Voters will get to decide if the newly created elected Miami-Dade sheriff’s seat, tax collector and supervisor of elections will be partisan positions or not after the county commission voted last week to put the referendum on the 2020 ballot.
The sheriff’s position was created last year by voters who also made the elections head and tax collector elected positions rather than appointees of the mayor. The property appraiser’s seat was already a nonpartisan elected office, as are the county mayor and commission seats, as are most municipal offices.
“The positions of Sheriff, Property Appraiser, Tax Collector, and Supervisor of Elections are positions that our residents should have the right to select, endorse, and vote on the basis of merit, regardless of party affiliation,” said Commissioner Esteban Bovo, who sponsored the resolution.
But who is he kidding? Campaigns for these seats have increasingly become partisan, especially as Democrats — who have a majority of the voters in Miami-Dade but have not had a majority of elected representatives — try to seed the bench at the local level to create viable candidates for state office.
Read related: Dems push full court press for Eileen Higgins in special District 5 county race
It really started to be obvious in the 2014 race between Daniella Levine-Cava and former Commissioner Lynda Bell, the incumbent. Democrats poured tons of resources into the Levine-Cava campaign and had impact.
Last year, Democrats helped Commissioner Eileen Higgins win a special election over two Republicans who were better known.
In 2016, local Dems scrambled to find a challenger to Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, who himself toyed with changing his party in a publicity stunt orchestrated by Hillary Clinton supporters, which included his spokesman and one of his campaign managers.
And Dems are not losing hope: They want a blue mayor in 2020.
Read related: Carlos Gimenez’s party switch talk is consistent, distracting
Kendall Democrats President Bryan Hernandez, who worked on the Donna Shalala for Congress and Heath Rassner for State House campaigns last year — said as much in an op-ed he wrote this week for the Community Newspapers:
“Our county is in desperate need of visionary, smart leadership. The mayor who succeeds Carlos Gimenez must be a Democrat who will tackle the serious issues facing Miami-Dade,” noting there are a number of Democrats running. Those include Levine-Cava and former Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas.
“I’m a 23-year-old professional who’s starting off his career in Miami. Affordable housing, public transit, and sea level rise are critical issues to me,” Hernandez said. “If a politician wants my vote in the 2020 mayoral election, they need to propose bold solutions to these problems.
He goes on to write about the issues the next mayor will have to face (because this mayor sure won’t, which includes climate change, traffic, affordable housing and “the growing level of inequality.” But it makes one wonder: Do you have to be a Democrat to care about those things.
Hernandez also talks about the rich getting richer with developers who live off the politicians they buy — but Ladra’s experience is that this practice is also bipartisan.
Read related: Political musical chairs: Recycled electeds vie for 2020 seats
“Miami-Dade County is ground zero for both issues. The next mayor must lead us through these great challenges and secure a good future for me and my generation of Miamians,” Hernandez writes. “I call on local Democratic clubs, progressive groups, and all those tired with this corrupt, abysmal leadership to start planning for the goal of electing a bold Democratic mayor in 2020. That work must begin now.”
On the one hand, these races should be nonpartisan. It’s the right thing to do so that Independent voters aren’t shut out of the process or so that one party doesn’t dominate a race. But, on the other hand, is it really going to matter? Unless there are rules and penalties for bringing up partisanship in non partisan elections, there will always be the campaigns that use the R or the D to their advantage.
Even if the letter is invisible.

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The collapse of the FIU pedestrian bridge and the lawsuits that followed seem to have pushed one-time Miami-Dade County darlings Munilla Construction Management to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Pedro Munilla, pictured here with his wife, is often out at galas with Mayor and Lourdes Gimenez.
But that doesn’t mean that Pedro Munilla, an insider and longtime member of Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez‘s friends and family plan, can’t do any more municipal business. Munilla — who is related to Gimenez’s wife Lourdes and, as such, also to Miami-Dade School Board Member Mari Tere Rojas — owns at least 10 other active companies with his brothers and Frank Lopez, according to the Florida Division of Corporations.
In fact, MCM Construction of Florida LLC — which a month earlier was Munilla Construction Management LLC — changed its name in December to Magnum Construction Management LLC. At least they don’t have to spend a lot of money on new letterhead or a logo.
And the Gimenez sons — who have either worked for or lobbied for Munilla Construction — likely have jobs forever in one or the other company.
The most recent of the new companies, 315 Sunny Management LLC, was formed in December of last year, nine months after the bridge collapse and before the bankruptcy filing. Munilla’s partner there is Frank Lopez, who is also his partner at Shopping Plaza Corp., one of his first companies, incorporated in 1986, and earlier versions of Sunny Management.
Read related: I-395 signature bridge standoff is political palanca at its best
The Miami Herald and the Real Deal reported on Friday that MCM had sent a press release announcing the bankruptcy in order to put creditors off so they can reorganize. A spokesman has said that the company will continue to operate and has enough capital to finish projects it has already started.
The company could also use the time to negotiate settlements to lawsuits filed by survivors and family members of the six who died when the pedestrian bridge over Southwest 8th Street collapsed March 15. A federal investigation indicated that design flaws led to the cracks in the bridge’s foundation. While MCM partner FIGG Bridge Group designed the FIU pedestrian bridge, MCM supervised the construction and could be liable.
But MPM is not. And neither is Advanced Realty Management. Or 7501 Medley Civil LLC. Or Sunny Management LLC.
So before you start feeling bad for Mr. Munilla, know that he’s got options.

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Dear Mr. Jeff Bezos:
You don’t know me. I am not an elected official. But I do order a lot of stuff on Amazon. And I live near your old neighborhood in Cutler Ridge. My daughter graduated from Miami Palmetto High, your alma mater. Go Panthers!
I know you are under a lot of pressure from local electeds and business leaders to bring your Amazon HQ2 here, now that you’ve scrapped New York City from the plans. And I understand it is tempting. We have great weather, beaches and culture and a diverse and technically savvy workforce thirsting for opportunities like the ones you will bring. I want Amazon here, too.
But you also have a rare opportunity to do something for your onetime home community by making some requests or setting some conditions on coming.
Read related: Mayor Carlos Gimenez lies about Miami-Dade to get Amazon HQ2
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez is desperate for you to come here. He has been trying to get you here for months, dangling economic incentives in front of you and your peeps. It would be a great, big feather in his cap and he wants to boast about it as part of his legacy.
You have him right where you want him.
Friday afternoon, Gimenez wrote a desperate letter:
Dear Mr. Bezos:
As Mayor of Miami-Dade County, I would like to extend a hand in partnership and encourage you to reconsider Miami as one of the sites for your North American headquarters expansion.
I understand that Amazon has decided not to pursue an additional headquarters at this time, which is completely understandable. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to reopen the lines of communication because Miami, without a doubt, has the talent, technology and low taxes to serve Amazon’s needs. In short, we are confident that the diversity, dynamic entrepreneurial spirit and openness to partnership that drew Amazon to our community in the first place continue to be worthy of consideration.
As senior executives of your team learned during their visit to our world-class community last year, Miami is committed to a successful, collaborative partnership with Amazon. To that end, I would like to personally invite you and your team back to our community to discuss how Amazon and Miami can continue to grow together. Please reach out to me directly to schedule a time when we can re-engage in this exciting opportunity.
Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you.
Ladra definitely wants him to hear from you, Mr. Bezos. But she wants him to hear an earful.
Read related: Carlos Gimenez taps commissioner to block return of 1/2 penny funds
You should tell him how the lack of public transportation options or the mayor’s seriousness in addressing the issue is one of the main reasons why Miami didn’t cut it in the first round. You should encourage him to stop stealing the half-penny tax that was supposed to go to the expansion of rail and rapid transit and using it to balance his budget. You should tell him to stop going to such great lengths to keep using those funds, and blocking efforts to unmingle the monies.
Mr. Bezos, you might actually have more pull with our mayor than we, the constituents he likes to ignore. Gimenez actually had the audacity to tell us during his re-election campaign that more rail was coming, when he never had any intention to do that. He had a critic removed from an independent citizen board on transportation issues.
You are in a unique position to stop some of this bullying and really actually make something happen for us.
Don’t do it for me. Do it for your fellow Panthers.
P.S.: Just in case nobody told you, Gimenez was the first mayor to kowtow to President Donald Trump when he went against sanctuary cities. And his lobbyist son worked for him. FYI.

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With all the recent speculation about Alex Penelas and/or Carlos Curbelo tossing a wrench into what we thought was a battle between heir apparent Esteban Bovo and Sir Xavier Suarez, the people’s knight, for the open mayoral seat in 2020, the first to throw his hat in the ring was none of the above.
Former Commissioner Juan Zapata — who last gave up the fight for his own re-election in 2016, citing a hostile work environment — filed paperwork on Monday showing he has opened a mayoral campaign account and will run for the top county job.
Read related: Chased out: Juan Zapata leaves hostile work environment
“#ItsTime to get county government truly working for its residents and transform an antiquated government structure that fails to address the present and future needs of our community,” Zapata said in a statement Ladra believes is the key message of his campaign, hence the hashtag, which was repeated in the press release emailed Monday evening.
“As a commissioner, Zapata tirelessly fought to maximize taxpayer resources, increase police presence, protect the unincorporated areas, strengthen the county’s infrastructure, institute innovative policies and advocate for viable transit solutions.
“#ItsTime to bring a true spirit of public service back to county hall and lay out a vision for the future of Miami-Dade County.
“Zapata will focus on keeping our residents safe, protecting our environment, improving mobility, and addressing the inequality and affordability issues that exist in our community. His broad public service experience, along with his reputation as a servant leader, positions him as the best choice for Mayor to bring about responsible prosperity and innovative solutions to Miami-Dade County. #ItsTime.”
His media contact is Bibiana “Bibi” Potestad, the Florida House candidate in district 119 that he supported last year (she lost the Republican primary to Juan Fernandez-Barquin, who is the new state rep now) and who once interned for Zapata when he was the first Colombian elected state rep (2002-2010).
If elected next year, Zapata would be Miami-Dade’s first Colombian-American mayor.
Read related: Juan Zapata’s last meeting items: ‘Smart growth,’ zoning, ATVs
But the field is expected to be fat. Bovo is going to run, and the recent acquisition of Brian Goldmeier by Penelas shows he intends to run for something. Some people have been floating Curbelo’s name, but the former Congressman has a great national TV gig that he could parlay back into national office, if he keeps his pants on long enough for Marco Rubio to retire.
Who else? Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava might actually think she has the chops already, even though she has hardly been the force she promised to be on the commission. But Commissioner Rebeca Sosa has long thought she deserves to be the county’s first female mayor.
Then there’s the recent flurry of urgent activity in tweets and posts and email blasts from Commissioner Joe Martinez‘s office. There’s going to be a detour over here. There’s going to be road construction over there. Cold weather is coming, bundle up, and Happy Holocaust Remembrance Day. But that could just as likely be for a run at the sheriff’s seat created by voters last November.
Ladra also knows for a fact that former Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera is talking to people about it. And a lot of Democrats still want to see former Congressman Joe Garcia there.
Ladra is likely forgetting someone. Whoever it is, other candidates are likely to make much out of a Master’s Degree program at Harvard that he first paid for with county funds before he paid it himself. Zap — an outspoken critic of Mayor Carlos Gimenez already had a target drawn on his back — had originally signed up for a shorter program that the county had previously paid for with other commissioners in the past.
Read related: Juan Zapata to mayor: ‘Where’s the money?’ and ‘Cut taxes’
He decided to get more out of it, but before he could reimburse the county for the difference, someone (read: a Gimenez lackey) had tipped of a reporter and the story had been cast as if Zap had intended to make taxpayers pay for his professional development all along. And it came right at re-election, which is what likely caused him to withdraw.
But that may be all they have. Because Zapata’s wide field of supporters say he has always represented the best interest of the people against the developers, the special interests and the politicians that serve them. Ladra knows him as a bold speaker who isn’t afraid to ask the difficult questions and calls the budget process the shell game that it is. He would likely be a reformer at the county.
Maybe #ItsTime for someone like that to run for mayor after all.

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Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez got a few more stamps on his passport this month during a nine-day European jaunt that took him to Spain and Switzerland.
Like always, his wife Lourdes went along.
Ernesto Rodriguez , Lester Sola, Juan Kuryla, Gotzone Sagardui Goikoetxea (Bilbao City Council), Juan Maria Aburto (Mayor of Bilbao), Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos A. Gimenez, Ricardo Barkala (Port of Bilbao), Manny Gonzalez (International Trade Coordinator, Miami-Dade County), Xabier Ochandiano (Bilbao City Council), Alex Ferro, Luis Gabiola (Port of Bilbao)
So did the mayor’s Chief of Staff Alex Ferro, Port Director Juan Kuryla, Aviation Director Lester Sola, Manny Gonzalez, who runs the county office that organizes foreign trade trips and Miami International Airport’s marketing/routes chief Ernesto Rodriguez.
Oh, and Ferro’s, Kuryla’s and Sola’s spouses also joined them. I mean, why not?
Miami-Dade officials say the spouses paid “their own way, including airfare, meals, etc.” and that the mayor even paid the difference in the room rate to book a double. Did the other staffers do the same? We don’t know yet and will have a full accounting now that they’ve returned.
Read related: Termed out Mayor Carlos Gimenez gives self undeserved 70% pay raise
On this trip, Gimenez “flew into Barcelona and immediately transferred to a train to Madrid, in an effort to save hundreds of dollars on cheaper fare,” an email from the mayor’s office said.
But do all the “savings” really matter? The trip itself is an excuse for these public officials and elected mayor to take a dream vacation and have the taxpayers foot at least half the bill.
The county-funded part of the trip was only the first nine days (Gimenez extended it four days paid personally, his office said). It took Gimenez and his cabinet to Madrid Jan. 4 to meet with soccer executives in an effort to bring more international games to Miami. This includes the president of Real Madrid, the Spanish soccer team that has already held sold-out exhibition matches at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Really?
Read related: Carlos Gimenez and lobbyists in China is same old thing, different language
Then Gimenez met with the mayor of Bilbao, and talked to him about the expansion of that city’s airports — you can bet Carlos had some advice and companies and contractors to recommend — and toured the port there. The county delegation also spent a few days meeting with officials from the country’s Ministry of Economic Development.
They took more selfies again in Geneva signing an agreement with MSC Cruises they say will increase PortMiami business. But did they really need to go there to sign it? Probably not. MSC, which does cargo also, already has 15 ships here and already wants to expand with 14 more, according to the mayor’s own office, which said the vessels are scheduled for delivery by 2026.
In fact, MSC Cruises already signed agreement last summer to build a new terminal at the port. What? Did they forget to dot an i or cross a t?
Same thing with soccer. It’s coming anyway. Same thing with adding new Spanish cities to MIA’s routes. It’s coming anyway.
Rather, these things that are coming anyway give Gimenez et al the opportunity to take another trip on the public dime.
Read related: Miami-Dade mayor, lobbyist pals head to Paris Air Show
Because when has any of these junkets produced anything for the public? Did China last year? Did Japan? What about Paris? Even though the mayor has gone there at least twice since he was elected, we still haven’t seen anything from it. No air shows at the Everglades, of course.
That’s because it was all hot air. Just like this time.
There is no need to go anywhere to sell Miami-Dade as a soccer mecca, especially after voters approved the redevelopment of Melreese Golf Course into Miami Freedom Park. There is no need to go sign anything to expand the port. They will be happy to come here and expand their business anyway.
But then, Lourdes and Carlos couldn’t have gone to Geneva for half price.

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The Miami Lakes council caved Tuesday to the strong arm tactics of Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and ignored the recommendation of a citizen selection committee, hiring Gimenez pal Ed Pidermann as the new town manager instead.
The committee, which met more than a dozen times over nine months to review 60 applicants, had recommended former North Miami Beach city manager Ana Garcia, principally because she has the experience they wanted and which, many believe, the charter explicitly calls for (though anyone can interpret it differently). Vice Mayor Nelson Rodriguez nominated her, but then withdrew the nomination when it became clear he didn’t have the votes — only Councilwoman Marilyn Ruano backed Garcia — and he wanted the new manager to start with unanimous support from the dais.
“I can count,” Rodriguez said. “Our manager, whoever that is, needs to have the full support of the council. and although it breaks my heart, because I know we are losing a superstar with super experience, I have no doubt that Mr. Pidermann will do a good job.”
Mayor Manny Cid said his vote was with Pidermann because the veteran firefighter is a resident of Miami Lakes and the other candidates hinted they were not eager to sell their longtime homes and move into the Northwest Dade town.
Read related: Carlos Gimenez pushes pal in Miami Lakes manager selection
But that can’t really be it, can it? Could Cid have completely alienated his citizens’ committee and shit on a painstaking transparent and public process just because of residency? “It’s a deal breaker,” he kept saying, me thinks protesting too much.
The process was intentionally and painstakingly public and transparent precisely to avoid political shenanigans or any perception thereof. To completely abandon it in light of the county mayor’s pressure seems to have also abandoned any attempt to keep the appointment politically clean.
Some observers think that maybe Cid made a deal with Gimenez and the residency issue gave him political cover. The city does need another fire truck. Is it possible that was dangled like a carrot? Or will Gimenez support Cid’s future bid for higher office? Gimenez holds the purse strings and the controls on so much of the planning around the American Dream megamall that will affect Miami Lakes residents probably more than anybody else, which could also be why it’s important to him to have someone close (read: controllable) at the top in the town.
The vote came after several firefighters — including the vice mayor’s brother — and the new Deputy Miami-Dade Mayor Maurice Kemp, another former Miami Fire Chief (photo, right), spoke on behalf of Pidermann. One firefighter suggested Nelson Rodriguez, who is a firefighter in Coral Gables, was betraying his own by backing Garcia.
Several residents spoke on behalf of preserving the process, including Maria Kramer, a longtime activist who was on the citizen review committee.
“Your fiduciary responsibility is to us, not the firefighters,” Kramer told the council. “Our number one recommendation on every vote we took was Ana Garcia (photo, right). No one had the kind of experience that she did. I remember Frank Bocanegra when we made that fatal mistake of going with the police chief because he had the knowledge. And it almost destroyed Miami Lakes.”
She is referring to the former police major turned town manager who has been accused of abusing his office in cahoots with former Mayor Michael Pizzi.
Read related: American Dream megamall developer would give us buses for our trouble
“Hiring a Miami Lakes resident has its pros and cons. You’re going to have a conflict of interest: ‘Am I going to do what’s right for my neighborhood or what’s right for everyone,’” Kramer stated.
“You have to choose who is most qualified. Mr. Pidermann is charming. he is committed to this town. But he has not even been an assistant manager. We need someone who can hit the ground running.
“Another Frank Bocanegra would be a disaster for this town.”
The surprise upset is a small political victory for new Councilman Josh Dieguez (photo, left), a Gimenez lackey who silently slid into the seat of former councilman Frank Mingo and had tried to stop the process to include more candidates (maybe Gimenez had a plan B).
“It’s about rounding out the list,” Dieguez said, because he wanted a shortlist of seven candidates, for whatever reason.
Then he started crying about some “gossip website” that called him a Gimenez minion — oh, wait, was he talking about little ol’ Ladra?
“It was just to give an option. It was not about distorting the will of the charter to even have this committee in the first place,” he said, although it is exactly what he was doing: Unhappy with the outcome of the process, he wanted to tweak it.
He eventually withdrew his motion, knowing it would have no support. But he spent several minutes showing his thin skin, talking about a public record being “leaked” — obviously he wanted to keep the Gimenez email secret — and how Ladra “attacked” him. Someone please ask the young councilman to explain how it is an attack to state the truth. And please explain that at no time did Ladra suggest that he “manipulated the mayor into writing this letter,” which is, indeed, absurd.
Dieguez is the mayor’s minion not the other way around. And that is why, after his big song and dance, Little Minion Dieguez nominated Pidermann.
Reading from an admitted script, Dieguez recalled a “stellar career in public service. Nt just that he was a firefighter. It’s that he has a service heart. He is someone who has managed a budget of over 100 million and hundreds of employees. M. pidermann was not my initial choice. additionally he comes highly recommended by members of this community.”
Dieguez said he met with Pidermann again just shortly before the council meeting Tuesday. “He assured me that he has a plan in place to ensure that the knowledge we will be losing when Mr. Ray leaves us. He ensured me he has a strong team to keep that institutional knowledge in town. That gives me great comfort.”
Well, I’m sure the members of the selection committee are comforted by that as well.
Councilman Jeffrey Rodriguez said he was “confident in his ability to work with people and I’m confident in his ability to work with this council,” especially after getting calls from residents, not the county mayor, he said.
And Councilman Carlos Alvarez first said he had a “duty to honor the time spent by the committee” and then did just the opposite by voting for Pidermann.
Mayor Manny Cid
Cid seemed somewhat ticked off that he didn’t get the same opportunity as his predecessors to name the next town manager. “That opportunity wasn’t afforded to me because of prior sins,” he said, adding that he would have suggested Tony Lopez, who never threw his hat into consideration.
“The process itself has been good. I think the committee did a great job. There are some bad parts of the process… the intrigue and discussions. I really dislike that I think it should be clear cut… but I didn’t get that opportunity.”
That’s when he said residency was a priority for him.
“We are a $40 million organization. I truly believe that the CEO of our town, whoever the next CEO of our town is,m should own stock,” Cid said. “I can envision all four of them doing the job. They all have their strengths. They all have their weaknesses. I come back to that question I asked.”
He wanted someone with “the same motivation to retire here, to raise their kids here. I really want to see that skin in the game.”
Nelson said the manager, whoever it was, could be fired within 72 hours at any time and that it was “unreasonable” to force candidates to move from longtime homes.
“But again I can count,” Rodriguez said. “The committee did their job. They recommended the number one person. I wish all these letters of recommendation would have materialized in their file in March.
Pidermann was visibly pleased. “I prayed to God and I think he produced the right result,” he said, thanking the council and offering that he was ready to start Jan. 1.
And Gimenezville seemingly expands.

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