Their vote to change election year is illegal, he says
What is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis waiting for?
Last week, DeSantis said that he could suspend the Miami city commissioners who voted to move the election from odd years to even, effectively cancelling this November’s mayoral and commission races, and giving themselves an extra year in office. This, even though State Attorney General James Uthmeier had warned they could not do that without first going to voters.
Three commissioners voted last month to move the elections to coincide with midterm and national cycles to (1) save at least $200,000 a year and (2) increase turnout quite a bit. At least that’s what they say. The move gives Mayor Francis Suarez and Commissioner Joe Carollo, who were termed out this year, another 12 months in office. As if term limits were mere suggestions. It also gives Commissioner Christine King, who was up for re-election this year, another year before she has to campaign.
Carollo, who has threatened to run for mayor this year, voted against it. But even a broken clock is right twice a day. So did Commissioner Miguel Gabela. And these two rarely agree on anything.
Read related: Miami Commissioners pass election date change — and steal an extra year
King and commissioners Damian Pardo and Ralph Rosado voted for the change. They would be the ones eligible for suspension, if DeSantis makes good on his threat.
“The reality is local governments have to abide by Florida law,” the governor told CBS4 News Miami. “Could it come to the point where commissioners can get suspended? The law does provide me that as one of many recourses.”
Well, tick, tock, Ron.
Apparently, the “law and order” governor suddenly remembered the Florida Constitution exists after the public outrage reached DEFCON 3. Ladra can’t help but wonder what political pressure he’s getting. Because it’s not like he didn’t know this was coming. Back in April, the governor said he was “highly skeptical” of the proposal to change the election — which, in Tallahassee-speak, is what you say when you know it’s wrong but don’t want to get your boots dirty just yet.
Why didn’t he act then? Why wait until the ordinance passed? Hmmm. Could he have been waiting for the veto deadline to pass before so he could include Suarez in the suspensions? After all, by signing the legislation, Suarez has endorsed or, effectively, voted for it. And DeSantis is not a fan of Baby X. Not because they were both vying for the presidential nomination — Suarez was just posing — but because the Miami mayor once boasted he voted for Andrew Gillum.
But Suarez didn’t veto the ordinance. And his suspension sounds like a good idea — until you realize that could leave Joe Carollo, the vice chair of the commission, free to appoint all the replacements all by himself. Shudder.
So why has the state not taken any legal action? After all, it is another available recourse.
In fact, the only one who has sued so far is former City Manager Emilio Gonzalez, one of 10 announced mayoral candidates, who has asked the court to weigh in on the ordinance’s constitutionality. His lead attorney is none other than former Florida Supreme Court Justice Alan Lawson — so, you know, not some guy with a fax machine. “The City of Miami Commissioners unconstitutionally bypassed the democratic will of the people in a way that the Florida Constitution, the Miami-Dade Charter, and the City’s Charter expressly prohibit,” Lawson wrote in the complaint.
Read related: First lawsuit filed to stop city of Miami from cancelling November election
Translation: This isn’t just shady and self-dealing, it’s illegal. And it’s especially offensive in a community like Miami, where many voters have been stripped of their ballot box power before. In the lawsuit, Lawson compares Miami to lawless governments in Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua. The city’s attorneys took issue with that in their motion to dismiss.
“As for inflammatory hyperbole and political rhetoric, the complaint references ‘regimes’ like ‘Venezuela, Nicaragua, Bolivia, or Cuba’ to argue the City lacks a legal basis to move the date of elections by ordinance. What purpose does this serve? As far as the City can tell, none — except to distract from the weakness of plaintiff’s legal theories,” wrote Assistant City Attorney Eric Eves.
But even AG Uthmeier made the connection in a social media post: “Home to thousands of patriotic Cuban Americans who know better than most about regimes that cavalierly delay elections and prolong their terms in power, the City of Miami owes to its citizens what the law requires.”
Only in Miami, when politicos aren’t out screaming “comunista” at each other, they’re scrapping elections.
There’s a hearing on the Gonzalez lawsuit and the city’s motion to dismiss next week (July 16). Meanwhile, there are 10 mayoral candidates and eight commissioner wannabes in limbo. Should they be knocking on doors? Should they be binging on Netflix?
DeSantis can end all this nonsense with a flick of the wrist. Then Miami voters can have an election in November for the mayor and four commissioners.
The post Tick, tock, Guv: Ron DeSantis threatens to suspend Miami commissioners appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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Expect lawsuits and challenges to follow term extension
Most people think that moving the city elections in Miami from odd to even years, to coincide with the midterm and general election, is a good idea to both save more than $1 million a year and, more importantly, boost turnout from the low two-digits to more than 65% or 70%.
But there is a better way of doing it than what happened Thursday, when three commissioners voted to cancel this November’s election for mayor and commissioner in dictricts 3 and 5 and move it to 2026 — and, effectively, give themselves an extra year in office. Which, by the way, could be a violation of the city’s own charter and Miami-Dade county’s ethics laws, which prohibit electeds from voting for anything that benefits themselves — like an extra year in office and the salaries and benefits that provides.
They each just voted to give themselves an extra $100,000 or so. Ladra smells a Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust investigation.
Read related: Miami Commissioners pass election date change — and steal an extra year
Expect lawsuits and injunctions to stop the ordinance from taking place. The Florida Attorney General had said earlier in the week that the state would not stand by and allow this without going to a public vote. AG James Uthmeier‘s office has not returned calls for reaction to Thursday’s vote. Probably too busy planning and boasting about Alligator Alcatraz (more on that later). Other candidates have also said they were preparing to take legal action.
But if this stands, voters will have just elected Ralph Rosado, who voted in favor of the change, to a five-year term. Chairwoman Christine King, who also voted for the change — surprisingly, since as a lawyer she usually likes to avoid legal challenges — won’t have to run for re-election until next year. And Commissioner Joe Carollo, who voted against it, is not termed out this year, but next year. The first terms for Commissioners Miguel Gabela, who voted against it, and Damian Pardo, who sponsored this ordinance and was the third vote in favor, would be five years long as their re-elections are moved from 2027 to 2028.
Which brings up another point, this change flies in the face of the decision that voters did make in 2012 to limit terms to a total of eight years. With this change, every single one of the commissioners up there, whether they voted for it or not, could get nine.
Or would they be barred from running again after serving the first five years?
Expect at least one of the legal challenges to be based on that.
Which leads us to the better way: Rob Piper, the leader of the 2020 recall effort against Carollo who is, or was, running for commission in District 3, said Thursday during public comments that he would be willing to shorten his term by a year if voters passed the change on the ballot. “But cancelling the election is undemocratic,” Piper said.
Former Commissioner Ken Russell, who is, or was, running for mayor told Political Cortadito that he would, also, take a year off his term if voters approved it beforehand. The petitions circulated by Stronger Miami include a change in election year taken to voters and starting in 2028. “If voters say yes, they understand that means truncating the terms,” Russell said.
Former City Manager Emilio Gonzalez, who has also filed papers to run for the mayor’s seat, has publicly said he would be willing to serve a shorter term if it was the voters’ wish. In a text, former Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla said he would be “good with anything the people decide.” Keyword: People.
Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins, who has also filed to run for mayor this year, said she, too, would take a year hit.
“Every resident deserves a voice in shaping our future, and that starts with fair elections and transparent leadership,” Higgins said in a statement provided to Political Cortadito. “That’s why I would support reducing the new Mayor’s term by one year and moving the election to 2028 to achieve optimal voter participation.
“As Mayor, I will propose this within my first 30 days in office, to let voters – not politicians – make the decision at the ballot box in 2026. I’m ready to cut through the dysfunction and build a safer, more affordable, and responsive Miami.”
That’s really the only way to do this without disenfranchising voters. Nobody elected Carollo or Pardo or Rosado or King or Gabela to serve a five year term. If they put the change on the ballot, with the change taking place in 2028, voters could be informed that anybody elected in 2025 or 2027 would have truncated terms. That sounds infinitely more fair and appropriate.
So why not do that? Pardo has said that he had to hurry because the appetite to make this change was now, not later. But that’s without even taking it to a public vote, That’s not a good enough reason. Does he just not want to shorten his own term by a year? Because if he were re-elected in 2027, and they went this way instead, his term would end in 2030.
Others say that Pardo wants to run for mayor himself next year.
Either Pardo or Rosado or King — one of the three who voted for this monstrosity — should bring it back for reconsideration and vote against it so that this much more equitable and reasonable model can be taken.
Read related: Miami election change to 2026, term extensions hinge on Christine King
This is not Haiti or Venezuela.
Stronger Miami, the newly-formed coalition of residents and community-based organizations collecting petitions on the change in election, as well as expanding the commission to nine districts and putting fair districting into the city code, issued a statement calling this vote an example of “backroom politics” and political manipulaiton.
“Extending elected officials’ terms without voter approval is not reform—it’s disenfranchisement, plain and simple,” the statement reads.
“We are especially concerned by this decision’s apparent intent to benefit term-limited politicians under the guise of administrative efficiency. Democracy is not an inconvenience. Elections are not optional. The people of Miami deserve a voice in shaping their future—not to be sidelined by those in power.
“This vote underscores the urgent need for Stronger Miami’s proposed charter amendment, which offers a clear, community-led path to genuine reform. We will continue to mobilize, organize, and advocate until every Miamian’s vote—not just those with political connections— is protected and respected.”
 
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Lifetime term limits moved forward to November ballot
There will still be an election in the city of Miami this year — but it might be for a charter amendment, not for candidates.
Miami commissioners on Tuesday took the first step toward moving city elections from odd to even years, which extends everybody’s terms by 12 months, including Mayor Francis Suarez (who worked behind the scenes to make this happen) and Commissioner Joe Carollo, who were both termed out this year and has been threatening to run for mayor. Elections for mayor and two commission seats scheduled for Nov. 3 could be moved to Nov. 4, 2026, if the ordinance passes on second reading later this month.
Maybe.
Ladra expects a bunch of lawsuits. Not just from Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who said in an opinion issued last week that any such change would first need to go to a public for approval. Candidates who have already been campaigning this year — including former Commissioner Ken Russell, former City Manager Emilio Gonzalez and perennial candidate Michael Hepburn — might also take the city to court over this. Is the city disenfranchising voters?
Carollo, who has been threatening to run for mayor this year, voted against it. So did Commissioner Miguel Gabela, who got into it with Carollo later in the meeting on the Bayfront Park Management Trust (more on that later).
Read related: Miami commissioners Damian Pardo and Ralph Rosado have private lunch
Commissioner Damian Pardo, who sponsored the measure (and had a very good day), Ralph Rosado, who was elected earlier this month to fill the seat vacated by the late Manolo Reyes., and Chairwoman Christine King, after she talked for several minutes against the measure, voted in favor. King said she was just moving it along to second reading. That means that people need to reach out to her before June 26 and convince her to switch her vote and remove her support for this power grab.
Rosado was the swing vote, as everyone expected. But he swung the other way, voting opposite of his benefactor, Commissioner Carollo, who ran and funded Rosado’s campaign, pouring hundreds of thousands into it from his political action committee.
So much for the Reyes legacy that Rosado promised to continue. Manolo would never have voted to give himself an extra year.
Rosado was also the swing vote on the lifetime term limits (again, against Carollo’s “no” vote) that are absolutely part of the election year change, no matter how many times Pardo denies it on the dais. He did tell Ladra earlier that one was “instructive” to the other. What does that mean? Basically, that the election year change — perhaps a positive change for increased turnout that other cities are also making — was only proposed right now to make the lifetime term limits stick. Current term limits allow term-limited electeds to run again after a break from office. If voters pass lifetime term limits in November — which would prohibit former electeds who served two terms from running for the same seat — it would make a mess if they also elected former Commissioner Frank Carollo, who has filed to run in District 3 and brother Joe to the mayor’s seat.
Read related: Miami commission to talk term limits, election date, DDA, Watson Island…
The change in election year will avoid, allegedly, any legal challenges that may come from having lifetime term limits on the same ballot as former or current electeds that would suddenly become ineligible because of that amendment. Even if the change in election year practically guarantees a legal challenge in its own right. It’s a ‘means justifies the ends’ kind of thing.
People spoke both in favor and against the change, citing “dynasty” politics that have reigned in Miami for decades.
Some speakers said that it was worth the “sacrifice” of an extra year of Joe to “get rid of him” forever. His threat to run for mayor is the fear driving most people who support the move is that Carollo would run for mayor this year and win among the current clown car of candidates. While Ladra believes that’s not as much a done deal as they think, it is not “worth the risk,” they say, of another four or eight years of Carollos — because former Commissioner Frank Carollo is running again in District 3.
Among the supporters, was journalist Michael Putney, an Aventura resident who endorsed Pardo and also posted a video for him in favor of the “common sense” change. “Eight years is enough,” he said, citing what he said was “pathetic turnout.”
Joe Carollo said it should be called the Carollo amendment because it targeted him and his brother. “You know very well that you can’t find a candidate who can beat Frank,” Carollo said. “That’s why you want to knock him out.”
Pardo, who lobbied hard for the change, invited other “advocates” to come to the meeting and has even provided them with talking points for both the election year change and the lifetime term limits. So if the public comments sound similar and rehearsed, that’s why. His political action committee paid for a poll that he says shows widespread support. But it was his own PAC doing the poll, not an independent party.
Read related: Miami lifetime term limits, election year change intertwined, like bait & switch
Pardo posted videos on social media, including a clip from a Telemundo interview with former Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas, basically giving both items on the agenda a thumbs up, and another video of iconic restauranteur Monty Trainer, who must be 120 years old, supporting both measures as well.
But every single comment on that Instagram post is against the change. “This is quite crazy,” says one. “This is so wrong,” says another. “Shameful. Should be sent to the voters. You keep pushing this like you are giving us a choice,” wrote Donald G.
“Moving the elections is all well and good if it’s approved by residents in a referendum. Elected officials voting to give themselves more time in office is not democracy,” said someone under the handle MannyFernandez04.
But Ladra likes Jessica Johnson‘s (at doubleagentjj) comment the best: “Damian, the pesky thing about the democratic process is: it’s tedious and due process matters above all. You seem to be falling into a power grab trap. How many authoritarian dictators said they were dictating in the name of democracy and upholding democracy? All of them.”
There were some public speakers Tuesday who said it was just not worth another year of Carollo and Suarez and that they would support the move another time, after Carollo and Suarez are already termed out. Pardo’s sponsored sister legislation to adopt lifetime term limits — which would make anyone who served two terms as mayor or two terms as commissioner ineligible for that same seat ever again — would be retroactive, which is something that was already challenged in Miami Beach and upheld by the courts. So it would still count against Carollo in the future.
Fernand Amandi, a Democrat strategist who lives in District 2 and has otherwise supported Pardo’s items, said it was “indefensible,” and that “this sacred decision” had to be made by voters.
“I find myself in the unfamiliar position today where I wholeheartedly agree with Governor DeSantis and Attorney General Uthmeier, and even Commissioner Joe Carollo,” Amandi said, and it did sound weird. Amandi said he would likely vote for Pardo again for another four years. “But not nine years.”
Carollo joked about it. “My wife’s gonna think you have a man crush on me,” he quipped.
Activist Denise Galvez Turros, a public relations specialist and former candidate who has filed to run again — in the same seat as Frank Carollo — asked the commission and Pardo to trust the voters to reject the Carollos. And if they don’t?
“So be it.”
She said that she knew, from walking her district, that people did not want to cancel the election.
“I trust the people of this city,” Galvez Turros told Ladra before the meeting. “They’re awake, immured and ready to speak through their vote this November.
“We don’t need backroom deals,” she said. “We need election. We need democracy.”
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… Bayfront Trust, affordable housing, traffic calming
The Miami Commission agenda for Tuesday’s meeting is 123 pages long and has almost 90 items — and that’s counting the 14 consent agenda items as one. There are 17 public hearings, 25 proposed resolutions, four ordinances on first reading, three ordinances on second reading, an emergency ordinance on “aggressive panhandling,” eight discussion items, 15 planning and zoning items and 15 items under “board and committees” that are mostly appointments that never get made.
Take out the board appointments and that’s still a whopping 74 items.
Some of these are pretty important and expected to draw a large crowd of opponents, usually, or supporters, rarely, in what’s going to be a spillover turnout. Bring a folding chair. The commission is slated to vote on the proposals by Commissioner Damian Pardo to take lifetime term limits to the voters and change the election year to 2026, extending everyone’s terms by a year. Both these things are expected to have dozens of speakers and lengthy back and forth on the dais.
Commissioner Joe Carollo, who is known for drawing things out and loving the sound of his own voice, will bloviate for hours.
Read related: Miami lifetime term limits, election year change intertwined, like bait & switch
Commissioner Miguel Gabela has a number of interesting items on the agenda, like the termination of the existing agreement for the audit of the Bayfront Park Management Trust — which was chaired by Carollo, who is accused of misusing the its funds — and the authorization for the Trust to contract with its own external and independent auditor to conduct a forensic audit. And he wants his colleagues to approve the Trust’s $30 million budget.
He also wants the city manager to take “any and all steps necessary” to enter into an interlocal agreement with Miami-Dade or another local governmental entity to refer all “non-criminal complaints” regarding violations of the city code made against sitting elected officials. This is, on paper, in order to avoid any appearance of bias, impartiality, and perceived or real conflicts of interest. But it’s also probably a reaction to Carollo presenting photographs of Gabela’s home at the last commission meeting and questioning if he has violated zoning laws against the number of boats he can have tied to or number of cars he can have parked on his property.
But the best Gabela measure is a resolution to issue a subpoena to William Ortiz, Carollo’s chief of staff, to answer questions about his role in the said “investigation” of Gabela’s use of his properties. The city charter allows the commission to issue subpoenas to witnesses “for the purposes of investigating official acts and conduct of a city official.” Isn’t that what he wants the county to do?
A controversial item on a 287g agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, for city police officers to be deputized and conduct immigration enforcement, “may be deferred,” as it said on the online agenda Monday evening. It sorta has to be deferred now that they said it “may be deferred.” Which is good. Because the 80-some items that are still on the table are going to take the meeting into the wee hours of the morning.
Read related: Miami could join 250 Florida cities with 287g contract to help ICE vs immigrants
There should be a rule against this. Oh, wait. Ladra thinks there is.
According to the city’s municipal code, in Sec. 2-33, the “total number of items that may be scheduled on a regular city commission agenda shall not exceed 60 items,” and “all matters on the consent agenda shall count as one item.”
Is that why they have this meeting identified as a “special meeting?” To get out of that? There’s nothing special about it. It is the same meeting that they cancelled or rescheduled from June 12, because Commissioner Christine King‘s father died and she had to travel for the funeral. So why is it now a “special meeting”?
Ladra expects a lot to be deferred when the agenda is set, before public comments, which means that people who go to speak on a particular item may not be able to speak, and get sent home or back to work after making the time to be there. This happens way too often in the city of Miami — people have complained already at several meetings — and needs to be addressed as an issue.
But that’s probably not gonna happen Tuesday. Because there are other time-suck items that may not be deferred, which include:

A personal appearance by someone at the Miami Downtown Development Authority to “inform the commission and the public about their mission and the work they do.” So a promotional ad for the DDA at a time when some residents are calling for the end of a special tax on residents that funds it — and the budget may grow from $13 million to $21 million next year (!) — or to put it on the November ballot for the public to decide. There’s also a resolution sponsored by Pardo to accept $1.2 million from the DDA to spend on increased policing within its boundaries.
A resolution approving a proposal from Motorola Solutions, after a competitive process, to provide portable smart radios along with related “enablement” and training for $30 million over the next seven years.
A resolution, sponsored by King, authorizing the city manager to execute a no-bid contract for a 99-year lease of city property at 1199 NW 62nd Street to Yaeger Plaza Partners for the development of an affordable renting housing project. It is proposed to have 135 units — studios, one bedroom and two bedroom units — for individuals and families whose income is greater than 22% of Annual Median Income (AMI) but no greater than 80%. There would also be a ground floor of retail and a clinic to provide affordable primary health care for low and moderate income individuals. Last October, the city’s Housing and Commercial Loan Committee approved awarding $3 million in Miami Forever bond funds for the development of the project.
A resolution, sponsored by Carollo, to transfer $2.4 million of Community Development Block Grant funds earmarked for economic development in District 3 in previous years to the Department of Real Estate and Asset Management to purchase six parcels, with a combined market value of almost $8.5 million, according to the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser. Where is the city going to get the other $6 million? Oh, wait, actually it’s another $12 million because the city is proposing to pay $14.5 million in total for all the properties, at Southwest 8th Street and 9th Avenue, are owned by Auyantepuy Investments, which is represented by attorney Barry Simons and has a Doral address that is the same address, and same suite number, for Garam Global Solutions, formed May 19 by Gabriel Rodriguez and Alejandro Machado. Auyán-tepui, which is phonetically practically identical, is the most visited and one of the largest tepuis, or grouping of tabletop mountains or “mesas,” in the Guiana Highlands. In Venezuela.
The transfer, sponsored by Gabela, of $586,000 in CDBG funds allocated in 2020-2021 (why is that still around?) from the housing and community development department to parks and recreation for improvements at Charlie Delucca Park in District 1.
A resolution authorizing the city manager to negotiate the sale of 5.5 acres of city-owned land on Watson Island, next to the Jungle Island theme park, to Ecoresiliency Miami for a cumulative total of at least $135 million and the development of condos, commercial spaces and a public waterfront park. That includes $15 million to the city for affordable housing projects. For this to move forward, it will require a four/fifths vote Tuesday. The final lease agreement would have to be approved by a public referendum vote.
A resolution authorizing, by a four/fifths vote, the five year extension of a concessionaire contract with Eventstar Structures for the provision of tent structures at Miami Marine Stadium Park.
A resolution authorizing the city manager to “expeditiously request” the Miami-Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW) consider proposed traffic flow modifications to 22 locations in the residential neighborhoods of District 1 to ease cut-through traffic and speeding during morning and afternoon rush hour — and exempt the required balloting process for property owners.
A resolution, sponsored by Carollo, authorizing the city manager to “expeditiously request” the Miami-Dade DTPW consider traffic flow modifications at 26 locations in the residential Silver Bluff neighborhood, where a bunch of illegal street closures were ordered re-opened by a judge in 2023 after Miami-Dade sued the city. Again, the move would “waive the required resident concurrence and exempt the balloting process in order to expeditiously proceed with the design and construction of traffic calming devices.”
Not to be left behind, Commissioner King has sponsored an item also authorizing the city manager to “expeditiously request” the Miami-Dade DTPW consider traffic flow modifications at 10 locations in District 5. She also wants to skip the required resident concurrence and exempt the balloting process. Why ask?

There are also some complicated planning and zoning matters having to do with changes in zoning and land use, appeals of denials and at least one amendment to the Miami 21 code having to do with attainable housing and density.
Ladra is tired just reading the agenda.
Take your vitamins. Drink cuban coffee. Bring a snack. The commission meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. at City Hall, 3500 Pan American Drive. It can also be seen live on the city’s website.
The post Miami commission to talk term limits, election date, DDA, Watson Island… appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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Spotted at the Pollo Tropical on 57th Avenue and Northwest 7th Street Wednesday: Miami Commissioners Damian Pardo and Ralph Rosado, who was elected earlier this month to fill the vacant seat in District 4, chatting and bonding over maduros.
Pardo said it was just a chance encounter: Both men stopped for a bite to eat — separately and individually, he said — on the way to the grand opening of the newly-renovated Manolo Reyes Park, which was West End Park before it was renamed to honor the late commissioner, who died in April.
“It was nothing planned. It was totally spontaneous,” said Pardo, who had to be prodded to remember that he even met with Rosado, even though it was four days earlier, the day after Rosado was sworn in at City Hall. “Wednesday? No.” At Pollo Tropical, Ladra asked. “Oh, yes, yes, yes,” he said. It almost seems like he almost got caught lying — same as Rosado during the campaign.
Read related: Ralph Rosado and Joe Carollo beat Jose Regalado in Miami D4 special election
Pardo told Political Cortadito that he was already at the popular fast food restaurant when Rosado walked in. And he invited the new commissioner to join him. Guess it was a bonding opportunity!

“We all just had a quick something and went to the park.”
The park ceremony was to start at 2 p.m. and the lunch was just about 1 p.m. so they talked for almost an hour.  What about? “Nothing to do with any city business, that’s for sure,” Pardo said. “We talked about the park, “it’s hot outside,” “what are you eating?”
Really? It wasn’t plainly obvious what everyone was eating?
They talked about the ceremony they were about to attend. “How long does it take to get done and when can we leave?” That kind of thing, he said.
Still, Commissioner Joe Carollo is going to be hurt when he learns that Rosado, who he helped get elected by pouring hundreds of thousands of dollars from his political action committee into the campaign, le pego los tarros. Carollo doesn’t have a heart to break, but he’s got more ego to make up for it.
And Rosado basically cheated on him with Pardo, who is one of Carollo’s enemies on the dais. Hey, at least it wasn’t Miguel Gabela. That would lead to divorce.
Read related: Miami Commission honors the late Manolo Reyes with park, honorary title
But the real issue here is what they talked about, of course. Because discussing anything on the agenda or that could be voted upon by the commission is a no-no. It’s a violation of Florida’s Government in the Sunshine laws, which provide that all electeds announce their meetings and allow the public to watch and listen if they want to. They’re not supposed to have a private lunch. It looks messy, even if it is just by chance.
For all of Pardo’s talk about small talk, there’s no way to know what they really discussed. And from the photos taken as they were leaving, it looks like it could have been business.
Pardo could have been making his case for the proposals this week to change the election date to 2026 and put lifetime term limits on the ballot. They could have been swapping votes. “You vote for my lifetime term limits and I’ll vote for the street closures in Silver Bluff.”
That’s a Carollo item but it looks like Rosado doesn’t have any items on the agenda for his first meeting and he’s generally considered a yes vote on the street closures pushed by Beba Sardiñas Mann, who was at his election watch party Tuesday.
Again, why invite another commissioner to your table? Why allow even the perception of something shady? Say hi and let him be on his way.
Perhaps they didn’t think anybody who knew them would see them at a Pollo Tropical.
Read related: Miami lifetime term limits, election year change intertwined, like bait & switch
They weren’t the only ones there. Pardo’s chief of staff Anthony Balzebre and his sergeant at arms — an armed police officer who apparently was securing the parking lot as they walked out — were also at the lunch. So, they are witnesses.
This is something that the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust can easily figure out with subpoenas to those two staffers. Ask them what was discussed. Trust, but verify.
It’s especially important because of the timing. Tuesday’s commission meeting has a lot of things on the table. Ladra can’t wait to see how Rosado votes on the lifetime term limits and the election year change and how Pardo votes on the street closures.
The post Miami commissioners Damian Pardo and Ralph Rosado have private lunch appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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Miami City Commissioners could give themselves an extra year in office at their next regularly-scheduled commission meeting. Just like that. All it takes is three votes.
Maybe.
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier says they can’t do it without voter approval first.
“If the City of Miami is to amend its charter, either to move the date of municipal elections or to change the terms of office for elected officials, then the change may only proceed by a vote of the elector,” Uthmeier wrote in an opinion Wednesday (more on that later), which is a response to an inquiry from  the Commissioner Miguel Gabela.
But Commissioner Damian Pardo, the sponsor of the the ordinance to move the next election to November 2026, is not giving up. He is working with the city attorney to figure out some kind of go-around.
“We are in receipt of the Attorney General’s letter regarding our item on the City Commission agenda to change the dates of the City’s election from odd to even years,” Pardo said in a statement. “We have immense respect for the Office of the Attorney General; however, the stated opinion is not a mandatory precedence in the State of Florida and is regarded as persuasive.
“Fortunately, the Third District Court of Appeal, which is mandatory precedence, has issued a ruling which may fully address these issues.”
Fortunately? How invested is he in this change without taking it to voters?
Read related: Miami commissioners could extend terms, gain a year for themselves, mayor
Pardo said that several municipalities across the state have already made the change to even-year elections without going to a vote of the citizens and that the aim is to save millions of dollars over the years and quadruple participation.
“We are confident that this reform is both legal and necessary for the benefit of future generations of Miamian,” Pardo said.
This has been cast as a necessary sacrifice to not only get lifetime term limits for city electeds on the November ballot — to stop professional politicians who have already served two terms from running for that same seat again after a short break — but also to make the term limits stick if they are passed. There is some fear that if someone like, say, former Commissioner Frank Carollo or his big bro Commissioner Joe Carollo are elected this year — in District 3 and the mayor’s race, respectively — they could challenge the charter amendment because it was on the same ballot and, an argument can be made that it would disenfranchise voters to remove the newly again elected individual they put in office.
Pardo is sponsoring both measures — the lifetime term limits and the election year change — and once said they had nothing to do with each other. Now, they are on the same agenda and Pardo says that one explains the other. He says both proposals aim to strengthen voter participation, transparency, accountability and to restore public trust.
“These reforms are about creating a government that works for everyone, not just those already in power or those seeking to return to power,” Pardo said in a statement last week. “We must set clear, enforceable guardrails that invite new voices and ideas. Miami’s residents deserve leadership that reflects its dynamic neighborhoods and evolving priorities.”
Currently, the Miami mayor and commissioners are termed out after two terms, but can run again after sitting just one term. This amendment would make electeds permanently ineligible after two terms. It would apply retroactively, mirrored on term limits in the city of Miami Beach, where it was upheld by the courts when former Commissioner Michael Gongóra wanted to run again for commission in 2021. A judge didn’t allow him, citing a 2014 voter referendum that limits commissioners to two complete terms.
Pardo says that’s a strong legal precedent.
But it’s not a sure thing. Commission Chairwoman Christine King spoke against it when originally introduced in April. She said she doesn’t want to limit voters’ choices, but most observers in the know say she is protecting the future interests of Miami-Dade Commissioner Keon Hardemon, who was a Miami commissioner and could want to return when his eight years gig is up at the county. King did say she might feel differently if the ordinance expanded the limitation to sitting out two terms rather than one. Which perfectly serves Hardemon. And Frank Carollo, too.
When Pardo saw he didn’t have the voters in April, he deferred the item.
According to the notice from Pardo’s office, “The charter amendment would take effect immediately upon voter approval, applying to all candidates in the 2025 election.”
Except Pardo doesn’t want there to be a 2025 election.
The commissioner’s second proposal would move city elections from odd to even years, to coincide with the national and state and county elections. That would effectively cancel the 2025 city election and reschedule them to 2026. The stated goal, same as other municipalities that have made the change, is to save money — about $1 million in this case — and increase voter participation. Turnout at municipal elections hovers in the low double digits. The June 3 special election in District 4 barely got 11%. While elections in odd years see a 65% to 70% turnout.
But in Coral Gables, where the commission recently moved the election from April of odd years to November of even years — for the same reasons, savings and turnout — the commission voted to shorten their terms by five months. They did not extend them.
Read related: Coral Gables changes city elections to November, cuts terms by 5 months
Moving the city of Miami’s election to 2026 would “prevent legal challenges potentially arising from having a term limited candidate win a seat at the same time as the lifetime term limit ballot initiative passes,” Pardo’s press release reads.
But there is no guarantee that the lifetime term limits would pass and already Carollo and Mayor Francis Suarez have formed a political action committee to fight a yes vote.
The change in election year is something the commission can and intends to do without going to a voter referendum for the public’s approval — and would have already happened should the public reject the term limits.
Maybe these two things should be on separate ballots.
They could take it to the people. But they don’t have to. Because, deep down, they don’t care what you think.
The city of Miami commission meets at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at City Hall. The meeting can also be viewed on the city’s website. Click here for the full agenda. It’s a lot.
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