Residents want out of agency’s ‘hostage tax’
The Downtown Neighbors Alliance — which represents about 40,000 people living in Downtown and Brickell — is done playing nice with the Miami Downtown Development Authority and city officials that have mostly ignored them.
Earlier this month, DNA fired off a formal request to Florida CFO Blaise Ingoglia to investigate the DDA for waste, bloat and the misuse of tens of millions of tax dollars skimmed from residents under what they’re calling a “hostage tax.”
Read related: Miami, two more Miami-Dade cities may have state DOGE look into books
“For 58 years, Downtowners have been forced to pay this additional tax without ever being given the opportunity to vote on its existence. No other Miamians live under such a system,” said DNA president James Torres, who lost a bid for city commission in 2023 and is gearing up to run again. He has been fighting the DDA tax since earlier this year, appearing before the city commission at almost every meeting begging for relief.
And he’s not wrong. Nobody else in the city has to cough up this special surtax.
The DDA’s extra levy has been hanging around since the late 1960s, when Downtown was emptying out and the city was desperate to “revitalize” it. But now that the area has exploded with towers and taxable property — $32.5 billion worth, DNA points out — the tax just looks like a cash cow for well-connected insiders. People like land use attorney (read: lobbyist) Melissa Tapanes Llahues, who was the interim chair of the DDA after Commissioner Manolo Reyes died and sits on the board. She is also hosted a fundraiser for newly elected Commissioner Ralph Rosado, who is the new chair of the DDA, this past Thursday.
“The racket stays tight while Downtowners remain hostage to double-taxation,” Torres said.
DNA laid it out in a blistering letter that paints the DDA as a bloated bureaucracy where six-figure salaries and PR fluff come before the people who are forced to foot the bill.

Excessive payroll: $3.5 million in salaries, with 14 staffers making more than $100K a year. The top three execs rake in $200K+ each. The median salary in Miami is about $60,000.

Marketing madness: Five in-house marketing gigs worth over half a million dollars combined, including a “Brand Integrity Expert” (¿qué cosa es eso?) pulling down $134,662. Add another $185K for outside spinmeisters at RBB Communications, and suddenly we’re at $736,000 a year just to tell the story.

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At least eight of the 13 people who want to be the next Miami mayor candidates will be on stage Saturday at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex on Saturday to talk about “the issues that matter most” to voters.
Or at least that’s the promise from the long list of progressive groups hosting it: Florida Student Power, Florida Rising, Engage Miami, Catalyst Miami, SAVE, Equality Florida, the Miami Workers Center, the CLEO Institute, and more.
That’s a lot of logos.
The event begins at 6 p.m., which is also the deadline for any lingering candidates to qualify. Confirmed are:

Laura Anderson – The Socialist Workers Party candidate who doesn’t have a single union endorsement.
Christian Cevallos – The former local zoning czar trying to break into the big leagues — think training wheels, but with campaign signs.
Alyssa Crocker – A GOP newcomer who’s still mostly an unknown outside her own circle, but hey, everybody has to start somewhere.
Ijamyn Gray – A young Democrat trying to tap into the “new generation” lane, but still has to prove he can hang with Miami’s political sharks.
Michael Hepburn – Perennial candidate with progressive cred who never seems to give up on running, no matter how many times the voters tell him “not yet.”
Eileen Higgins – The “petition queen,” who comes from County Hall and loves to remind everyone she qualified the old-fashioned way, clipboard and all.
Ken Russell – The paddleboard-and-yoga-mat commissioner trying to make another comeback after failing to surf his way to Congress.
Xavier Suárez – The comeback king, Miami’s first Cuban-born mayor, and dad of Francis — which is either a blessing or a curse, depending on who you ask.

Noticeably missing? Former City Manager Emilio González, the retired colonel who sued the city to get the election back on and has been polling in the top tier ever since. He told Ladra he got the invitation three days before the forum and had already committed to two other events. But, really, this is not his ambiente, anyway.
Read related: Miami election surprise: A Ron DeSantis relative files to run for mayor
At least he got an invite. June Savage, a real estate agent, says she’s going to crash the party. Ladra hopes they let her in — this isn’t middle school, and the more voices, the better.
“I didn’t get an email, but I plan on attending,” Savage told Political Cortadito. “Leaving me out is not letting people know what their options are.”
Savage has run for office twice before — once for the special election in Miami’s District 2 and once for Miami Beach Mayor against Dan Gelber, and was also left out of a lot of events, she said. “So this political game is nothing new for me.”
And it is a shame that former Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla — suspended from office in 2023 after an arrest on public corruption charges that were dismissed a year later — isn’t going, because that would have made it súper entertaining.
The forum will be moderated by former Democrat State Sen. Dwight Bullard, a progressive veteran with Florida Rising, and Michi Ceard of Florida Student Power. While it’s a non-partisan race, Republicans on that stage might feel as comfortable as vegans at a churrasqueria.
Organizers say the goal is to “center the voices of residents from all generations and backgrounds.” Translation: the candidates are going to get questions that don’t usually make it into City Hall’s echo chamber.
The Downtown Neighbors Association has scheduled a forum or debate for Sept. 30 (more on that later), but there are not going to be a lot more of these opportunities for voters to size these wannabes up side by side.
Expect some olive branches, some awkward dodges, and maybe even a jab or two — because, come on, it’s Miami.
This mayoral candidate forum begins at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex, 212 NE 59th Terrace.

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On the same day that Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo filed the initial paperwork to run in the Miami mayoral race, the X account of former City Manager Emilio González, who is also running for mayor, was temporarily suspended. That can’t be a coincidence.
Gonzalez is the number one enemy on Carollo’s morning radio show. On Friday, the retired colonel — who sued the city after they cancelled the November elections — called it “cancel culture,” but Ladra would call it campaign interference.
According to González, the takedown wasn’t because of anything he or his staff actually posted — no, señor — but because “political rivals” supposedly coordinated mass complaints to trick the platform into flagging his content.
Read related: In Miami mayoral bid, Emilio Gonzalez goes for the law and order vote
“This comes straight out of the socialist playbook,” González huffed in a statement, hitting that tired old tactic almost better than Carollo does. “First, they tried to cancel this year’s election to deny Miami voters their voice. Now, they’re leaning on big tech censorship and dirty tricks to suppress our Miami First movement.”
“They will not succeed.”
He’s used to challenging the haters. Gonzalez filed a lawsuit against the city after commissioners voted in May to move municipal elections from odd- to even-numbered years to align with state and national elections. The court sided with him, saying the ordinance — which effectively cancelled this year’s election for mayor and commissioner in districts 3 and 5 — was a violation of the city and county charter. An appeals court upheld that decision and refused to hear the case a second time.
Many political observers watching the race say he’s leading because of that — the move to change the elections without voter approval was seen as a power grab and voters didn’t like it. They sort of see him as a hero, a badge he’s going to wear out front as long as he can.
There are potentially 14 candidates in the clusterbunch mayoral race Nov. 4. Nine of them qualified as of Friday afternoon. They include, most notably, Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins, former Miami Commissioner Ken Russell, former Miami-Dade Commissioner Xavier Suarez. Another five have until 6 p.m. Saturday to qualify. They include, most notably, Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo and former Miami Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla, who was suspended from office in 2023 after his arrest on public corruption charges that were dropped late last year.
A recent poll has Gonzalez heading into a runoff with Higgins, with Russell in third place.
Read related: Poll has Eileen Higgins in Miami mayoral runoff with Emilio Gonzalez
The Gonzalez campaign insists its “message of reform, accountability, affordability, and putting Miami residents first” is catching fire — so much so that enemies are pulling dirty tricks to try to shut down his social media.
“We will not be intimidated,” González added, vowing to get the account restored and keep hammering away at “the elites, the insiders, and certainly not big tech executives doing the bidding of rival campaigns.”
Of course, no evidence was offered that any of that actually happened. But why waste a perfectly good conspiracy theory when you can blame “corrupt insiders” and “big tech” in the same breath?
The González camp says it’s working with X to get the @emilioformiami campaign account back up. Meanwhile, his posts can be seen at @emiliotgonzalez, where he already posted Friday about his meeting with the local Log Cabin Republicans.

Help Ladra cover the increasingly strange Miami city elections this year. Make a contribution to Political Cortadito today. Thank you for supporting independent, grassroots watchdog journalism.

The post Dirty trick? Miami mayoral candidate Emilio González has X account blocked appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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DERM gets separated, Metro Connect survives
First in a series of county budget coverage stories
Miami-Dade’s $12.9 billion budget squeaked through Thursday night — or, more accurately, early Saturday morning — after another one of those all-night marathons at County Hall that leave everyone bleary-eyed and cranky.
The biggest headline? Bus riders dodged a fare hike. That 50-cent increase Mayor Daniella Levine Cava floated back in July got tossed out like yesterday’s cafecito. Same with the 25-cent bump on paratransit for folks with disabilities.
Instead, Commission Chairman Anthony Rodriguez waved his magic wand — or, more precisely, dipped into a reserve fund meant for future transit projects — and, just like that, poof! No fare hikes. He even got a unanimous vote on it without a single peep of discussion.
Read related: Miami-Dade budget restores 100% funds to non-profits = self preservation
But if you think that means Miami-Dade is out of the woods financially, think again. As Commissioner Oliver Gilbert put it, this is like slapping a Band-Aid on an amputation. “Eventually we’re going to have to cauterize.”
The county is staring down a $94 million deficit in 2027, which seems small considering this year’s projected shortfall was four times as much. Still, this only means the tough choices just got kicked down the road. Again.
Meanwhile, the meeting wasn’t all hugs and kisses. Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez unloaded on Levine Cava, accusing her of “hiding the ball” and stonewalling him for months. She fired back — voice raised, finger wagging — accusing him of political grandstanding. And in one of those only-in-Miami moments, she pulled out a campaign T-shirt he had his staff handing out earlier that day to prove her point.
La Alcadesa had been silently holding the t-shirt under her desk just waiting for the right moment to shame him. Like a boss!
“I feel my reputation has been impugned,” she said, after he basically called her a liar. “You do need to show some respect.
“This unfortunately demonstrates the lack of knowledge about the budget process by this commissioner,” she said.
Ouch.
By 4 a.m., the commission had rubber-stamped the mayor’s budget mostly intact. That means higher water and trash fees, more than $80 million extra for the new sheriff’s office, and yes, still $46 million in taxpayer cash and in-kind services to subsidize the FIFA World Cup and it’s parties. Priorities, people!
Read related: Madness marathon: Observations from the first Miami-Dade budget hearing
MetroConnect, the neighborhood ride service that was on the chopping block, survives — but with a $3.75 price tag per trip and fewer zones. Some cuts did stick: say goodbye to lifeguards at natural swimming holes and the Office of New Americans, which allegedly helps immigrants navigate the system.
And let’s not forget the sneaky little nugget environmentalists were screaming about: the weakening of DERM, the watchdog that often gives developers headaches. Levine Cava insists the change is just an “administrative shuffle.” Environmental groups say it’s the beginning of the end for meaningful oversight. Guess which side developers are betting on.
Several environmental advocates spoke during the nearly five hours of public comment, which was mostly dominated by a thank you chorus of non-profit heads and arts and culture boosters who got their money after some strong-arming. Other speakers lined up to demand the county divest from Israel bonds, or to blast commissioners for balancing the budget on the backs of transit riders (that was before Rodriguez saved the day).
Read related: Developers get gift-wrapped, weaker DERM in Miami-Dade budget shuffle
Either way, most of the $402 million shortfall is gone now that the money was found in the final version of the budget — proving once again that when enough people yell, the mayor somehow “finds” cash in the couch cushions.
“It doesn’t increase our confidence in the process if when we raise our voices then suddenly you find the resources,” said Commissioner Marleine Bastien, who called the budget saga “taxing on all of us.” Very funny, lady.
It’s not fair to say, however, that the money just magically appeared. It took a lot of work to go through those couch cushions and the only people who really rolled up their sleeves with the mayor to do dive in and find the efficiencies were Commissioners Gilbert, Raquel Regalado and Keon Hardemon. The others pretty much watched from the sidelines and complained.
“The information we had in August was dramatically different from the information we had in July,” Regalado said. “And it was nobody’s fault.”
Gonzalez cried about not being given information but had cancelled or walked out on several meetings with staff and the mayor. He was grandstanding for his Instagram feed (more on that later).
So, bottom line: Riders don’t pay more (yet), nonprofits get their grants, and Daniella gets her budget. But the next mayor — and taxpayers — are going to inherit the hangover from this late-night fiesta.
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Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins made it official at City Hall this week, dropping off her final paperwork and dropping a shiny new campaign video at the same time. The spot, called “Clear Plan,” is full of feel-good promises about safe neighborhoods, affordable housing, clean parks, and a government that people can actually trust — you know, all the things Miami hasn’t had in years.
“I’m Eileen Higgins and I’m running to serve as your next Miami mayor, but with a clear plan,” Higgins says in the 30 second spot, before rattling off her checklist: housing people can afford, cops on the beat, clean parks for families, and — wait for it — transparency at City Hall.
The ad is all positive vibes. No shade thrown. No names named. Which is almost cute, really. Because in Miami politics, that kind of kumbaya never lasts.
Read related: Eileen Higgins officially resigns Miami-Dade seat to run for Miami mayor
In a statement, Higgins said she’ll bring the same focus she’s had for seven years on the county dais — affordable housing, public safety, small business initiatives — to the mayor’s office on Dinner Key.
“I’m running to serve as your next Miami mayor, but with a clear plan,” she says in the video, which has already racked up more than 5,000 views in three days. “As your mayor, we’ll get things done. Miami, this is our time.”
Higgins also scored a bragging right that none of her opponents can claim: she’s the only one to qualify by petition. That means volunteers actually went out and got more than 2,048 valid voters to sign her onto the ballot. Those same folks will be the first targets for votes come November.
“Qualifying by petition takes people — volunteers, neighbors, and supporters across Miami — who believe in our vision and are willing to act on it,” she said, touting the campaign as a “movement of residents determined to restore trust, deliver results, and make Miami work for all of us.”
That “restore trust” line isn’t an accident. The stench of corruption and dysfunction hanging over City Hall is going to be front and center in this race. Higgins knows it. And so does everybody else.
She already has some practice taking on the city’s political dinosaurs. Higgins won her District 5 commission seat in 2018 after beating both former Sen. Alex Díaz de la Portilla and Zoraida Barreiro, the wife of her predecessor Bruno. In 2020, she trounced ADLP’s brother Renier. And she coasted to reelection last year without an opponent.
Read related: Commisioner Joe Carollo files initial paperwork to run for Miami mayor
In this race, a recent poll shows Higgins and former Miami City Manager Emilio González leading the pack, with the rest of the field fighting for scraps. That field includes former Miami Commissioner Ken Russell, former Miami-Dade Commissioner Xavier Suarez (Miami’s first Cuban-born mayor, back for another lap), Community Council Member Christian Cevallos, Socialist Workers candidate Laura Anderson, Alyssa Crocker, Michael Hepburn and June Savage. They’ve all qualified.
On the sidelines — for now — are Ijamyn Joseph Gray, Elijah John Bowdre, Kenneth James DeSantis (yes, a cousin of that DeSantis), and ADLP himself, who’s huddling in the dugout with termed-out Commissioner Joe Carollo, who just filed the initial paperwork Friday. They’ve got until 6 p.m. Saturday to get in the game.
And then there’s software millionaire and tech bro Fred Voccola, who’s spent a fortune spamming voters with texts, a slick website, and digital ads. Problem is, he hasn’t even bothered to open a campaign bank account. No paperwork. No nothing. Big talk, no walk.
If Díaz de la Portilla does decide to jump in before the deadline, it could set up a spicy rematch with Higgins. And let’s be honest — in this circus of a city, Ladra is here for it.

Help Ladra cover the Miami city election for mayor and two city commissioners. Make a contribution to Political Cortadito today. Thank you for supporting independent, grassroots watchdog journalism.

The post Eileen Higgins qualifies for Miami mayoral race, launches new video ad appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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