Proposal to strip $402,390 Axon payment from budget fails after legal, operational objections

Commissioner Matt Haskell proposed amending the adopted budget to remove the line item that funds Axon equipment payments and in‑car cameras in the police department (fund 101, cost center 2101, key 1012101), identifying the equipment payment as $402,390 and arguing the city should not authorize surveillance tools or allow contract language that could permit future face‑scanning or data sharing.

The city attorney advised the commission that the contract allows termination only if not funded or if the city is legally unable to perform, and cautioned that intentionally not funding an existing contract could be treated as a breach. The attorney also said the existing contract states the City of Key West owns the data, and recommended strengthening written policy or contract language rather than withholding payment. The motion to amend received no second and was not moved to a vote.