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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Almost one week before the end of the Coral Gables city elections for mayor and two commissioners April 8, and each of the races is looking more like a tight, nail-biting contest that could go either way. The smart money is on runoffs for all three.
Even if fat chance mayoral candidate Michael Abbott, who is suing the city and claims the police violated his rights, only gets 5% of the vote — the people who don’t like incumbent Mayor Vince Lago or just want a change and think that Commissioner Kirk Menendez is not serious enough, so there’s an alternative — there could be a runoff. Some observers who spoke to Ladra say that Menendez — who performed well at the Gables Good Government forum, but was not smart enough to record it — isn’t campaigning hard enough. That he’s counting on the anti-Lago vote to get him over the top. That might not be enough.
He’s killing it at public appearances, by all accounts, but needs to get his message out to more voters.
Meanwhile, “muscle headed” Lago — that’s a term a voter actually used — is “angry all the time,” and boring people with his same ol’, same ol’ schtick about the salaries and the city managers and moving the election to November, blah, blah, blah. These are the three things on which he has failed to lead, frankly. Even his petition drive failed miserably, with thousands of invalid signatures (more on that later). This is his agenda, not the people’s. But no matter what the question is, Lago pivots to one of these things because they are campaign red meat and because it distracts from his arrogant, demeaning behavior, conflicts of interest and public temper tantrums.
Menendez has been direct and far more factual about the salaries, which were raised for the first time in decades to $65,000. Lago didn’t get to hear when Menendez explained it at the GGG event because the mayor left right after he spoke. Maybe Lago’s campaign manager, Jesse Manzano — hanging out in the back of the room “like a stalker” — told him about it afterwards.
Everyone who spoke with Ladra agrees that Lago must have taken a Xanax, or he was given one or two by his handlers, because of how calm and even-headed he was, given several opportunities to fly off his sensitive handle. “It was surreal, unsettling knowing how amped up he’s been,” a voter said.
It’s incredibly sad that nobody recorded it for so many reasons.
Also, none of the 118 people on the Zoom meet-and-greet last week hosted by the Coral Gables Neighbors Association with their chosen candidates asked about the salaries or the changes of city managers. Not one. Because who cares?

The CGNA has endorsed, along with Menendez: Tom Wells, who is running in the commission race to fill Kirk’s seat, and architect Felix Pardo, who is running against Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson, a Lago loyalist who has lost her anti-development base and must count on the Lago vote to win her first re-election. Good luck with that.
In Anderson’s Group 2 race, Laureano Cancio is also running, so he’s the reason there could be a runoff, but he won’t be in it. Not because he’s not a good guy with good ideas. He is. He just doesn’t have the community presence of the other two.
Pardo and Menendez also have the the endorsement from the fire union and the police union. While Wells is getting help from the Coral Gables Democratic Club against Richard Lara, the Republican mayor’s handpicked Seguro Que Yes vote, and FreeBee transit lobbyist Claudia Miro — officially vice president of business development –who once worked with former Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff. Miro has already lost one commission race, to Anderson in 2021.
Interestingly, her campaign manager is Tania Cruz Gimenez, 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 being helped by the Coral Gables Democratic Club. Members had volunteered to canvass for Wells in North Gables Sunday afternoon.
Ladra suspects that Miro, who has the Miami Herald endorsement, is going to be in the runoff, the question is with who.
So, it’s very possible that the April 8 election is just practice for the real thing, which would then be April 22. But the first round of early voting is from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, this weekend.
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Two more people have said they will run for office in Coral Gables’ April election. Both have been candidates before: Architect Felix Pardo, who lost a commission race in 2005, and Freebee lobbyist Claudia Miro, who lost one in 2021.
In what’s become a new tradition, Pardo — a longtime Coral Gables activist and architect — announced at Tuesday’s commission meeting that he was running for office. He didn’t say which office and hasn’t filed any paperwork available on the city’s website as of Friday, but sources told Political Cortadito that he is going to run against Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson.
Pardo, who lost a 2005 commission race 56% to 44% to former commissioner Maria Anderson (no relation that we know of), spoke during public comments about the City Hall renovations after he toured the building and saw the cracks and shoring himself. “I am here out a a sense of great urgency,” he said, adding that he “personally observed structural issues throughout the building from the ground floor to the third floor.
Read related: Two more candidates file for Coral Gables commission race in April
“The most troubling factor is that over these many years, we have been prioritizing things like the mobility hub and a building that shouldn’t have been purchased by the city,” said Pardo, who is Commissioner Ariel Fernandez‘s appointment to the charter review board and the planning and zoning board.
“I am very concerned what the next 40 years are going to look like and I have no choice but to say that I’m going to run for public office,” he ended.
Miro, lost in a crowded race for an open commission seat in 2021 that also included candidates like Tania Cruz Gimenez, daughter-in-law of the congressman, and Jose Valdes-Fauli, brother of the former Gables mayor. Rhonda Anderson eventually won the race in a runoff against Valdes-Fauli.
This time, the 20-year Gables resident is running in the open seat left vacant by Commissioner Kirk Menendez‘s move to challenge Mayor Vince Lago. Attorneys Richard Lara and Tom Wells have also filed to run for that seat.

“Miro brings decades of experience, a steadfast commitment to residents, and a vision to preserve and enhance the unique character of the City Beautiful,” reads a press release sent Saturday morning. 
She has remained engaged in city issues, serving on the planning and zoning board until she was booted for voting on an item against the wishes of Lago, who blasted her in a series of text messages for her vote.
Read related: Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago blasted Claudia Miro via text after P&Z vote
Miro is vice president of business development and government affairs for Freebee, a micro-transit company providing free, on-demand door-to-door service in some cities paid for by government funding. She previously has worked for Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, for the Florida Attorney General (2012-2014), for the city of Sweetwater, for the county and for the Republican Party of Florida. Her press release says she is a “passionate advocate for sustainable public transportation” and that her campaign will emphasize “preserving Coral Gables’ green spaces and waterways while ensuring thoughtful planning for the city’s future.” 
“I know many residents know me through my 30 years of steadfast public service and my role on Planning and Zoning,” Miro said in the statement. “I will continue to advocate for what is fair and listen to all sides with care and respect.
“I believe in statesmanship, protocol, and decorum, and I am committed to working collaboratively with my colleagues to always do what is best for the city and its residents.” 
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