Islamorada Council Forms Charter Review Panel, Opposes Offshore Leasing

The Islamorada Village Council took two actions at the start of January that will shape local policy through the spring and into the 2026 election cycle. On Jan. 6 the council approved formation of a seven-person charter review committee, and at the same session it unanimously passed a resolution opposing any new offshore oil and gas leasing along Florida’s coast.

Appointments to the charter review committee were expected to be made at a Jan. 8 land-use meeting. Each council member will appoint one committee member, and the remaining two members will be selected by majority vote of the council. The committee will work with a designated facilitator and must deliver its recommendations by May 31. That deadline was set to allow time for public hearings and for any proposed charter amendments to be placed on the village ballot in 2026.

The charter review process gives voters a structured opportunity to consider changes to Islamorada’s governing document. For residents, the review could affect local rules on land use, budgeting, municipal oversight and electoral procedures, issues that influence property values, permitting and the provision of local services. The schedule set by the council creates a clear public timeline for hearings and deliberations before any potential ballot measures are finalized.

The council’s unanimous resolution opposing new offshore leasing was framed as a response to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s development of the 11th National Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Leasing Program and associated public comment deadlines. Local leaders and environmental groups have raised concerns about the risks that offshore oil and gas activity could pose to Florida Bay and the resources of the Florida Keys, including fisheries, coral habitats and the tourism economy that draws both domestic and international visitors.

While the village’s resolution does not directly control federal leasing decisions, it adds a formal local voice to the broader public input process and signals coordinated regional opposition. For Monroe County residents, particularly those whose livelihoods depend on clean water and healthy marine ecosystems, the council’s actions underscore the intersection of local governance and national energy policy. The coming months will determine whether charter changes proceed to the 2026 ballot and how local governments and communities engage with the federal leasing review underway.