2017 WinterNnewsletter

COUNTY SPOTLIGHT: MONROE COUNTY

Monroe County is the southernmost county in the State of Florida and the United States. On July 2, 1823, an act of the Territorial Legislature established Monroe County as the 6th county in the Florida territory. Monroe County was named after then President James Monroe, our 5th U.S. President, who served between 1817 and 1825. The county seat for Monroe is Key West which at the time it was incor- porated in 1828, had a population of just 600 people. By 1890, the pop- ulation of Key West was nearly 18,800 residents and it claimed to be the biggest and richest city in Florida. Today, the population in Key West is approximately 26,000 full-time residents with 77,482 residing county-wide.

Honorable Scott P. Russell, CFA

The county is made up of the Florida Keys and portions of the Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve. These parks are mostly uninhabited mainland areas. Most known are the Florida Keys, with its string of islands connected by 42 bridges along U.S. High- way 1, 150 miles southwest of Miami. Monroe County is the largest county in Florida by total area! Eighty-seven percent of the county’s land is on the mainland. Over 99% of the popula- tion, however, lives in the Florida Keys. The Florida Keys is known for its exciting water activities, landmarks and eclectic history. Key Largo has some of the best diving in the world as it is home to the only living coral reef in the U.S. Traveling a little farther down the chain is Islamorada, the sport-fishing Capital of the World. Marlin, tuna and Dolphin are the fish of choice. Once you reach the middle of the chain of islands, you will encounter the Seven-Mile Bridge. It has been the site of several mov- ies including True Lies and is a truly man-made feat thanks to Henry Flagler. With the Atlantic on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other, it is definitely a sight to see . Finally at the end of the island chain is the City of Key West, home of Ernest Hemingway, the famous Duval Street, The Little White house where many past presidents vacationed and the Southernmost Point, of course!

2016 Tax Roll At‐A‐Glance

Real Property Parcels

90,142

Tangible Accounts

19,212

Just (Market) Value

$33,272,022,332

Taxable Value

$22,955,517,724

Employees: 

40 

Hon. Scott P. Russell, CFA | first elected in 2012| Web: http://qpublic.net/fl/monroe

9 

Winter 2017 Newsletter of the FCIAAO