Melissa Castro suggests ballot language for referendum
The city of Miami’s court battle to move municipal elections from odd to even years — effectively cancelling this year’s mayoral and commission races and extending electeds’ terms by a year — may have reverberations in Coral Gables, where the commission voted to move the elections from April of odd years to November of even years.
Same sin. Different direction.
Miami-Dade Judge Valerie Manno Schurr — in a lawsuit brought by former Miami City Manager Emilio Gonzalez, who is running for Miami mayor — already ruled last week that the city violated its own charter and the county charter when commissioners approved an ordinance changing the election date. The city appealed, but the reaction to oral arguments heard Tuesday indicate that they are going to lose that, too.
Read related: Third DCA seems skeptical of Miami city election change, cancellation
Manno Schurr’s ruling hinged on one self-evident truth: You don’t mess with the lengths of electeds’ terms without going to the people who put them in office in the first place. Period. Whether you’re adding months or shaving them off, it’s not up to mayors and commissioners with itchy calendar fingers. It’s up to the voters.
Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago, Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson, and Commissioners Ariel Fernandez and Richard Lara voted in May to move the next municipal election from April 2027 to November 2026 — skipping a referendum entirely, just like Miami did. Except now Miami’s in legal hot water, maybe The City Beautiful should reconsider.
Nope, they doubled down, instead. Lago, Anderson and Lara, did anyway. While Fernandez was away for health reasons, the commission last month discussed joining with other cities to rebuff any legal challenges from the state.
City Attorney Cristina Suarez has issued a formal legal opinion stating that the change is “legally sufficient in accordance with applicable law.” But it is a non-binding and advisory opinion only. Is that her way of saying it won’t hold up in court?
Read related: Miami-Dade Judge: Miami Commission can’t cancel election without public vote
Gables Commissioner Melissa Castro, the lone holdout on the vote to change the election — the same one who got censured by her “colleagues” for having the independent gumption to ask the Florida Attorney General about it (how dare she!) — wants the commission to reconsider. She told Political Cortadito she was not going to back down.
“Elected officials just deciding on their own that they are going to serve a year more or a year less? What is that? That’s a very dangerous precedent, that’s what it is,” Castro said.
“People — not politicians — have the sole right to decide when elections are held,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “It was the voters who put officials in office, and it is the voters alone who must decide if and when election dates change. Bypassing the people and moving elections without their approval is not only unethical, it’s illegal and unconstitutional under the Miami-Dade County Charter and Florida Constitution.
“I will fight tirelessly to defend your right to vote and ensure your voice is never silenced by political maneuvering,” she said, referring to the censure, which is like a slap on the wrist from elected colleagues. Unenforceable, but meant to chill dissent.
“Democracy belongs to the people, and I will never back down from protecting it,” Castro said.
She asked the city attorney on Tuesday to a draft a resolution for the first August meeting directing that a ballot question be presented to the electorate, asking whether they prefer Coral Gables municipal elections to continue being held in April, as has been the tradition for nearly 100 years, or be moved to November.
“The question must be binding, and the result should determine the city’s future election schedule,” Castro wrote in an email. And in order to make it super easy and trnsparent, she wants the ballot language to be simple: Under the title “Selection of Municipal Election Date,” voters will be asked to check a box for when they want to have future municipal elections — in April “dedicated local election focused on city issues” or November “combined with national and state elections.”
Read related: Coral Gables commissioner Melissa Castro challenges election date change
And what if someone blocks her or censures her again? Well, she might just take it to Gov. DeSantis.
“I won’t hesitate to take it further,” Castro wrote in an email to Gables residents last week. “I will continue siding firmly on the side of the law, transparency and, most importantly, the people.”
But let’s be real: Coral Gables doesn’t need Tallahassee swooping in to clean up its mess. What it needs is a little bit of spine and a whole lot of common sense.
Because even if the reasons for the change — higher turnout, lower costs, civic alignment — are legit, process still matters. Democracy doesn’t get waived for convenience. And a 4-1 commission vote deciding for 46,000 Gables voters when their elections happen? That’s not leadership. That’s laziness.
Gables commissioners have a choice. They can dig in their heels and go into a losing legal battle. Or they can put their trust in the people who elected them and let the voters decide, in a way that they know their next elected is going to serve a shorter term.
Ladra knows which one smells more like sunshine and less like naranja agria. Does Mayor Lago?
Because if the commission doesn’t do it now, a judge might do it later — and by then, it could be messier. And costlier.
Just ask the folks at Miami City Hall. (Assuming they’re not too busy appealing everything.)
The post Judge calls Miami election change unconstitutional; is Coral Gables next? appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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Fresh from his re-election Tuesday, Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago, in his third term now, doesn’t have time to rest. He has to make sure that his commission candidate, who will give him back the majority on the dais that he lost almost two years ago, wins in a runoff two weeks from now.
Richard Lara, general counsel for the Spanish Broadcasting System network of radio stations, got 47% of the vote on Tuesday, which was a majority but not enough to cinch a victory. Lara, who is Lago’s hand-picked pocket vote, heads into a runoff against attorney Tom Wells, who sits on the city’s charter review committee, who came in second with 39%.
“Now we have to get out there and support Richard Lara for the next two weeks. We have a runoff,” Lago said Tuesday night in a short victory speech clip for the A Day In Miami podcast’s Instagram account. The mayor already has one vote with the re-election of Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson — who won with 58% of the vote Tuesday — but he needs another guaranteed ally if he’s not going to stay on the losing end of a 3-2 avalanche for the next two years.
“I’m counting on your support to bring civility, trust and respect back to the city of Coral Gables,” Lago said in his short clip.
He’s one to talk.
Read related: Vince Lago, Rhonda Anderson handily coast to re-election in Coral Gables
Claudia Miro, a transit lobbyist at Freebee and one-time assistant to former Miami City Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, came in a distant third with 13.5%.
But she’s the darling on Wednesday because both Wells and Lara, and their respective campaigns, will want Miro’s endorsement. Throwing her support — and 1,356 votes — one way or the other could make or break either one of the two runoff candidates.
“I haven’t even thought about that yet,” Miro told Political Cortadito late Tuesday, adding that she was proud of her campaign and had no regrets.

“I would have regretted not running,” she said. “I can hold my he’d up high. I had a clean campaign and ran on my own attributes and qualifications. I still think I was the best choice but, as we know, sometimes the most qualified candidate doesn’t win.”
Ouch.
Well, lots of other people are thinking about her endorsement, and speculating that Miro — who was once Anderson’s appointment to the planning and zoning board until she upset the mayor with a vote and got kicked off — was always a spoiler sleeper candidate who will throw her weight behind Lara.
This could be because she was standing on the same side of the street near Lago during early voting over the weekend.
Or because she has complained about Wells’ negative campaigning.
Wells, whose motto is “neighbors restoring civility” and who signed a clean campaign promise form — the only one in the race to do so — has taken some digs at Miro. She’s noticed.
Or maybe because Sarnoff and Mason Pertnoy, an attorney who represents Lago (and Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo), gave her $1,000 each for her campaign.
Commissioner Kirk Menendez, who lost to Lago 55% to 38%, was more forthcoming in his support for Wells and said in his concession speech Tuesday night that the attention had to be turned to the runoff.
“We have to do everything we can to help Tom get over the hump,” Menendez told a small crowd of family and friends at Birdie’s Bistro. He said he had known Lara for more than 25 years but was voting for Wells because of Lara’s association with Lago.
Read related: Coral Gables candidate Richard Lara has not voted in the city since 1999
“I don’t endorse anybody but I’m voting for anybody who is not linked to those who don’t have our best interests at heart,” Menendez said, and it’s more complicated that it sounds. He is voting against Lara.
“There is still a fight in us left and it’s fighting for Tom. And by fighting for Tom, it’s a fight for our community,” Menendez said.

It’s going to be a hard fight. Lara will certainly have more money and more people working for his campaign. He raised more than $169,000 as of April 3, according to the most recent campaign finance report, and still had about $75K in the bank. Wells has financed his own campaign to the tune of $36,000 plus, according to his reports.
And while the mayoral race is no longer a draw on the ballot, and the runoff hits on Easter week, Lago will use his organization and campaign machinery, as well as financial support, to help Lara win. He will get his people out to vote.
He has to. The mayor will continue to be powerless without Lara on the commission.
The post Coral Gables mayor’s power hinges on runoff — Richard Lara vs Tom Wells appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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Incumbent Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago talks a lot about transparency, but the guy is anything but. He thinks that having open office hours for photo ops with foreign visitors and town halls attended mostly by city staff snd his lackeys means transparency. Or he thinks that Gables voters are stupid and will believe that’s being transparent.
From his personal life, to his business ties and official actions taken as an elected mayor, Lago has been secretive and deceitful.
Remember when he dramatically signed an affidavit at a public meeting swearing not to have any conflicts of interests through himself or any member of his immediate family with the annexation of Little Gables? Remember how the definition of immediate family, purportedly taken from the Miami-Dade Code of Ethics definition, did not mention siblings and step siblings and half siblings. That was not an innocent omission. The mayor’s brother, Carlos Lago, was at one time the registered lobbyist for the largest Little Gables property owner, which owns the trailer park and has plans for a major real estate project. A Moorish village.
Read related: Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago may have conflict of interest in Little Gables
That’s being the opposite of transparent. That is intentionally misleading or hiding the truth. He’s been misleading people ever since, saying that he was never investigated about owning property in Little Gables when nobody ever said he owned property there. He’s very crafty with words.
Let’s make that the first reason why not to vote to re-elect Vince Lago as the mayor in this election that ends Tuesday, April 8. As early voting is about to begin Saturday, here are some more:

He intentionally left the words “siblings” out of the affidavit he dramatically and publicly signed about conflicts of interest in Little Gables, trying to pull one over on voters.
Lago will not say that he won’t keep trying to annex Little Gables — despite the fact that 63% of Gables voters do not want to pay the $23 million cost just over the first five years — and, in fact, many suspect he still has that goal in his sights.
For years, Lago has often said that he only works for BDI Construction. But in a candidate forum recently, he said he was a “private business owner,” with “50 plus employees in my engineering and construction management firm.” Curious, Ladra searched the Florida Division of Corporation records for BDI Construction, where Lago says he is a partner with 33%. But he is not listed in the principals. It is owned by Carlos and Teobaldo Rossell III.
For years, Lago misled residents about police staffing. The police union, representing the officers, had to make public statements to correct his lies. The city is still more than 20 officers short. Recruitment and retention is a problem with lots of agencies. But Lago doesn’t have to lie about it. Thursday, the city manager sent his first email out to residents citywide providing them with his assurances that the police and fire departments couldn’t be stronger. It smells like a political campaign statement, which would be wholly inappropriate.
City Hall fell apart on his watch. He didn’t even want to hear about the safety issues when they did come up last year. Basically, Lago was forced out of the building. If it were up to Lago, the commission would still be meeting in chambers on the second floor of City Hall.
Lago nearly got into a fistfight with the former city manager, Amos Rojas. While a police investigation found that there was no real assault committed, because, allegedly, Rojas never really thought the mayor was capable of striking him, nobody says there wasn’t an argument that escalated and that Lago threw off his jacket, put up his dukes and called Rojas a coward. And nobody has said what the fight was about, but sources told Ladra it was because Lago wanted to go around the process to install a particular piece of art in a public place.
Steroids are bad for your health.
The mayor got part of a $640,000 commission in the 2023 sale of a Ponce De Leon Boulevard lot where real estate developer Rishi Kapoor — who was later investigated by the FBI after paying Lago pal and Miami Mayor Francis Suarez $170,000 in “consulting fees” while seeking development approvals there — planned to build a luxury high-rise, for which he likely needed zoning variances. The payment went to a brokerage firm owned by former Hialeah Councilman Oscar De La Rosa which listed only five real estate agents hanging their licenses there, including Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo, lobbyist Bill Riley (who was arrested with former Miami Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla on public corruption charges in 2023), Lago and his chief of staff at Coral Gables City Hall, Chelsea Granell.
Lago and his partners — including Baby X cousin Esteban Suarez — also rented a retail space, a former karate studio across the street from the Ponce development site, to Kapoor for about $12,500, according to sources cited by the Miami Herald. Kapoor rented the space shortly after Lago and his partners bought it in order to open a sales office for the luxury condo he wanted to build at 1505 Ponce de Leon and paid more than $152,000. But the space sat empty all the while.
Lago gave $5,000 from his political action committee to another PAC run by Alex Diaz de la Portilla in 2023, just six weeks before the latter was arrested on public corruption charges, bribery and money laundering, for a negotiated deal to give away a public park for more than $300,000 in cash and in-kind political campaign contributions. ADLP was at the mayor’s 2021 Victory Party, looking a bit disheveled.
While Lago complains about the salary increases that commissioners voted to give themselves, he also created a non-existing and completely unnecessary position of chief of staff for his aide, which elevates her multiple pay grades at once, for a current salary of more than $90,000, to oversee a staff of none, now that the part-timer has left after just a couple months.
Hypocrisy is relevant. It is further evidence that Lago is a political opportunist who sees every relationship as transactional and doesn’t understand anyone who might do anything just because it is the right thing.
The part timer only lasted a couple of months.
The mayor pushed for a “tax cut” that would have benefited developers and large property owners with huge savings while netting most homeowners less than $100 a year and would have almost certainly led to service cuts.
Lago condones (or directs) the trolls on social media that attack the three commissioners he disagrees with (and yours truly, and Billy Corben, and The Miami Herald), using body shaming and discriminatory comments and arguably sexually harassing Commissioner Melissa Castro. He knows about these trolls, one of whom was already proven to be his friend, Manny Chamizo, who is a waterfront committee board member and just got probation on a criminal stalking case (more on that later). These hate speech cyber threats have been reported to Coral Gables Police and brought to his attention on several occasions. Ladra herself has texted him and sent him screenshots of the cruelly insulting and defamatory remarks to be met by crickets. He’s either tolerant of these kind of baseless, dehumanizing attacks or complicit. It’s hard to believe that his friends would be doing this without his permission.
He has friends like Manny Chamizo and Alex Diaz de la Portilla. Dime con quien andas…
He lied, or at least stretched the truth, about the alleged FP Journe clock that he so dramatically installed on Miracle Mile — remember he wanted to do it on September 11 — which seems like a knock off. He said it was a $100,000 clock being donated to the city, and he would pay the installation himself (receipts?). But according to emails to the city from employees at Electric Time Company in Massachusetts, they built the clock, stuck an FP Journe sticker on it, and it would cost $23,000 to replace. Not $100,o00. FP Journe letter lago clock
He wanted to unveil the Miracle Mile clock on Sept. 11, saying it was “not a national holiday.”
Lago’s petition to put three charter amendments on the ballot failed so miserably, having thousands of signed petitions rejected as invalid (more on that later). Was it fraud or just carelessness?
The mayor, or rather his proxies, have weaponized the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust, making complaints against his political enemies. Two complaints were filed against activist Maria Cruz, who spearheaded the unsuccessful recall effort against Lago, were dismissed in recent months. The first was filed by Lago’s campaign fundraiser, Brian Goldmeier, who accused Cruz of targeting his home on a code enforcement violation, and the second by lobbyist Jorge Arrizurieta, Lago’s appointment to the city’s board of adjustments — until someone notified the administration that he had moved out of Coral Gables — who said that Cruz acted as a lobbyist without registering. The ethics commission found no probable cause for the first complaint and no legal sufficiency for the second, because it was an obvious lie. There was no legal sufficiency, either, for three complaints filed last November by Gonzalo Sanabria, one of his most loyal lackeys, against Commissioners Melissa Castro, Ariel Fernandez and Kirk Menendez “alleging unspecified” of the ethics code and city’s hiring practices in hiring of former City Manage Amos Rojas. Sanabria said it was a violation of the city’s hiring procedures and the item was not on the agenda for the Feb. 27 meeting. But it was on the agenda. Also, why did Sanabria wait more than eight months to make the complaint in November? There’s no way these complaints were not made with, at the very least, Lago’s permission, or, at the very most, his direct orders.
Lago has threatened to sue Ladra for defamation and libel for reporting the truth, while he knowingly falsely claims in both public commission meetings and on public podcasts and other media programs that she is pay-to-play. He also filed a meritless, frivolous lawsuit against Actualidad Radio. He just wants to silence his critics.
Instead of saying what every p0litician knows is the right thing to say — “I condemn these acts… blah blah blah…” — Lago accused Commissioner Fernandez of a “campaign stunt” when the latter blasted what he called recent security threats against his family and the other two commissioners. There are police reports about these incidents — which culminated Tuesday when police stopped a private investigator who had been hired to follow Fernandez. By who? We don’t know.

Ladra is sure she could come up with more reasons. This list started with 12 then went to 17 and there are things I’m leaving out because they don’t live up to the others or they are unconfirmed and I ran out of time.
But readers are invited to please feel free to add their own reasons in the comments below.
Maria Cruz, you will be cut off after three comments so think about it!
The post What transparency? 22 reasons NOT to vote for Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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It doesn’t seem that Coral Gables City Manger Alberto Parjus, who took over in February from the assistant position when Amos Rojas announced he was leaving, has had a lot of time to communicate with residents via email.
But Parjus made the time Thursday to send his first email message meant to assuage any fears residents may have about public safety and the shortages at the police and fire departments.
Five days before a contentious election, it reads like a political statement. Like a campaign mailer.
Read related: Coral Gables names Alberto Parjus as new city manager in divided 3-2 vote
“As City Manager, I am committed to addressing the challenges and upholding the standards of excellence within both our Police and Fire Departments,” Parjus started.
“The Coral Gables Police Department is currently facing recruitment challenges, a trend common across the nation. Despite these hurdles, we remain committed to maintaining high recruitment standards. Currently, we have 29 police vacancies (of which 15 are new positions added over the last 3 years). This includes 18 candidates undergoing rigorous background checks and 11 officers in training at the academy. Since the start of 2025, we have hired 8 new officers, enhancing our capabilities without any increase in tax dollars, thanks to prudent fiscal management.
“Our robust recruitment process has seen 283 applications this year alone, with 45 interviewed and 39 progressing further, demonstrating our unwavering commitment to quality. Despite challenges, our crime rates remain low and response times continue to meet the high standards our community expects. Our dedication is evident in our unchanged case clearance rates and arrest numbers.
“We are proud that more than half our police force has dedicated more than 10 years of service to Coral Gables, with 30% having more than 20 years of service. Last year, the City Commission approved a competitive pay and benefits package that includes a $10,000 hiring bonus, reflecting our commitment to attracting and retaining top talent.”
In other words, nothing to see here, folks.
This seems to be in response to the campaign against Mayor Vince Lago’s re-election, which has brought up the terrible track record he has with public safety. Both the police and fire union have endorsed Commissioner Kirk Menendez in the mayoral race. There’s no other reason for the timing of this “message.” Is the new city manager meddling in a political campaign for one of his bosses?
Read related: Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago has a terrible track record with public safety
Could the Gables be on the way to having a fourth city manager in two years?
The message, emailed to the recipients of the Gables enewsletter, also talks about the coming opening of a new fire station on Sunset Drive, “enhancing emergency response capabilities to the south and west sides of our community, including the University of Miami area. The addition of a fifth Rescue unit to our fleet will help us meet increasing demand and improve service delivery.”
That sounds so much like a press release that Ladra is almost certain it was written by Gables spokeswoman, and Lago’s own personal publicist, Martha Pantin.
“The department is also launching a Technical Response Team to handle complex rescue incidents, ensuring preparedness for any eventuality, from construction accidents to natural disasters. This summer, we will hire nine new firefighters to address both current and anticipated vacancies, ensuring all positions are filled and our readiness is uncompromised.
“The safety and security of our personnel — and of every community member — are paramount. Our firefighters’ dedication, professionalism and courage are the foundation of our capability to serve and protect Coral Gables residents every day.”
Even the conclusion seems to scream that everything is just great under the current administration: “As we celebrate our centennial and move forward, I can assure you that both departments are focused on innovative recruitment strategies and community engagement initiatives to attract qualified candidates who share our values of integrity and service. We thank the community for your continued trust and remain committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all Coral Gables residents.”
Continued trust? Is there a more obvious way to say “Let’s keep things going as they are”?
Parjus — who, by the way, did not get the vote for his job from Lago or Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson — did not return a call to his office. Pantin told Ladra Thursday morning that she was not going to get into who wrote or didn’t write the message (read: she did) and that she would call back with information on the impetus of this first and only city manager’s message. Why now? Why this subject? Has someone complained or raised concerns?
The language about the number of police applicants also mirrors some of the language in Anderson’s campaign materials.
Five hours later, Pantin sends me a statement from the city manager via email: “As Coral Gables City Manager,  my primary responsibility is ensuring the effective administration of city services, including the crucial areas of public safety.  Our commitment to maintaining a responsive and well-equipped police and fire department is unwavering. The communication was to provide our community with the latest information regarding our police and fire departments, including their recruitment and retention efforts.”
So, what? The timing was just a coincidence?
Read related: Coral Gables police, fire union: Lying Vince Lago is no pal of public safety
Ladra suspects the true reason is the recent joint statement made by the police and fire unions “regarding campaign information” in an email from Mayor Lago’s political action committee blasting their endorsement of Commissioner Kirk Menendez to replace him. The email from Lago’s PAC is so egregious that they felt the need to set the record straight.
“Dear Residents of Coral Gables, public safety is the foundation of any strong community.
“Our firefighters and police officers work tirelessly to protect Coral Gables, offering highest in class service to its residents, but they can only do their jobs effectively when they have the proper resources, support and leadership in place. Unfortunately, years of neglect, underfunding, and staffing shortages have placed unnecessary strain on our public safety departments — jeopardizing the well-being of both first responders and residents,” the statement says, adding that Lago is the one misleading the public.
“While recent upgrades to fire stations and emergency services have been promoted by Mayor Lago as major feats of progress, the truth is these were not proactive investments. They were urgent repairs made necessary by long-standing neglect,” the statement reads.
The statement goes on to say that firefighters have had to deal with mold affecting their health, roof leaks, water damage and more. “Beyond infrastructure, our city has faced historic staffing shortages for both firefighters and police officers under Mayor Lago’s tenure,” it says, citing that at one time during Lago’s tenure police had almost 40 vacancies (it was 37), “a historic shortage that strained response times and officer morale. It also cited that the city’s fire department is the only one in the county that does to meet the National Fire Protection Association’s standard of 43 firefighters on duty per shift.
“This means fewer first responders available when you need them most,” the statement said. “Staffing shortfalls have led to excessive workloads, longer response times, and increased burnout among our first responders — all of which make it harder to keep Coral Gables safe.
“For years, our firefighters and police officers have fought for fair contracts and adequate funding, yet time and again, their concerns have been met with resistance by Mayor Lago, mostly due to petty grievances fueled by political retribution efforts.”
The city manager’s message is not sent in a vacuum. It looks like a reaction to this statement by the police and fire unions, an intent to influence voters. And, really, is hat the city manager’s job? At campaign time?
The post Coral Gables city manager sends public safety email — 5 days before election appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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The race for the Coral Gables commission seat in Group 2, now occupied by Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson, is as much a referendum on Mayor Vince Lago as it is a performance evaluation for the incumbent, who is facing her first re-election. The decision will likely come down to the difference between the anti-development vote and the list of Lago loyalists.
Residents in the anti-development base that helped Anderson secure her victory in a crowded field in 2021 had been disappointed — that’s the word heard the most — and turned against her even before they got a legitimate and uniquely qualified alternative in Felix Pardo, an architect who has been active on city boards and issues for more than three decades. Pardo currently serves on the Gables planning and zoning board where he has been a stalwart steward of the city’s zoning code.
Pardo has hammering down on the overdevelopment that has happened in the Gables under Anderson’s watch.
“Over the past decade, unwelcomed change has been chipping away at our great city. Seemingly, the city has been up for sale,” Pardo wrote in an email blast, using caps and bold letters that give it his voice. “Special interests have been given the keys to the city.
Read related: Each Coral Gables race in the April 8 election could end up in a runoff
“You see it in the unbridled and incompatible development, the choking traffic and the lack of resources to be able to fulfill our residents’ immediate needs. Some neighborhoods have become unrecognizable as part of Coral Gables. Awful decisions by some politicians have brought us to the brink of losing what has made this place special for one hundred years,” Pardo said, explaining why he decided to run. “I cannot continue to watch while our city disintegrates right before our eyes.
“I have chosen to seek elected office to correct the assault on our residents through the poor leadership of others,” he says, adding that Anderson “is responsible for many of the incompatible developments, misdirected priorities, negative impact on existing neighborhoods, and a lack of action in addressing residents’ concerns.”
Specifically, both he and the Coral Gables Neighborhood Association — which helped elect Anderson four years ago — have cited the 18-story Regency Parc building, which was granted more height in exchange for less density. Anderson calls it a win. Residents call it a “monstrosity” that “dwarfs the downtown post office and surrounding properties.”
Rhonda pushed for a “carve-out” in the city’s zoning code to allow the developer to build taller than the zoning code allows. To add insult to injury, the city repurposed a travel lane for pick-up and drop-off at the building, increasing traffic congestion.
“This was not in our zoning code, but Rhonda made it happen,” Pardo says in one of his super short YouTube videos, standing in front of the construction of the building. “If you vote for me, this will not happen again.”
Other short video feature damage at the historic water tower and the emergency, much needed renovations at historic City Hall, which is arguably an unsafe structure, as city commission meetings have been held in the Public Safety Building for the past recent months.
“There is a big difference between deferred maintenance and neglect,” Pardo says.
There was also some backlash to Anderson’s use of a photo from a meeting as purported evidence that residents approved the 2022nchange she sponsored. The problem? The photo is from a public meeting organized by the CGNA in 2021 to introduce the newly-elected commissioner to residents.
“Rhonda never mentioned her “concept” at that meeting or any meeting organized by the CGNA. If she had, she would have been booed out of the room,” a CGNA email says. “Her audacity to use this picture and say that ‘all residents approved…’ is a blatant example of Rhonda Anderson deceiving and lying to residents.”
CGNA President Sue Kawalerski told Political Cortadito that Anderson is misrepresenting herself.
“Rhonda Anderson lies,” Kawalerski told Ladra. “First, she took a picture from a meeting with residents that I organized four years ago and said it was a different meeting. She deceived the public with false representation.
“And, secondly, residents didn’t approve anything.”
Read related: A Coral Gables runoff between Claudia Miro and Tom Wells would be nice
Besides, Anderson sounds like Lago’s mouthpiece. Remember how she made that robocall for his chosen candidates in 2023 — and then later was named vice mayor? And when she booted Claudia Miro, now in her second run for office, off the planning and zoning board because she didn’t vote how the mayor wanted? It seems that Rhonda has tied her trailer to Lago’s horse.
Lately, she has taken to bashing every one of Commissioner Melissa Castro‘s ideas — even no-brainers like a residential parking rate pilot program and a expedited permitting review for residents — as if it were her assigned role. Notice how Lago has backed off Castro? Maybe he realized it looked like he was bullying her. Anderson sounds more and more like she’s doing his dirty work and that hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Pardo’s drumbeat on overdevelopment — in addition to Anderson’s capitulation to Lago and her demeaning, know-it-all way of talking to residents — is what drove the CGNA to endorse him in this race. In an email, the group says that Lago and Anderson are “tied at the hip” and “due for replacement.” A third candidate in the Group 2 race, Laureano Cancio (no relation), is a very nice man who is going to do nothing more than, maybe, force a runoff. His campaign, which is the only one to include establishing the city’s own public school system, is just not reaching people like the other two are.
That could be because he is not doing a lot of campaign outside walking and knocking on doors. Cancio is self-funding his run, with almost $4,300 spent so far. Among his expenses are seven registrations for two 5K races and the Manhattan College Coral Gables dinner for $120. Pardo, meanwhile, has spent $9,786 of the $29.5K he has raised since the beginning of February (including a $5,000 loan from himself).
As the incumbent, it’s no surprise that Anderson has more campaign money, with $77,480 raised since January of last year. Campaign finance records indicate that she has spent $35,500, more than half of which have gone to consultant Emiliano Antuñez, of Dark Horse Strategies, for canvassing, consulting and a mailer. Antuñez also does work for Lago’s political action committee, Coral Gables First.
This might be a good time to remind readers that the two commission seats two years ago were won against better funded candidates who had the mayor’s unwavering support. Just sayin’.

Anderson is endorsed by Mayor L’Ego and has a pretty good website that doesn’t bash anyone but lays out her achievements — of course, the Salvatore dog park is in there, because she is the queen of dog parks — and her priorities. She also cites her experience lobbying in Tallahassee for legislators to lower future windstorm insurance costs.
Pardo’s homepage boasts the endorsements from all the city employees, though the fire union, the police union and the Teamsters local, which represents the general employees. The police and fire union sent out an email blast last week blasting Anderson and (and Lago) for making “false claims” during their campaigning. In Rhonda’s Report email, the vice mayor says there were 700 applications for police receive and 17 new officers hired since last June. The police union president says that the 17 new hires has been offset by 12 officers leaving for one reason or another and that the department is still 30 officers short (more on that later).
In an email blast just days ago, Pardo lists a slew of longtime, active Gables residents who support him. “As someone who was born and raised in Coral Gables and worked as a professional in the city for over 40 years, I have witnessed many commissioners and mayors who have served our city.  I proudly endorse Felix Pardo, who unequivocally is the most knowledgeable, qualified, honest, and decent candidate to ever run for a city commission seat,” said Gordon Solokoff, a well-known dentist.
“Coral Gables will benefit greatly by having Felix Pardo as our next commissioner.”
Read related: Absentee ballots land in Coral Gables mailboxes — and so do the hit pieces
Former City Manager Jack Eads is also quoted as saying that he was pleased to learn that Felix decided to run. “His continuous outstanding record of service to the City is exemplary. Residents of Coral Gables deserve the quality of service Felix can provide.”
Pardo also has the support of some solid waste employees — probably because Anderson insulted them. She said “None of the current sanitation workers have the aspiration,” according to an email from Pardo. Eddie Coard Jr., a solid waste operator II, took it to heart. A 12-year employee, he said he has always felt appreciated by residents.

“Our team works day in and day out, on holidays, weekends if we need to, in the hot sun, in the rain, no matter what, we are here doing our part to keep Coral Gables Beautiful,” Coard says in the email blast. “When I heard those comments made about me and my team during that Commission meeting, I was hurt. How could someone put us down by saying we have no aspirations?
“We can’t have someone on the Commission that talks about us like that,” the email states. “Today, I am asking you to stand up for your solid waste team by supporting someone who has always treated us with respect and has never talked down to us like Rhonda did.”
It’s not just you, Mr. Coard. Anderson talks down to everyone. She still has the monotone energy of a cardboard box, which is what Ladra thought four years ago when she first ran. But now it’s a box that thinks it’s better than you.
Whether overdevelopment is an issue for them or not, voters should remind Anderson that she is not better than them.
Contrary to what Mayor Lago says about Ladra, and we appreciate the publicity, Political Cortadito is not paid to post stories in favor or against any candidates. Longtime knowledge and history covering Coral Gables, an elected’s history with voting and the public and the access to records and documents are what impact my decisions. But I do appreciate the financial backing from those who appreciate the analyses here and wish to support independent, grassroots journalism at the micro local level. Make a donation here. And thank you!
The post Felix Pardo nabs anti-development base from Rhonda Anderson in Coral Gables appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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The commission race in Coral Gables Group 3 could — an open seat after Commissioner Kirk Menendez moved to the mayor’s race — offer voters a great choice between two good potential leaders who have proven their commitment to the City Beautiful.
But that’s only after attorney Richard Lara, the mayor’s handpicked candidate who hasn’t voted in the Gables since 1999, loses the first round and the others, Freebee transit lobbyist Claudia Miro and attorney Thomas “Tom” Wells make the runoff.
This is clearly the best case scenario for Gables residents, who would not make a bad choice either way.
Lara isn’t really interested in the job. He hasn’t voted in the Gables in 25 years, and misleads people about his longtime residency and activism. He doesn’t have either. And maybe he should stick to his real job as general counsel at Spanish Broadcasting System, though records show he’s not a star there either, even though his business acumen, ahem, is part of his campaign schtick.
Since becoming employed by SBS in 2016, the stock price has plummeted, going from $3.62 per share that year, through an all time low of 13 cents per share earlier this month before going back up where it is currently trading at $.30 per share. Meanwhile, Lara’s compensation for 2018 and 2019 was $580,594 and $589,742, respectively. We don’t know what he made after that because SBS stopped being an SEC reporting company in 2020, three years after it was suspended from trading on NASDAQ in 2017, less than six months after Lara came on board.
Read related: Coral Gables candidate Richard Lara has not voted in the city since 1999
No, Lara doesn’t really want to do this. Mayor Vince Lago wants him to do this. Lago needs him to do this.
Lago threw Lara into the race last year when he was trying to unseat Commissioner Menendez and regain his majority rule. Lara is a Seguro Que Yes vote for the mayor. Menendez later switched to the mayoral race to challenge Lago and bring back real transparency and civility to City Hall. That’s when Wells, the commissioner’s appointment to the city’s charter review committee, decided to run. Miro, who ran in a crowded race for an open seat in 2021 against current Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson, threw her hat in a bit later.
If Lago were to win next week, or in a runoff two weeks later, he would still need Lara to get his majority. Neither of the other two are likely to be controlled by him.
Wells has been a vocal critic of the mayor’s policies and proposals, most notably Lago’s advocacy last year to cut the tax rate by a tiny bit, which would really benefit developers and owners of the large projects, and his efforts to move the city election to a November date, which he says would result in a fat ballot with the Gables issues and candidates at the end, increased campaign cost to compete with federal, state and county elections and voter fatigue.
“The increased November election campaign cost for a candidate prevents self-funded campaigns to ensure that you are hearing the candidate’s message rather than the message of $1,000 campaign donors,” Wells says on his website. But he also supports a referendum to allow voters to decide.
And Miro is certainly not going to be super friendly. She was on the city’s planning and zoning committee, until Anderson, who appointed her, removed her for “lack of attendance.” Coincidentally, it was after Lago blasted Miro in a series of text messages for voting against his interests in the naming of a new committee member so he could stack the board. So, while there’s a whisper campaign that Lago is hedging his bets with silent support to Miro, or that she herself is a plantidate, that seems far fetched.
Read related: Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago blasted Claudia Miro via text after P&Z vote
She swears she is independent and not aligned with any of the commissioners on the dais. She told Political Cortadito that she hopes that independence from either camp sets her apart.
There are definitely two slates. The very intentional slate of Lago, Anderson and Lara, and the defacto slate, through endorsements and associations, of Menendez, architect Felix Pardo against Anderson, and Tom Wells in this race. Miro says she’s nobody’s darling, but she did get the endorsement from the Miami Herald, which said the candidate “demonstrated a grasp of the big picture but also displayed granular knowledge of the city’s issues.”
In addition to the city’s P&Z board, Miro has also served on the Miami Herald Community Advisory and the Miami-Dade County Interfaith Board. She also boasts a strong background in public policy and communications, a master’s degree in public administration and her experience working with other cities and lobbying in Tallahassee.
“I’m actually doing the job,” Miro told Political Cortadito. “I’m the only one of the candidates who can draw upon work experience and education from the dais.”
Miro, who is officially vice president of business development at Freebee, an on-demand micro transit service, has the same baggage as she did four years ago, namely that she once worked with former Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff. But this time, she has a secret weapon of sorts: Her campaign manager is Tania Cruz Gimenez, a relentless workaholic who also ran in that same 2021 race and last year helped newly-elected Miami-Dade Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz win that historic race.
Wells is the wild card. Let’s just face it. It’s a name thing. Both Miro and Lara end in vowels and that still resonates in the Gables, especially “Old Gables,” which tends to be a large voting chunk. Wells does have the support of the active Coral Gables Neighborhood Association — which helped elect Commissioners Melissa Castro and Ariel Fernandez in 2023 — and also the Coral Gables Democratic Club, which has done canvassing for him in North Gables.
But Wells has pointed out that he is not their guaranteed vote, either. He has spoken at city commission meetings against issues that the two and Menendez, as a majority voting bloc, have supported. One good example is the hiring of the new city manager, in which Wells wanted to have a search and a selection committee. He was also against the firing of former City Manager Peter Iglesias because of the $105,000 paid in severance and is against “wasting” $2.6 million on Lago’s proposed mobility hub.
He’s been to the city commission 14 times in the last 18 months and has advocated for Birdie’s Bistro, Fritz and Frantz and more pickleball courts.
He is also self-funding his campaign, paying for signs, events and a postcard as needed, out of pocket. As of March 25, Wells had spent about $16,500 of his own money, according to the campaign finance reports  filed with the city. Wells says that ensures that he is not beholden to anybody. Miro says it puts Wells on par with Lara, who is not self funding but has a fat $129,280 in his campaign account since March of last year. Almost half of Lara’s 269 individual contributors are from outside Coral Gables and many of his donors — lobbyists and development interests — mirror Lago’s.
Read related: Town hall on tiny tax cut in Coral Gables shows residents don’t want it
“Both my opponents have mansions on Coral Way,” Miro told Ladra. “It makes it seem as if in order to run for office in this town, you have to be rich and have $20,000 in disposable income. The hardest part of running for office is doing the fundraising and seeing who is willing to stand behind you.”
Miro has raised more than $35,000 just since January for her campaign bank account, but a whopping 49 of the 62 individual contributions come from outside the Gables. Those people can stand behind her, but they can’t vote for her. And voters won’t know how much she raised in her political action committee, Your Voice, Your Gables, until after the election.
Also among her contributors, Sarnoff and attorney Mason Pertnoy, who has represented both Lago and Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo.
Wells says he is self funding because he is committed to the city. “I care about this because it’s my money,” Wells told Political Cortadito.
He also says that Miro has a conflict of interest in that city has a contract with Freebee for its services.
None of the employee unions have endorsed anybody in this race, but they are all pretty much ABL — Anybody But Lara. Because even they know it would be good for everyone if the election were really just between Wells and Miro.
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