Judge seeks legal loophole to let ‘public servant’ off
It was standing room only in Judge Miguel de la O’s courtroom Thursday, and not because people love watching former politicians get sentenced. No, this was a full-fledged cry-in for former Miami-Dade Commissioner Joe Martinez, who was at a sentencing hearing for his conviction last year on public corruption charges he has always maintained were politically motivated.
Martinez, 66, is facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, by state guidelines. The state attorney’s office, feeling generous, has asked for the minimum, which is almost three years. Attorneys for Martinez want a downward departure with no formal conviction and no time behind bars.
The ex commissioner’s family and a parade of supporters — including State Rep. Omar Blanco, Miami-Dade Commissioner Keon Hardemon, former Miami-Dade budget director Jennifer Moon, Kendall activist Michael Rosenberg and numerous police officers (Martinez was a cop before he was an elected) — provided emotional testimony to try keep him out of prison,
And it just might work.
Read related: Joe Martinez suspended hours before final budget hearing; no replacement
Judge de la O did something rarely seen in courtrooms: he openly admitted he didn’t want to send the defendant to prison. But — and it’s a big legal but — he’s not sure he’s allowed to be that soft.
“I am not taking Mr. Martinez into custody,” de la O is quoted as saying in the Miami Herald, practically pleading with attorneys on both sides to help him find a legal off-ramp. “But the fact that I want downward departure doesn’t mean I can. If I can do it legally, I will. I don’t want to send you to prison.”
So, instead of throwing the book, de la O — honored in by The Florida Bar with the William M. Hoeveler Judicial Professionalism Award for his outstanding service, “strength of character, competence, commitment and civility as a jurist, lawyer and public servant” — punted sentencing to Sept. 15, giving both the prosecution and the defense three more weeks an homework: Come up with case law to support or oppose leniency.
Martinez was convicted last November of accepting $15,000 in what prosecutors said was a pay-to-play scheme in which he got paid to write legislation that would allow more refrigerated containers outside a West Kendall supermarket. It was never voted on. But that still counts as a crime because the law is about intent, prosecutors argued, and the jury agreed.
Tears, uniforms, and character witnesses
Martinez didn’t speak at the sentencing, which may have been smart, since the state’s beef is that he still hasn’t shown any remorse. And they don’t like that. He still says he’s innocent of any wrongdoing and is fighting the guilty verdict.
But his wife, his daughter and old police buddies did plenty of talking — and sobbing — for him. Some grown men, like former Doral Police Chief Ricky Gomez, openly wept while describing Martinez as a “collection of good deeds.
“Incarceration will not do anything,” Gomez told the judge.”It’s already ruined his career.”
Blanco also pleaded with the judge for compassion. He later told Ladra that he knew about the hearing and decided to stop out of loyalty. Martinez didn’t ask him to, he said.
Read related: Joe Martinez claims public corruption charge is really a political hatchet job
“The guy was always here for me and my firefighters when we needed him,” said Blanco, who was the president of the Miami-Dade chapter of the International Association of Firefighters. “I just felt like I had to be there as a character witness.”
Blanco talked about Martinez helping the fire department get much-needed life-saving equipment. “When it came to public safety, he understood. He never wavered,” Blanco told Political Cortadito. “My experience with him is that he’s always been about public service.”
The judge basically told the state rep that the legislature tied his hands and challenged him to change that.
Rosenberg, who co-founded the Pets’ Trust initiative and is the longtime president of the Kendall Federation of Homeowner Associations, lightened the mood with his particular municipal-minded humor. Rosenberg — who said the Pets’ Trust referendum “wouldn’t have happened without Joe” — had two suggestions for the judge to consider as sentences: Hundreds of hours of community service with animals, of course, or sentence him to be on the county commission again.
Except that second option might be cruel and unusual punishment.
But the most emotional pleas naturally came from Joe’s wife of 29 years, Ana — who tearily called Martinez her “safe space” and begged the court not to her husband — and his namesake daughter, Joana, who was practically hysterical and had to be comforted by her father. Almost everyone in the courtroom was crying.
“He’s an honest man,” said Joana Martinez, who was on The Voice Season 17 in 2019 and made it to the top 10 live show. “My dad is no threat to the community.”
She also directed herself to her father: “I love you pop.”
From Farm Share hero to convicted felon
Martinez had a long career in law enforcement, starting as a Kendall patrol officer, before becoming a five-term commissioner, including two stints as chair. He was known in West Kendall for hosting movie nights, Farm Share food drives, and Crime Watch meetings. He once ran into a burning building. Another time, he stared down a narco with a gun.
But none of that saved him from the trial, where prosecutors said Martinez was desperate for money in 2016 and 2017 — helping a supermarket owner push friendly legislation in exchange for three $5,000 payments.
Read related: State attorney: Joe Martinez broke our trust for $15,000, help with bank loan
The charges — unlawful compensation and conspiracy to commit unlawful compensation — came in 2022, five months after an Inspector General first raised red flags. Gov. Ron DeSantis suspended him a month later, and the case finally went to trial last fall. After he was convicted, he asked for a new trial and was denied. Now all that’s left is sentencing, which could be 34.5 months or 20 years.
Prosecutors are asking for the minimum. Martinez’s team, led by Ben Kuehne, wants house arrest or probation, arguing that his client’s “unusual and exceptional” life qualifies for mercy.
“He’s convicted. He’s been punished,” Kuehne said. “He’s not getting away with anything.”
But, isn’t he?
A different kind of injustice?
Ladra can’t help but note that ordinary people get jail time for far less. How many other convicted felons get a judge lobbying for leniency on their behalf from the bench?
And let’s be real: If Martinez had stolen diapers or food instead of the public trusts, he’d probably already be in a jumpsuit.
Yes, the tears were real. But so was the corruption.
For now, though, Martinez is still free. His fate hangs on whether a judge can legally do what his heart wants to do — let a powerful man with a track record of “good deeds” walk.
We’ll see in September.
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And the legal costs for outside attorneys add up
Miami wants a do-over. After getting spanked twice in court, the city is begging for a third chance.
Who cares if it just burns more taxpayer money?
The city filed an appeal Wednesday of the second court ruling that says the change in election date from odd- to even-numbered years — which would effectively cancel this November’s mayoral and commission races — was unconstitutional and just can’t be done without a vote of the electorate.
City attorneys have argued that state law allows the commission to change the date of the election with three votes. Just like that. But a three-judge panel at the Third District Court of Appeals unanimously agreed July 31 with a lower court judge who said on July 21 that the city ordinance approved in June violated both the city charter and Miami-Dade Home Rule charter that says municipal charter changes need to go to referendum.
No. Can. Do.
Now, Miami wants the whole Third DCA bench of 14 judges, or a selected new and larger panel, to hear the case. In what looks like a full-blown legal tantrum, the motion filed Wednesday basically begs for a rehearing because, well, the three judges who heard the city’s oral arguments and ruled against them just didn’t get it.
Read related: Third DCA strikes down Miami election change; November ballot is on
It’s more likely, given that there was no dissent on the opinion — and the fact that even the city had originally said it wanted this resolved by August 8 — that the Third DCA will decline to rehear the case. But let’s say they’re bored with the other cases and want to liven up their week?
Commissioner Damian Pardo, who sponsored the ordinance that changed the election date and moved the upcoming election to 2026, hasn’t responded to Ladra’s calls and texts. But in statements and in different interviews, Pardo — who said he just wanted to boost voter turnout and save money by aligning the elections with state and federal elections –– seemed to accept the courts’ final say and announced that he would put the question on the ballot in November, like he shoulda in the first place.
Meanwhile, the outside attorney who signed the motion for the rehearing, is charging the city $750 an hour in this case. A contract shows that Dwayne Robinson was hired on July 25 to handle the appeal of Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Valerie Manno Schurr, who said the city pulled a fast one.
“The City’s contention that its Ordinance did not ‘amend’ its City Charter is nothing more than semantic sleight of hand,” Manno Schurr wrote in her ruling. “In one sense, of course, the City is correct, it did not effectuate a permissible amendment to its Charter because the Florida Constitution and Miami-Dade County Charter do not allow the City to amend or repeal its provisions by ordinance. That can only be accomplished with a vote of the electorate, as the Plaintiff correctly contends.”
Deputy City Attorney Eric Eves, who argued the case before Manno Schurr, didn’t even speak during the DCA arguments. He’s been in time-out ever since.
But if that figure seems low for someone of Robinson’s stature, realize that it’s just for his signature. The whole team gets paid $2,350 an hour when they’re working together. And it is a team effort, that even put on a mock trial, according to Robinson’s LinkedIn post from last week. That’s dedication.
Broken down in the contract: partners Charles Throckmorton and Brandon Sadowsky get $700 and $600 an hour, respectively, and paralegal Farola St. Remy gets $300 an hour.
That’s gonna add up.
So are the costs for former City Manager Emilio Gonzalez, who is running for mayor this year, not next year. Gonzalez is the candidate who took on the city all by himself — other mayoral candidates stood on the sidelines and cheered.
“They either want to run out the clock or bankrupt the campaign,” Gonzalez told Political Cortadito.
Read related: First lawsuit filed to stop city of Miami from cancelling November election
Needless to say, the money spent on the lawsuit is totally worth the amount of free earned media that has suddenly put Gonzalez in frontrunner position. So much so, that a poll by Miami-Dade Commissioner Eileen Higgins has her and Gonzalez in the top two spots (more on that later).
In a statement he released Thursday, Gonzalez didn’t hold back:
 “This is not about legal nuance—it’s about an out of control government trying to steal an  election from the people of Miami. The City’s desperate appeals are a blatant attempt to run out  the clock, hoping to prevent the Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections from preparing a ballot.  This isn’t just irresponsible—it’s reprehensible. It’s a coordinated assault on the democratic  rights of our citizens. 
The right to vote is non-negotiable. There is no constitutional loophole here, and we will win this  case every time because the law and justice stand with Miami’s voters. What’s even more  outrageous is that City Hall is using taxpayer dollars to fund this sham. They’ve already  squandered over $5 million defending a commissioner who abused city resources, and now  they’re considering spending another $1.3 million on legal fees for another commissioner—all  while racking up undisclosed costs to fight a fair election. 
Miami’s voters cannot endure another year of this failed leadership. My administration will break  this cycle of corruption and deliver real results for Miami families. We will pursue an aggressive  affordability agenda, reforming property taxes to protect homeowners and putting families first in  every decision. 
This is corruption in plain sight—a disgraceful misuse of public funds and a direct attack on  democracy. The people of Miami deserve better, and this November, they will have their say, no  matter how many games the City Commission tries to play.”
The city says the court completely overlooked two key decisions that should’ve protected the ordinance — a case in Hialeah where a permissive state law trumped a restrictive city charter and another in Miami Springs where the Supreme Court said a state law allowing higher interest rates on bonds could override a city’s more conservative charter limits. But those were in 1981 an 1971, respectively. Seems that for $2,350 an hour, they should be able to find just one precedent from the last 45 years.
These rulings, Robinson wrote, basically say that when state law gives permission, a city can use its charter to block it. Furthermore it can undermine the Florida legislature’s power and set a dangerous precedent that could block state laws from applying to Miami-Dade cities, he argued.
If only.
Read related: Miami-Dade Judge: Miami Commission can’t cancel election without public vote
So, this isn’t just about elections anymore. It’s about power — who has it, who wants to keep it, who wants to take it, and who’s trying to rebrand “election integrity” as a home rule cage match.
Yes, Miami wants more voter turnout. And yes, they probably also want certain incumbents to benefit from a juiced-up and mostly uninformed electorate in 2026. And 2028. And 2030. And so on. But this case has now become a constitutional battle royale between state authority and local autonomy.
The City may say it’s about saving money and boosting democracy, but the lawsuit is dripping with legal anxiety over who gets to make the rules in Florida’s most unruly county. And every city with a dusty charter and a dream of skipping odd-year elections is watching.
Ladra expects the county attorney’s office, which has argued as a party on the Gonzalez side, to chime in any minute now.
City of Miami Agreement Appeal Legal Counsel by Political Cortadito on Scribd

 
City of Miami Motion for Rehearing at 3rd DCA by Political Cortadito on Scribd

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We already know that Miami-Dade Commission Vice Chairman Kionne L. McGhee is not happy about the mayor’s proposed $12.9 billion 2025-26 budget of service cuts and fee hikes — especially not when the county’s most vulnerable residents are going to pay the price. Especially when the nonprofits brace for extinction while the county still has $46 million earmarked for FIFA World Cup subsidies.
McGhee has already called for the county to claw back the $46 million committed to FIFA World Cup related activities in light of a $402 million budget shortfall that could cause a slash in spending that includes $40 in grants for non-profits.
On Tuesday, McGhee announced an urgent community meeting on the purposed cuts to community organizations, which are a lifeline that fills the gaps the county services can’t get to. What we can call a crisis roundtable will begin at 9:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 8 at Kristi House, 1265 NW 12th Ave., where McGhee aims to bring together leaders from some of the nonprofits whose funding was cut in Mayor Daniella Levine Cava’s austerity plan.
Read related: Facing $400M budget shortfall, Miami-Dade cuts senior meals, lifeguards, more
That budget, as Ladra has already told you, tries to plug a $402 million hole with a nasty combo of service cuts and fee hikes meant to keep property tax rates flat (which still means a small increase due to rising property values). It slashes funding to arts groups, park programs, senior meals and services — and about $40 million in grants for community-based organizations that provide everything from mental health treatment to trauma care for abused children.
And McGhee has had enough.
“Miami-Dade’s nonprofit organizations provide life-saving, transformational services to thousands of residents every single day,” McGhee said in a statement. “I intend to ensure their voices are heard and that we work together to preserve the critical support systems that hold our community together.”
Read related: Buyer’s remorse: Kionne McGhee wants refund on $46M to FIFA World Cup
The commissioner chose Kristi House, a nonprofit that has become a municipal darling in the fight against child abuse and sexual violence, because he wants to emphasize how deep the cuts will hurt. The organization will nearly half a million dollars short because of the county’s budget cuts. Kristi House CEO Amanda Altman didn’t mince words at the public budget town hall Wednesday in Arcola Lakes.
“What am I supposed to tell the 354 children Kristi House will have to turn away this year because the county decided they weren’t worth fighting for,” she asked Levine Cava, according to to a story by the Miami Herald (Doug Hanks has been to all the town halls).
Kristi House
“These proposed cuts threaten to dismantle services that children and families depend on,” Altman said in a statement released by McGhee’s office, which then included, “We’re incredibly grateful to Vice Chairman McGhee for shining a spotlight on this urgent crisis.”
There it is. McGhee isn’t termed out until 2028, but he has been making a lot of public statements lately and it seems he is trying to position himself as a Democrat candidate for Congress or state senate.
But, also, he’s not wrong. This is a crisis that will have untold consequences. And while the mayor defends her cuts and fee hikes at her budget town halls, this week, those meetings have focused more on blaming the constitutional offices than finding a solution.
Like maybe not giving FIFA boosters $46 million.
And while Chairman Anthony Rodriguez is busy fluffing pillows for the DOGE squad and touting “efficiency” and “transparency,” McGhee is fighting for the people who actually need government support. Rodriguez wants to cut budget fat — McGhee wants to stop cutting flesh and bone.
Read related: Anthony Rodriguez rolls out red carpet for state DOGE, calls it ‘collaboration’
If the county can find $46 million for FIFA, it can find $3 million to keep families in their homes. If it can fund fan zones and broadcast infrastructure, it can fund trauma counseling and summer lunches.
This isn’t just a budget crisis. It’s a moral one.
Help Ladra stay on top of the Miami-Dade budget issues, as we head into the public hearings in September, with a contribution to Political Cortadito. Thank you for your support.
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Miami-Dade Commissioner Roberto J. Gonzalez is throwing a party Thursday in West Kendall — but the guest of honor won’t be there. That’s because former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, the man getting a brand-new road named after him, is currently under house arrest in Colombia after getting a 12-year sentence for his alleged role in witness tampering and ties to right-wing paramilitary groups.
But hey, why should that stop a good old-fashioned photo op? The street-naming ceremony will likely be full of waving flags, nostalgic speeches, and the production of carefully cropped photos that don’t include any references to international indictments.
Read related: Gov. Ron DeSantis sends Florida DOGE squad to sniff out Miami-Dade budget
In a press release that conveniently ignores Uribe’s present legal situation, Gonzalez invites the public and the press to the unveiling of “Avenida Colombia” at SW 69th Street and 152nd Avenue, a freshly renamed stretch of asphalt in a heavily Colombian-American part of West Kendall. The ceremony starts at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 7, and promises special guests including Uribe’s son, Tomás Uribe Moreno, and Francisco “Pacho” Santos, a former Colombian VP and close Uribe ally.
“President Uribe dedicated his life to defending Colombia,” the invitation from the District 11 office says, leaving out the messy bits about death squads, wiretaps, and obstruction charges.
Ladra is pretty sure that “defending Colombia” might mean different things to different people. Uribe, who was president of Colombia from 2002 to 2010, is either hailed as a hero who stood up to FARC rebels or condemned as the face of impunity and political violence in a country still reeling from decades of conflict. Maybe both are true.
But one thing is certain: Uribe won’t be cutting the ribbon himself.
Back in Colombia, Uribe, 73, is facing intense legal heat from allegations that he bribed witnesses to discredit accusations linking him to paramilitary groups during his presidency. He’s been a political lightning rod for years, and the case is one of the most high-profile legal sagas in Latin America. Uribe is the country’s first former president to be criminally convicted, but his attorneys have said they will appeal.
Many of Miami-Dade’s Uribe supporters say that the former president is a victim of political “lawfare,” carried out by the left-wing administration of President Gustavo Petro, a former guerrilla fighter, before elections next year in which several of Uribe’s allies are running for office. He is so popular here, that Uribe already has at least two streets named after him.
In 2020, after he was first charged, the county named a stretch of 117th Avenue between Southwest 24th and Southwest 40th streets “Alvaro Uribe Way.” Back then Commissioner Eileen Higgins and former Commissioner Xavier Suarez voted against it. In 2021, a stretch of West 16th Avenue in Hialeah, from 44th Place to 60th Street, was co-designated President Álvaro Uribe Vélez Way 16 del Oeste, desde la calle 44 Place Oeste hasta la calle 60
So while Miami-Dade might be slashing nonprofit funding and cutting park hours to plug a $402 million budget hole, Commissioner Gonzalez has found time to name a street after a controversial foreign president with an active legal file longer than the street itself. Because, priorities.
Ladra gets that this is a nod to the large and passionate Colombian-American population, which are concentrated in his District 11 and in the overlapping congressional District 28 that Gonzalez has been reportedly eyeing as his possible next step. Many of Miami-Dade’s Colombians do still see Uribe as a patriot who brought security and stability back to Colombia.
But maybe, just maybe, Gonzalez could wait until the guy isn’t wearing an ankle bracelet before etching his name into county signage?
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How do you say “Welcome, Big Brother” in budgetese?
Miami-Dade Commission Chairman Anthony Rodriguez put out a press release Wednesday doing his best impression of a grateful hotel concierge, all but fluffing pillows for the DeSantis-appointed DOGE squad as they announce plans to parachute into County Hall with flashlights and subpoenas.
In a glowing statement titled something like “Yay, Oversight!”, Rodriguez offered “full support” to State CFO Blaise Ingoglia and his team as they poke around County books and programs — including, of course, the usual Republican punching bags: green initiatives and DEI efforts.
“We share the same goals — ensuring taxpayer dollars are spent wisely, improving operational transparency, and streamlining government functions,” said Rodriguez, sounding like a guy who’s already picked out a desk for the state auditors.
He’s calling it ‘collaboration. But Ladra — and just about every county staffer who rolled their eyes reading this — knows what this really is: a not-so-subtle political stunt dressed up as budgetary due diligence.
Read related: Gov. Ron DeSantis sends Florida DOGE squad to sniff out Miami-Dade budget
Rodriguez used the press release to pat himself on the back for a bunch of made-up committees like the STRIP Task Force (yes, seriously) and the Government Efficiency and Transparency Ad Hoc Committee. GETAC? Really? And what’s the difference between the two? He also took credit for scheduling a special “Committee of the Whole” meeting for Aug. 20 to go digging for “immediate budget cuts,” just in time to show Tallahassee how serious he is about jumping on the DOGE train.
He did not tell them to look into the allocation of millions of taxpayer dollars to a shady non-profit headed by a politically-connected Republican who is working as the chief of staff to the Miami city manager. But that’s probably something they should also look into.
In a brown-nosing letter to the CFO Tuesday, which the commissioner posted on social media, Rodriguez invited him and his team to “this meeting, as I believe the discussions will provide valuable insight relevant to your work.”

How much you wanna bet they get more than two minutes?
Also, by the way, this additional extra meeting was Commissioner Raquel Regalado‘s idea.
Is that why the chairman basically handed the assignment over, urging Ingoglia to meet with Regalado, Commissioner J.C. Bermudez and pretty much anyone wearing a red tie in the 111 building.
Because what better way to show fiscal responsibility than inviting the Governor’s guys to sit in on your county budget process? Maybe they’ll bring snacks. Maybe they’ll bring subpoenas.
Read related: Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava defends new budget, service cuts
Look, nobody’s arguing that Miami-Dade doesn’t have some bloated contracts, inefficient processes, and legacy issues worth fixing. That $402 million budget gap is real — even if Rodriguez and his Republican pals have been quietly enjoying the federal trough for years and are only complaining about it now.
But this sudden love letter to Tallahassee oversight — when the county has spent years yelling about local control and Home Rule — smells a lot more like partisan posturing than responsible governance. It’s like lighting your own kitchen on fire and then thanking the arson investigator for showing up.
So yeah, let’s tell it like it is: Chairman Rodriguez isn’t just welcoming DOGE. He’s rolling out the red carpet, handing them a list of talking points, and asking for extra copies to use in next year’s campaign mailers.
And he’s calling it transparency.

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Here come the political pooper scoopers.
Just as Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is trying to close a massive $402 million budget hole without jacking up property taxes, Gov. Ron DeSantis has sent in his Florida DOGE squad — yes, that’s really what they’re calling it — to root around the county books like it’s a litter box full of progressive waste.
In a sharply worded letter Monday, the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, warned that a state spending review is headed to South Florida. State officials want receipts — literally — and they’re not being subtle about their priorities.
Read related: Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava defends new budget, service cuts
The three-page letter, signed by two DeSantis aides and new Florida. Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, who was just handed that watchdog gig by the governor last month, questions everything. The state not only wants to see county leases and real estate transactions — like the purchase of an old FP&L building for more than it’s worth, Ladra assumes — but they are, predictably, looking at diversity programs, green energy spending and — wait for it — traffic calming devices like Miami-Dade’s beloved speed bumps. Not our speed bumps!
Translation: “We smell liberal spending. And we don’t like it.”
They also raised their eyebrows about the millions of dollars worth of property tax growth in the last few years.
“Particularly in light of these increases in revenue, we are concerned about the $400M+ budget gap that you have announced,” the letter says, with all the sincerity of a campaign attack ad.
This isn’t the first time Team DOGE has sniffed around Miami-Dade. Levine Cava’s office released correspondence to the Miami Herald Tuesday that shows they’ve already turned over details on employee salaries, contracting, and tax revenues. And now they’ve got until Aug. 13 to cough up even more records — or potentially face fines.
Ladra smells a rat. And the stench is not just coming from Tallahassee.
Because while the DOGE letter is pitched as a dry fiscal oversight move, it just happens to come days after Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez, a vocal DeSantis loyalist trying to position himself for a congressional run, made a pilgrimage to Ingoglia’s office and posted a cheerful video talking about “ensuring county resources serve our taxpayers best.” Because, of course the state knows better than the local government that was actually elected to manage this mess. And they’re so good with our money.
Levine Cava’s team isn’t playing dumb.
In a strongly worded statement, the mayor reminded DOGE that Miami-Dade’s tax rate has actually gone down 2% since she took office — and that her administration is already subject to routine audits. She said she’d cooperate with the review “to the extent that it adds value without disrupting local governance.” That’s like saying “¡Cuidado!”
“If DOGE requires clarification on budget line items we have already clearly documented, we will help,” she said in a statement. “But there is no need for duplication, nor for politically driven investigations that could divert staff time away from critical services.”
La Alcaldesa — who last month put a freeze on a $5 million grant to a shady non-profit secured by Commission Chairman Anthony Rodriguez, another GOP county elected who also happens to be BFFs with House Speaker Danny Perez — also took a swipe at what she called “staged political theater,” saying her priorities remain on things like infrastructure, housing, and public safety, not partisan witch hunts. That’s like saying, “No te hagas.”
Read related: STRIP show: Miami-Dade’s Anthony Rodriguez wants to fix procurement
But the timing couldn’t be worse. The mayor is in the middle of budget season, on media and town hall tour to defend a flat tax rate that ensures “core services,” but still includes cuts to parks, meals to the elderly, and charity funding, plus fee hikes for transit, gas, and even parking at county parks. So, walking Bella is going to cost you $5.
It is no wonder the mayor is getting push back from commissioners and the community.
At public town hall meetings in Miami Gardens and Westchester, Levine Cava blamed the width of the money hole on the five new constitutional offices elected in November. They account for 44% of the budget gap. She also warned residents that rolling back the tax rate even a small amount — as Gonzalez and others, like Miami-Dade Commissioner Raquel Regalado, want to do — would mean deeper, even more painful cuts.
Regalado requested a special appropriations committee meeting for commissioners to go “line by line” through the budget and find places to cut. The meeting is August. 20. Anyone going might want to pack a lunch. And a snack. And a pillow.
And maybe a handheld fan. Because the political heat is rising — and Levine Cava’s Republican critics are turning up the flame. Congressman Carlos Gimenez, her GOP predecessor at County Hall, couldn’t resist piling on. He took to social media to praise the state probe, and he didn’t even use her full name — just “Mayor Levine” — like she’s a high school vice principal who got caught dipping into the prom fund.
“In just a few years, Mayor Levine has turned our good stewardship into a massive deficit,” posted Gimenez, who might just be running for Miami Mayor.
Good stewardship? Maybe Gimenez is gettin’ a little senile. Ladra remembers when he suggested rolling blackouts at fire stations to make up for his budget hole. That’s like putting out dumpster fire with a squirt gun.
To be fair, La Alcaldesa should have seen this $402 million deficit coming. In fact, Ladra remembers warnings about the drying up of federal COVID funds, for years. COVID was in 2020, remember? We had warnings, but not foresight? We’ve also had years of soaring property values. Where has that money gone?
Ladra would welcome a true independent audit. Keyword: Independent. And that’s not the same as a politically-charged probe that looks more like campaign ops than budget watchdogging.
And that’s because DeSantis is holding the leash.
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