Miami-Dade Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera officially resigned his county seat Monday and was then sworn in as the U.S.’s new ambassador to Panama in a packed commission chambers. The next day, Commission Chair Anthony Rodriguez announced the creation of a web portal for residents of District 6 to express intros and submit the necessary documentation to be considered as a potential appointment, which means he could be leaning toward that route rather than having a special election (more on that later).
The Miami-born Cabrera — a Florida International University graduate — thanked his family, friends, the employees of Miami-Dade, his District 6 team and his colleagues for their support, partnership and encouragement since he was elected in 2022. The chambers was packed.
“It’s not even a budget meeting,” Cabrera said as he took the podium right after he was sworn in by Florida Supreme Court Justice John Couriel, where he swore to defend the constitution of the United States. “I’m not sure if you’re here because you like me or because you can’t wait for me to leave,” he joked.
It was probably a little of both.
Cabrera, who served as Florida state director for both the Republican National Committee and the Trump campaign in 2020, thanked President Donald Trump and Congress for their trust and said he was committed to the president’s “purpose of restoring strength, respect and purpose to America’s role on the world stage.” He also said he would guided by the question Secretary of State Marco Rubio has as a criteria on foreign policy: “Does this policy make America safer, stronger and more prosperous?”
Read related: Kevin Cabrera tapped as Panama ambassador; so who will replace him?
“That’s a question that will guide me daily,” Cabrera said. “I also carry with me the values I upheld during my time in local government — accessibility, accountability and a focus on getting things done. Those values were not just talking points. They were the foundation  of our work.”
He mentioned some of the things he was proud of — opening district offices and establishing mobile office hours, resurfacing streets, traffic calming measures, securing millions to combat crime, modernizing traffic signals and more — since he was elected in 2022.
‘Though I may be serving abroad, Miami-Dade County will always be home,” Cabrera said, before the crowd erupted in cheers and applause as he walked over and hugged his mom.
Rodriguez, who introduced him, said the diplomatic appointment “of one of our own to such a vital position is a point of pride for our entire community” and lauded Cabrera, his friend, for what he had accomplished in such a short time.
“Serving others is his calling. He listens, sometimes,” Rodriguez said to laughter. “He has earned this moment through years of tireless dedication and I have every confidence he will approach this next chapter with the same integrity and strength that brought him here to this county commission.
“A lifelong public servant, a thoughtful leader and a true bridge builder, Kevin brings not only deep experience to this role, but also a genuine commitment to diplomacy,  rooted in respect, partnership and purpose,” Rodriguez added.
Read related: Who has the best hair? Miami-Dade’s Anthony Rodriguez or Kevin Cabrera
The U.S. Senate confirmed the appointment of Cabrera — made in December when Trump praised Cabrera’s service regional experience. “Few understand Latin American politics as well as Kevin,” — last week.
Nine days earlier, Cabrera had time to cut the ribbon on the newly enhanced Brothers to the Rescue Memorial Park at 2420 SW 72nd Ave., which is one of the region’s most popular recreational spaces for baseball and softball, with new ADA-compliant bleachers and walkways, updated fountains and new lights and security fencing, among other enhancements. It was named in honor of individuals who risked their lives — and four of them were shot down and killed over international waters by the Cuban government in 1996 — to help Cuban-American rafters survive the crossing of the Florida Straits.
Cabrera, who was born to Cuban exiles, pitched a ball right over home plate to the delight of what looks like hundreds of kids on a county video posted on Facebook.

“I’m excited to be here at Brothers to the Rescue Park in District 6, one of the few baseball parks in Miami-Dade,” he said, thanking staff for their work and crediting residents and the baseball league associations for bringing him concerns.
“And here you see government in action.”
Wait a minute. Doesn’t he have to pack? What does one pack to go to Panama to be the U.S. Ambassador, anyway?
“Guayaberas and suits,” Cabrera, who is leaving at the end of the month, texted Ladra after telling her that he couldn’t do interviews without coordinating through the embassy. Oooh, lah, lah.
Read related: Does Miami need another airport? Commissioner Kevin Cabrera asks
Cabrera has also gotten a ton of congratulations he has to answer with digital thank you notes. Or his mom will get pissed.
“Congratulations to my dear friend @KMCabreraFL on being confirmed as the U.S. Ambassador to Panama,” Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart exclaimed on his social media. “Kevin is a true patriot and dedicated public servant committed the cause of freedom in our region, and with a clear understanding of putting America’s interests first.
“The United States and Panama share a strong, strategic partnership rooted in democratic values. As a key player in combatting mass migration, narcotrafficking, and authoritarian regimes, Panama is vital to regional stability. There is no one better suited to advance our national security interests and strengthen this critical alliance.”
It’s interesting that nobody — not Rodriguez, not Cabrera, not Diaz-Balart — said anything about taking over the Panama Canal.
It was also missing from Cabrera’s online video message, which was also posted last week.
“Serving as your Miami-Dade Commissioner has been the honor of a lifetime. I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish together because every project, every initiate and every step we took was about one thing serving you the people of Miami-Dade County,” Cabrera said in the recorded video.
“We prioritized the safety of or streets and neighborhoods, installing traffic calming devices and lowering the speed limit to 25 mph indoor neighborhoods and your parks, while resurfacing over 60 miles of roadway and repairing countless potholes,” he said. “As chair of the Miami International Airport committee, we’ve made investments of $9 billion to modernize our airport. These upgrades will improve infatsructiure elevate the travel experience and help ensure our airport remains a world class gateway for this region.
“And through it all we’ve stayed close to the people, solving thousands of constituent services and hosting mobile office hours and town halls bringing our government directly to you.
“Now, as I prepare to serve our ratio as the us ambassador to Panama, I will carry with me these values that guided us every step of this journey — accessibility, accountability and results,” Cabrera said. “Miami-Dade County wil alwasmys be home.
“It’s been an incredible journey. Our work made a difference, and that’s something I’ll always carry with me.”
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The Miami-Dade Commission on Tuesday will consider purchasing a warehouse property on Northwest 25th Street for $17 million in order to provide future parking and/or a staging area for future construction at Miami International Airport.
The seller has already provided the four tenants at the property — including a luxury car rental business — with a notice of termination of their leases and will reportedly pay for the demolition of existing buildings within six months of purchase, according to a county memo prepared by Chief Operating Officer Jimmy Morales.
“The Property is east of MIA and is intended to be utilized by the Aviation Department for any compatible land use such as parking, or as a lay down yard (i.e., construction staging area), which is a designated area where materials and equipment can be stored and used in connection with a construction project, ensuring the project begins on time and managed more efficiently,” Morales says in his memo, adding that the zoning (industrial-heavy manufacturing) allows for the proposed uses, “including surface and/or structured parking.”
Miami-Dade Aviation has several big projects in the pipeline, including the $400 million cargo facility and the $270 million redesign of the Central Terminal — the first $40 million phase of which coming — and there is already limited space on the airport campus to stage the construction.
Read related: Miami-Dade could give design of $270 mil MIA project without a second look
“The acquisition of this Property will allow the Miami-Dade Aviation Department to utilize the land for parking or as a construction staging area to better organize and facilitate the implementation of its capital improvement portfolio. The Property could also be used for any compatible land use that meets MIA’s demand for global air travel and air freight cargo or for operational purposes,” Morales wrote.
Two state-certifieid appraisers provided appraisals of the property came in at $17 million and $17.2 million, but Miami-Dade Property Appraiser records show that the three parcels at 3901 and 3975 Northwest 25th Street and 3900 Northwest 26th Street, have a combined market value of $11.9 million. The larger parcel has a market value of $10.5 million and the two smaller parcels, which are now used for surface parking, are a combined $1.4 million.

It wouldn’t be the first time the county (read: taxpayers) pay a higher value for a property. Recently, the commission voted to purchase the La Quinta Hotel on U.S. 1 to use as housing for senior homeless, paying $14 million, or $4 million over the appraised value. Commissioners Daniella Cohen Higgins and Rene Garcia voted against it.
The seller of these three parcels has disclosed that there is some contamination on the 150,000 square foot property, Morales said. An initial report by the Miami-Dade Aviation Department’s civil environment engineering division reported no immediate areas of concern, based on the proposed uses. But the county can conduct a more thorough environmental study, he added.
In the memo, Morales says the company is based in Delaware — which is always a red flag — but Florida Department of Corporation records show it is based in Denver, with an address at a co-working, shared office space. MIA at 25th Street is apparently a partner company with Prologis, the largest industrial property owner in South Florida, which is listed as one of the tenants at the Denver address.
District 6 Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera proposed the item on the agenda. Several attempts to reach him Monday were unsuccessful.
 
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The most interesting thing that happened at the Miami-Dade County Commission meeting Tuesday — besides a little fight over a tiny parcel of vacant land in Palmetto Bay (more on that later) — was the debate over who has the better head of hair: Vice Chairman Anthony Rodriguez or Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera.

“The guy who buys gel by the ton is talking about the guy who buys hair dye by the ton,” said Chairman Oliver Gilbert, about Cabrera and Rodriguez, respectively.

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The Miami-Dade Commission talked about garbage this week. Not the usual garbage. Real garbage.

Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has suggested a $36 annual garbage fee increase — or $3 a month — as part of her 2023-2024 $11.6 billion budget. To keep the current $509 annual fee would mean a cut in services, she said. But county commissioners, who approved her tiny. fake tax cut — a millage decrease that doesn’t actually cut anyone’s taxes — balked and deferred making any decision until Sept. 6.

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All five new county commissioners were sworn in at separate ceremonies Tuesday after winning their elections Nov. 8 or in the August primary.

Miami-Dade Commissioner Anthony Rodriguez didn’t have to go to a runoff after getting 56% against three other candidates in the District 10 race to replace termed-out Javier Souto. The former state rep (Republican, District 118, Westchester) had State Rep. and future Speaker Daniel Perez (Republican, District 116, Kendall) swear him in.

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Marleine Bastien and Kevin Marino Cabrera won their respective races

The last two new Miami-Dade Commissioners to be elected Tuesday couldn’t be farther apart on the political spectrum.

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