as it is fantastically outlandish.

Draft language from a would-be bill aiming to "abolish Key West" as a municipality was widely circulated this week, drawing outrage and ridicule from city leaders, residents, and basically everyone with a pulse.

"The city of Key West is abolished," the draft reads (New Times has included a screenshot of the draft at the end of the story). "All assets and legitimate liabilities and revenue streams of the City of Key West are transferred to Monroe County."

Who may have drafted the language and why remains to be seen. Though the general consensus among residents of the nation's southernmost city — founded in 1828, nearly two decades before Florida was even granted statehood — say the political ploy may be the work of lawmakers with ties to the cruise ship lobby. Key West voters resoundingly approved a slate of referendums last year that limit the operation of cruise liners coming and going from the island.

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