Rosie Cordero-Stutz says she inherited rising costs
The newly-elected Miami-Dade sheriff is not happy about the dollar amount that Mayor Daniella Levine Cava‘s proposed budget sets aside for her new, constitutional office and has sounded the alarm in recent days, warning that proposed cuts could leave the sheriff’s office disarmed and dangerously under-resourced at a time when public safety concerns are rising like the summer heat.
Sheriff Rosanna “Rosie” Cordero-Stutz put in a request for fiscal year 2025-26 for a hefty $936 million — nearly $94 million more than what was budgeted when it was the Miami-Dade Police Department last year. According to a sheriff’s spokesperson, Levine Cava allocated $50.4 million, leaving a significant shortfall of $43.4 million.
Cordero-Stutz says it’s not for new bling. She needs more in order to keep 911 response times from rising and fill up to 200 vacancies.
“Make no mistake,”the sheriff wrote in a sharply-worded plea disguised as an “open letter” published in Community Newspapers. “A reduction of this magnitude puts the safety of our entire community at risk.
“The proposed budget reductions for public safety threaten to undermine the very foundation of our operations. These cuts will force us to reduce the number of sworn deputies and hinder recruitment at a time when demand for service continues to rise.”
At the county commission meeting last week where they approved a flat tax rate for next year and a budget that currently reflects a $402 million shortfall countywide, the sheriff warned the board about the consequences and “respectfully asked” for her full budget.
“Anything less is defunding the police,” Cordero-Stutz said.
Read related: Facing $400M budget shortfall, Miami-Dade cuts senior meals, lifeguards, more
The funding is not for shiny new toys or some bloated cop wish list. Well, not her wish list. More than two thirds of the increase ($64M) is just to honor existing contracts the county signed before the sheriff’s office even officially existed, Cordero-Stutz says.
In other words: It’s the county’s tab. And now they’re sticking her with the bill.
So, when voters decided in 2020 to bring back the elected sheriff — and 57% of Miami-Dade voters said yes — the county’s reaction was to go on a spending spree? Of course, the handoff is now coming with strings attached and unfunded promises.
One example Cordero-Stutz cited are the collective bargaining agreements the commission approved in 2023, which locked in raises, cots of living hikes for retirees and training incentives, among other things.
There were also zero academy classes this year because of budget shortfalls, Cordero-Stutz explained. That means no new recruits. “As a result, we are currently carrying more than 200 vacant sworn positions, as of July 15th, with more expected by year’s end,” Cordero-Stutz wrote.
That means whole areas — like Kendall, which has just 180 deputies to cover 42 square miles and over 80,000 residents — are left stretched ‘very thin,’ just like we like our Serrano ham sliced at Publix.
With the next potential field of recruits not coming in until mid-2026, “we face a serious staffing gap that impacts service and safety,” Cordero-Stutz wrote. Her proposed budget is focused on filling all existing vacancies. The request also includes 54 new civilian positions. Not because she’s building an empire — but because decades of backlogged staffing have left critical operations understaffed and overworked.
“Full staffing is essential to enhance public safety, improve response times, strengthen investigations, and support the well-being of our deputies,” she wrote.
With the FIFA World Cup on the horizon and cyber threats lurking behind every login, is this really the moment to penny-pinch public safety?
Read related: Miami-Dade could cut back services, give millions to FIFA for World Cup
Apparently, that’s a question the county commission will have to grapple with. Last week, after some debate, they approved the mayor’s proposal for a flat tax rate, which means that property owners will pay more taxes, but only because property values increased. To pay the same amount of taxes, the county would have had to adopt a “rollback” rate, and they didn’t do that. Commissioner Roberto Gonzalez was the only one who voted against the budget because he said residents needed and deserved a break.
It also means that commissioners will have a lot of work to do before the budget is finalized after two hearings in September to find the funding for the sheriff’s office needs within the existing revenue parameters.
Levine Cava said in a press conference last week that the county had increased spending on public safety by 8% each year while she has been the mayor.”Today, we are facing a new and difficult fiscal reality,” she said, placing much of the responsibility for the $402 million countywide shortfall on the rollout of the five new constitutional offices.
But the sheriff isn’t taking the blame sitting down.
“Let me be clear,” she says. “I am not asking for enhancements. I am asking the board to fund a budget that meets the financial obligations made before the Sheriff’s Office even came into existence—and allows us to continue protecting this great county to the best of our ability.
“Every dollar in this proposed budget is directed toward one goal: keeping the people of Miami-Dade County safe,” Cordero-Stutz says. “These investments are not about expanding government — they’re about ensuring we have the trained personnel, resources, and infrastructure required to meet the challenges of modern law enforcement and deliver the high-quality service our residents expect and deserve.”
In other words: She’s just trying to pay the bill someone else racked up, keep the lights on, and maybe — just maybe — run an academy class or two so she doesn’t have to answer emergency calls with an empty bench.
So, Miami-Dade voters got their brand-new sheriff. But what else did we get? A bill due that isn’t funded, a public safety system teetering between ‘responsive’ and ‘underwater’ — and a county mayor and commission that has a little more than two months to decide whether it wants to back the badge or balance the budget on it.
“At the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office (MDSO), our mission is clear: to protect and serve this community with integrity, dedication and compassion,” Cordero-Stutz wrote. “From the 911 call takers who answer your most urgent cries for help, to the deputies on the streets, from our Cyber Crimes Bureau tracking digital threats, and to our Strategic Response Team handling the most high-risk situations — we show up, every single day, committed to keeping this community safe.”
Well, as long someone pays the bill.

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The post Miami-Dade Sheriff to county leaders: Budget cuts handcuff public safety appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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The Olympia Theater, a beloved but distressed 1926 Beaux Arts jewel in the heart of downtown Miami, could go from historic cultural treasure to charter school annex at Thursday’s city commission meeting. Commissioners will consider selling the Flagler Street structure to Sports Leadership and Management Miami, a 6-12 charter school operated by none other than Academica, a for-profit charter giant with major political ties.
And all for the bargain price of a cafecito con un pastelito.
The plan is for SLAM to “buy” the theater and the adjacent 10-story office building for $10 — yes, ten American dollars — and in exchange, they promise to restore it to its former glory and use the theater space for only 180 days a year. That’s less than half the time. And, you know, it’s not in writing. There’s no actual promise in the contract. We just have to trust them. They also promise to provide community cultural events and programming. Just you wait and see!
SLAM’s current campus at Northwest 12th Street
So, the school itself would operate out of the building, while the theater would serve as a cultural hub — managed by the same folks who run a sports-focused charter school, who have no experience restoring gilded ceilings or booking symphonies.
Not to worry! Fernando Zulueta, the big boss at Academica, says they’re going to make an “enormous investment.” He estimates $50 million in repairs and renovations. How much of that is public money, charter dollars, tax credits or straight-up fairy dust remains to be seen.
The concept has been brought to the commission by the Department of Real Estate and Asset Management, which apparently no longer wants to manage the Olympia Theater, which is also known as the Gusman Cultural Center for Performing Arts, named after Maurice Gusman, a Ukrainian-born philanthropist who renovated it and donated it to the city of Miami in 1975. It has been pitched as a generous act of civic salvation. “We’re saving the building,” they cry. “We’re doing this for you!”
Because nothing says ‘historic preservation’ for the ‘public goo’ like charter school real estate deals.
But Mayor Francis Suarez — who might or might not be back from his vacay home in the Bahamas — recently told the Miami Herald that he is the one who put together this shady transaction after a phone call from a “friend” who knew about the “behind the scenes” deal, which is another way to say it was a backroom, secret pact.
“It’s fair to say that I helped connect all the dots,” Suarez is quoted saying.
Tell me this is an inside deal, without telling me it’s an inside deal.
Read related: Secret giveaway of Miami’s Olympia Theater is on city commission agenda
This agreement first popped up on the June 26 commission agenda to most people’s surprise. There was some resistance, an editorial in the newspaper. A lot of concerned speakers at public comment. So, it was deferred to the meeting Thursday. There has been some public outreach in the meantime: A community meeting and a Zoom call with the city manager. There is a petition on Change.org that picked up 986 signatures to save the Olympia in a matter of days as of Wednesday night.
But if it still seems like the city is in a hurry to shed any responsibility for the theater, it’s because it is. The city manager’s excuse about it being because the school year is about to start is BS. This is about a lawsuit.
The Gusman family, heirs of the theater’s original owner, are suing the city, citing a “reverter clause” that says they get the building back if the politicians screw up its maintenance and operations. Spoiler alert: They did. That’s what’s caused the urgency here. There is no way they are going to be able to turn those 80 antique apartment units into classrooms in a month. City Manager Art Noriega lied to residents when he said the rush is to accommodate students. It’s to accommodate developers.
The family’s lawyer, Timothy Barket, practically yelled at the public during last week’s heated community meeting, telling the crowd:“You’re not losing your building, because this was never your building!” Ouch.
He also said they were tired of broken promises and needed to move forward and were not willing to look at any other public private partnership RFPs. “We’ve done that. We’ve been bit by this dog before,” Barket said.
“The Gusman family is sick of the city of Miami.”
Ah, civic engagement! Nothing builds trust like a millionaire’s lawyer telling residents they have no stake in a public treasure.
“They’re the ones trying to force the giveaway of the property,” said former Commissioner Ken Russell, who is running for mayor and has publicly come out against the agreement on social media and in a press conference where he basically said the city was lying. They say there is no money to help restore the Olympia Theater. Russell, who left office early to run for Congress, said the city had $79 million in Miami Forever Bond monies to use on cultural facilities and that an oversight board had recommended the Gusman restoration be funded, at least in part, with that. The commission voted for it, he said.
“It’s there. Line items. That money is there,” he said.
Those who support this agreement say they believe this is the best way to save the building. The mayor, the city manager and District 2 Commissioner Damian Pardo, say the city can’t afford to restore the theater, and the school is willing to pour $50 million into the historic renovation. The deal is sweetened with the city’s own reverter clause that says it gets the property back if SLAM fails to fix the place up or stops using it for public education purposes that they swear they will have. Again, just trust them.
Oh, and the city could lose the property anyway in the lawsuit from the Gusman Foundation.
But at least there’s a fighting chance. Especially if the city finds a better option while the lawsuit drags on in court. Critics of the proposal say the city has not exhausted all alternative uses. There was an RFP a few years ago, but it was flawed because the city refused to put any skin in the game. There are still dollars from the Miami Forever Bond, which were supposed to go to the theater anyway but were diverted to, um, “more important” projects, like road surfacing and storm water drainage improvements.
The city hasn’t said how much is left of the bond monies or how much they can get for the air rights, which are development rights they can’t use because of the historic footprint but can sell to another developer to use nearby. These are unanswered questions that could be addressed through a more thorough competitive process. Let SLAM and Academica submit a bid. If it’s the best, and there are truly no other better options, then at least there was a public process.
But this city commission are the same folks who cancelled an election — without asking voters.
Commissioner Pardo, who sponsored the change in election year that effectively cancelled this November’s mayoral and commission election, has particularly gone out of his way to promote the deal on social media. On Wednesday, he answered five of the most common questions he said his office got about the agreement. He made sure to tag Suarez, too, so he gets his brownie points.
Pardo cites “in-writing safeguards and guaranteed commitments,” ad well as Miami Dade College being a partner, which is echoing the applicants. He sounds more like their lobbyist than the District 2 commissioner.
“The city has never had, nor is it expected to have, the funds to restore the Olympia,” he said in a post on Instagram. Pardo doesn’t call or text Ladra back anymore because I don’t just believe everything he says anymore.
He also said that while people are now saying the city should fund the renovation, they also prioritize public safety, parks, traffic calming, street improvements, infrastructure for flooding and resiliency, affordable housing and more. “City residents also prioritize lower taxes,” he said. ¡Que cínico!
And Ladra has a feeling those words are going to come back to haunt him when he wants to do something.
Read related: Ka-ching! Miami DDA is doling out more checks to billionaire companies
If this is really about historic preservation, why does the theater get handed over to a charter school network with deep political ties and real estate ambitions? And why did the whole thing appear on the City Commission agenda last month with barely enough notice to post it on a bulletin board at Publix?
Why did people like pianist Orlando Alonso, a Cuban-American actor and producer who had talks last year with the administration about redeveloping it as a Lincoln Center or Carnegie Hall, not even know it was happening until someone told him it was on the June agenda? Alonso formed a team of developers and professional theater operators from his experience and contacts in New York at Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center and has worked for six years to develop a plan, he told Ladra. They met with city officials and commissioners twice and made their presentation.
It fell apart when the city failed to offer anything in the form of grant monies or bond funds to help with the pricy renovation. But let’s be real: The Academica scheme was already in play. Ladra is sure it was discussed last year around the same time that Suarez had Zulueta on his podcast, where he called Academica CEO a “genius” and “someone who has revolutionized education.”
Wonder if he called him a “friend” there, too.
Also, Ladra doubts anyone else got to make a proposal for $10.
“History is not made in grand moments alone, but in the quiet accumulation of choices,” Alonso said at last week’s press conference to save the theater. “One compromise here. One betrayal there. Over time, they add up — until a people, and a city, forget their soul. And that is precisely what has happened in Miami.
“The mayor of this city — and those who support his bankrupt vision — have erred again and again on the side of destruction,” he said. And everybody certainly remembers the Coconut Grove Playhouse, right? Which was demolished by neglect?
“The Olympia deserves artists and operators worthy of its acoustics, of its beauty, of its potential – and more importantly, worthy of the values it represents,” Alonso continued. “But those pushing this deal do not understand any of this. Because they do not understand beauty. They do not understand legacy. They understand only transactions.
“And when you only understand transactions, you destroy what you cannot monetize. Even the Gusman family—who once stood for preservation – has failed in this moment. They have joined a backroom deal that betrays Maurice Gusman’s legacy,” Alonso said. “When Maurice Gusman saved the Olympia, when he gave it to the people of Miami, he understood something fundamental: that the future of this building could never belong to one person. Its survival depended on all of us – on the people of this city.”
The vote Thursday needs four out of five commissioners to pass. So if just two commissioners think the Gusman’s history is worth them opening the process up, the deal is dead. Or at least delayed. Thursday’s meeting is the last before the summer break. There won’t be another meeting in August, unless commissioners make those arrangements.
Anyone who wants to try to preserve one of Miami’s last cultural and historical gems — not just SLAM-dunk it into a for-profit school portfolio — can make public comments beginning at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at City Hall, 3900 Dinner Key Drive. The meeting can also be watched on the city’s website and YouTube.
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Miami Assistant City Manager Larry Spring, the city’s chief financial officer, announced earlier this month that he was resigning from his position, but it’s not like he has to pack up any boxes.
He doesn’t really plan to go anywhere.
The city commission could tell the city manager at Thursday’s meeting to enter into a contract with Spring as a consultant for his “expert services” on an “as needed basis.”
City rules prohibit any Miami employee, or former employee, from entering into a contract or transacting any business with the city or an agency acting on behalf of the city for two years after leaving the job. Spring’s last day is Aug. 22. The contract would become effective that very day at 5 p.m.
The city commission can waive that provision with a four/fifths vote if it is in the best interest of the city, “as in this case,” reads the resolution.
Read related: Miami CFO Larry Spring resigns from city job — for a private sector gig?
We should have seen this coming. City Manager Art Noriega made a haughty “goodbye” speech to Spring at the July 10 meeting, but hinted that maybe he would hang around City Hall in some capacity.
“The city plans on retaining Mr. Spring as an expert consultant for the City Manager’s office in order to contribute his expertise and knowledge, and assist in city budget matters, city financings, and other city projects that require his expertise,” the resolution states, adding that he will continue to work at Achievement Consulting Group, which he is listed as president of in the Florida Division of Corporation records. He’s been with the company, which “specializes in real estate development, government relations, and financial consulting services.”
So, let’s get this straight. He’s going to be — or has been — heading a company that lobbies for real estate deals while moonlighting for the city as a consultant on those very deals?
“Mr. Spring has held several executive management positions in healthcare, commercial banking, municipal government, real estate, and economic development; and… the city will benefit from Mr. Spring’s, expertise in municipal government, real estate, and economic development,” the resolution says.
You know what the resolution doesn’t say? How much Mr. Spring will be paid for his “as needed” consulting services.
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The post Larry Spring could get consulting gig in Miami even before he retires as CFO appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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Something stinks at Tropical Park, and it’s not the horse manure.
Because while Miami-Dade is sharpening its budget axe and slashing around $40 million from the budget for non-profit grants, a baby nonprofit with barely a bank account, zero track record and no actual contact info — but a politically-connected director — just landed a $250,000-a-year payday for 20 years courtesy of our county commission.
That could add up to $5 million and for what? Nobody really knows.
How did this happen? The Miami-Dade Commission, in a last-minute addition to the agenda, voted last week to give exclusive use of parts of Tropical Park as well as a 20-year contract to produce programming and events (like the Christmas festival that replaced Santa’s Enchanted Forest two years ago) to Loud and Live, which also produces other community events like Miami Speed Week and the Coconut Grove Arts Festival. They were selected after a competitive request for proposals process and will bring $40 million to the county over the two decades.
But part of the deal was that Loud and Live give $250,000 to a charity of the county commission’s choosing every year for the entirety of the contract.
Read related: Facing $400M budget shortfall, Miami-Dade cuts senior meals, lifeguards, more
And the commission chose A3 Foundation, which is the same organization that got $75,000 in grants this year from Miami-Dade Commission Chair Anthony Rodriguez, and a $125,000 allocation in this year’s budget.
And who’s running this mysterious nonprofit? Francisco Petrirena, chief of staff to Miami City Manager Art Noriega who also serves as the city’s lobbyist in Tallahassee and founded a firm called Biltmore Strategies in June of last year. He is a full-time public employee now moonlighting as the sole paid staffer of a shady charity that’s already raking in state and county dollars despite no evidence of actually doing anything. Or even existing.
The Miami Herald’s Doug Hanks broke this story over the weekend, reporting that the new non-profit had less than $25,000 in the bank last year, no working website, no working phone number and an office address at a townhouse in West Miami purchased for $410,000 in 2016 by David and Jennifer Rodriguez, who seem to have no relation to the commissioner. It’s a common name.
In a phone interview with the Herald, Petrirena said he was paid $80,000 annually by the non-profit as its sole employee. A3 is involved in the organization of CountryFest, the rodeo-style agriculture and horse show at Tropical Park every spring that reportedly brings about 25,000 attendees.
“We help organize the festival,” he told the Herald, adding that the foundation’s mission is to promote agriculture education.
In a phone interview with Political Cortadito, Rodriguez said that the $200,000 in county funds were awarded to A3 because of its agricultural focus and is related solely to the organization’s help with the CountryFest. But Ladra wants the receipts.
While some have speculated that the A3 Foundation’s name is a nod to the chairman’s three children — whose names begin with the letter A, like their dad — Rodriguez also said that he never met Petrirena before became the District 10 commissioner and inherited Tropical Park and the CountryFest event from former Commissioner Javier Souto. And he stressed that the $250K that the foundation is getting from Loud and Live are not the county’s coffers.
“It’s 100% private money,” the commissioner told Ladra. “This is what the county should be looking at — how do we have private businesses that partner with the county support community benefits rather than it being paid by taxpayer dollars.”
But when the county gets to decide where that money goes, it sort of becomes public dollars that belong to taxpayers.
Petrirena also happened to be one of the people who was considered to replace former county Commissioner Kevin Marino Cabrera, who left after he was tapped by President Donald Trump as ambassador to Panama. Is this the consolation prize after the commission appointed Natalie Milian Orbis instead?
Read related: Kevin Cabrera tapped as Panama ambassador; so who will replace him?
This is not the first grant applied for by the little-known A3 Foundation, created in 2023 by Petrirena — who worked for Doctors’ Health Plans and at Brandeis University in Boston, where he was a student in 2017 — Jose Vasquez and Zenny Mera, who may be a yoga instructor from Doral. Three months after incorporating, the non-profit got Florida Sen. Ana Maria Rodriguez to sponsor a budget request of $500,000 “to promote sustainable agriculture, advocate for educational opportunities, and create awareness of community priorities.”
Despite the shockingly vague language, the legislature nearly doubled the allocation to $950,000. Maybe Petrirena has made lots of friends in Tallahassee. That includes $100K for Petrirena’s salary — wasn’t it $80K? — and $400K for “educational resources” and farming scholarships that haven’t materialized anywhere outside a budget line.
So, doing the math, Petrirena’s side gig has been awarded $1.4 million just this year. Where’s the documentation that all nonprofits have to provide to become eligible for county grants? Why doesn’t anyone at the county seem to know what A3’s actual role in CountryFest is?
Look, Ladra is all for ag education and community outreach. But if that’s what the county is really funding through A3, where are the programs? The metrics? The scholarships? The functioning website?
No, this looks less like charity and more like political patronage. Like, dare Ladra say it, money laundering. It can’t be a coincidence that Rodriguez passed legislation earlier this year to exempt CountryFest from those pesky, transparent public bidding requirements.
So what do we have? An elected official funneling public money to a private nonprofit with direct ties to another public official, working full-time in another government — all while normal, longstanding nonprofits with real missions and real staff delivering social services, after-school programs and food for needy families are about to get the rug pulled out from under them.
In this year’s budget message, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said she had to make “painful” choices to fill a $402 million shortfall.
She’s right. It is painful — especially when you see where the money is still flowing.

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Commission already took the bite out of the watchdog
Miami voters did what they were supposed to last year. They turned out at the ballot box in August and voted overwhelmingly — by a margin of 79% to 21% — for a truly independent Inspector General to root out shady shenanigans at City Hall.
But guess what? Voters aren’t going to get what they voted for.
The city commission, which quickly voted last fall to limit the new IG’s powers, may appoint someone Thursday to the position to detect, investigate and prevent fraud, waste, mismanagement, misconduct and abuse of power — which is a busy job in Miami. They might need two IGs. And the name they are getting is someone familiar: Antonio G.Diaz, a retired major with the Miami Police Department with 33 years on the force, including a stint heading internal affairs, before he retired in June.
Oh absolutely, let’s hand the keys to the watchdog office to the same guy who spent 33 years inside the very kennel we’re now asking him to patrol. What better way to ensure independence than by appointing someone who’s been marinating in the same culture for three decades? I mean, who needs fresh eyes or distance from internal politics when you can get someone who probably knows exactly which file cabinets to avoid and which rugs have things swept under them?
Read related: Miami Commission considers Inspector General question on August ballot
And, since he ran internal affairs — which is not a political department at all, right? — he’s already an expert at handling complaints… internally. Quietly. Discreetly. Just the way commissioners like it. Who better to not rock the boat than someone who helped build the boat, paint the boat, and possibly patch up a few bullet holes in the hull?
Miami Polic Chief Manny Morales with Maj. Tony Diaz after Diaz announced his retirement last month.
Because, really, nothing screams “independent oversight” like putting a longtime insider in charge of investigating his former colleagues, supervisors, and friends — many of whom may have been at his retirement party just last month.
It’s like asking the bartender to do a surprise sobriety check on his favorite drinking buddies. What could possibly go wrong?
It doesn’t exactly instill public trust, which is what the late Commissioner Manolo Reyes wanted to do when he first proposed putting the IG office to voters early last year.
This is not against Diaz, the man. Everyone that Ladra spoke to had nice things to say about Tony. He’s smart. Likable. Fair. Someone you want to work with. He’s dedicated. He started as a police explorer in the 80s, volunteering hundreds of hours to the city before officially joining the department as a police officer in 1992.
Growing through the ranks to major, Diaz worked in many divisions, including professional compliance, investigations, personnel resource management, and, finally IA. His career was “defined by purpose, progress and principled leadership,” wrote the Fraternal Order of Police in Facebook when he retired. Again, last month. Like Diaz knew he had another job waiting.
“Antonio earned a reputation for being a humble and steady leader — one who led by example, mentored the next generation, and embraced innovation to improve systems and strengthen public trust. Drawing on transformational leadership models, his style prioritized psychological safety, empowerment, and collaboration-creating space for others to grow and lead with confidence,” the post reads.
Of course, this is the same police union that endorsed former Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla in 2023 — after he was arrested for bribery and money laundering, charges that were eventually dropped. So, what do they know?
Read related: Despite arrest, Alex Diaz de la Portilla scores FOP endorsement in D1 race
It’s not like Maj. Diaz is going to be able to do very much, anyway. When the city commission approves his appointment Thursday, he will be beholden to them. It’s like the foxes hiring the henhouse inspector.
And that’s the idea. They don’t want an independent watchdog. That’s why they shortened the leash in October, less than two months after voters approved the office, with all kinds of restrictions on what could be investigated. Voters wanted an OIG who could inspect, investigate, illuminate. What they are going to get is a muzzled figurehead who can’t even look under the rug without a sworn affidavit from someone with first-hand knowledge.
No whispers. No media reports. No tips. No anonymous sources. The IG can’t even initiate an investigation from something he or she saw and heard during a city commission meeting. There has to be an official complaint, on the record, under oath, with someone’s full name, Social Security number, and, possibly, blood type.
Ladra is surprised they don’t have to ride in on a unicorn.
This has a chilling effect: A city employee who sees something suspicious and wants to do the right thing will think twice about it. And that’s not by accident.
Meanwhile, at the county level, we’ve had a real inspector general for decades who actually gets to, you know, investigate. The Miami-Dade Office of Inspector General was established by ordinance in 1997 and inserted into the county charter through a voter-approved referendum in 2020, solidifying its independence. The charter amendment requires a referendum to abolish the OIG, giving the office greater protection from political interference.
The county OIG has also had an interlocal agreement with Miami-Dade County Public Schools to serve as its independent investigative branch, for a price of $1.2 million a year, which is what it costs to staff a squad for them. It can’t cost county taxpayers. Miami city commissioners last year discussed negotiating a similar deal.
Miami Dade IG Felix Jimenez told Political Cortadito that he met once last year with City Manager Art Noriega for “very preliminary discussions” about doing the same thing in Miami for the same price. “But there were no further communications.”
It’s just as well. “At the end of the day, my responsibility is to the county,” Jimenez told Ladra, adding that they have limited resources and staff. “Im hesitant to enter into another interlocal agreement, especially if it’s short term.”
Jimenez, who has been with the Miami-Dade OIG since 2009, also said he has met with Diaz and has offered the county’s assistance in setting up shop. “We’re the big brother on the block,” said Jimenez, who served as third vice president of the Association of Inspectors General, a national organization that provides education and mentorship.
The county’s IG office got over 500 complaints in 2023 — obviously they were not all sworn — and only pursued a little more than a dozen — because that’s how it works. You weed out the garbage. You follow the smoke. You look under the hood. If you find nada, that’s okay, too. But you won’t find anything if you’re not looking.
Read related: Commissioner Miguel Gabela set to expose more Bayfront Park Trust issues
The IG exists to look into the shenanigans that everyone knows are going on in Miami. Maybe Commissioner Joe Carollo would have been caught dipping into the Bayfront Park Management Trust sooner if there had already been an inspector. Maybe we would finally know what happened with those federally-funded COVID gift cards that disappeared.
The post has a deterrent effect, as well. Maybe the city manager wouldn’t have bought so much furniture from his wife.
And while everyone agrees that Diaz is a great guy, and several sources told Ladra that she will not find any skeletons in his personnel jacket or IA file (which have been requested), the same sources did say — unprompted, every single one of them — that he may have some difficulty challenging those he might still consider his superiors. Diaz respects authority a little too much to really question it. And he may not have the stomach to blow the whistle on people he’s worked with for 20-some, 30-some years, they say.
And that, mi gente, is exactly what the commission wants. Someone familiar. Someone safe. Someone who already knows how to look the other way and call it “procedural discretion.” Because heaven forbid we get a real outsider with no loyalties, no agenda, and no stake in the game to really dig into what’s rotting at City Hall.
Instead, after 80% of the voters asked for real oversight, transparency, accountability, what they’re getting may be a loyal soldier in a new uniform, saluting the same old power structure.
The post Retired Miami Police Maj. Tony Diaz could be named city’s Inspector General appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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“TSND” may as well mean “This Sh*t’s Not Democratic”
Miami’s controversial Transit Station Neighborhood Development (TSND) ordinance is barreling toward a final vote this week, and city commissioners are treating it like a routine zoning tweak instead of what it really is: a citywide land-use loophole wrapped in bureaucratic buzzwords and tied with a big shiny ribbon for one lucky developer in District 5.
While the ordinance eases development up to one mile from “existing or approved” fixed rail stations and rapid transit corridors, critics fear that means nearly 50% of Miami could be rezoned with higher density and building heights. Las malas lenguas say the motivation may be a particular group of properties in the Little River area, but there are citywide implications. Preservationists are particularly worried about the potential impact of a “one-size-fits-all framework” to historic neighborhoods.
And did anyone bother to ask the neighbors being rezoned what they thought? ¡Claro que no! This isn’t just undemocratic, it’s an insult to every resident who spent years crafting Miami 21, which is supposed to protect neighborhoods from this exact kind of Wild West development fiesta. TSND bulldozes over the basic protections in Miami 21 — like height transitions and setbacks.
Basically, according to the latest version of the ever-changing legislation, a one story single family home could suddenly be neighbors with a 12-story tower. And, certainly, its property value will go by way of the available sunlight.
“This is something that is going to kill our neighborhoods,” Andy Parrish, a Grove resident who has served on the planning and zoning advisory board for eight years, said at a commission meeting in June. “High-rises belong downtown and that’s the way our zoning code is set up. If you start letting intrude into residential neighborhoods that are low-rise… there’s going to be no eyes on the street, no families with dogs.”
And you know how Special Area Plans (SAPs) require things like traffic studies, community meetings, and transparency? Que cute. TSND sidesteps all that by letting parcels under nine acres skip the process entirely, giving big developers a red carpet straight to overdevelopment without so much as a peep from the public. Worse than spot zoning, this is ambush zoning.
Metrics? Nope. Accountability? Nah. Public benefit requirements? Unenforceable. Infrastructure planning? What’s that?
Read related: Miami-Dade Commission approves 700 homes on 90 acres of mostly farmland
Love it or hate it, Miami 21 was established after years of debate, neighborhood meetings and community input. This legislation has bypassed all that messy public engagement in favor of what looks like a vague, shifting draft that’s been written in a corporate boardroom — with PR-approved buzzwords like traffic calming, crosswalks, “pedestrian and mobility enhancements” and, of course, workforce housing –and is still being edited days before the final vote. The city is trying to ram TSND through just 36 days after it was first presented to the planning and zoning appeals board on June 18.
And the final vote is Thursday. The city is trying to ram this through in just 36 days.
A rushed process = a rotten process.
Mel Meinhardt, a Grove activist who spoke before the PZAB, urged that the city use caution with what he said was a “well intentioned” ordinance. “But there are significant unintended consequences,” especially in neighborhoods that abut the T3 and T4 urban and suburban districts, he said.
How can the public meaningfully contribute to the conversation if the language keeps changing? Even city commissioners have admitted they don’t fully understand it. And they’re supposed to vote on it on Thursday? It’s like a runaway train wreck.
Speaking of which, the idea is that this is a custom made ordinance tied to the promise of a new TriRail station near 79th Street and Northwest 2nd Avenue, which reportedly is already funded. And the transit oriented development that would come with it.
At least 37 independent parcels near St. Mary’s Cathedral, the seat of the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Miami at 7525 NW 2nd Ave have been snatched up since August of 2021 for a total of more than $82 million — way above the market rate — by the same entity, Chicago-based LRMF Owner LLC. They include vacant lots, industrial warehouses, multifamily buildings and at least one single family home which, together, totals more than 24 acres.
LRMF is an affiliate of Nashville, Tennessee-based Adventurous Journeys (AJ) Capital Partners, and most of the properties were paid for in two deeds — one for $19.1 million and one for $56.3 million. The seller was Miami-based commercial real estate firm MVW Partners, through dozens of LLCs managed by co-founder Matthew Vander Werff.
Las malas lenguas say that developers are going to present at least one, but possibly two affordable housing projects on those aggregated properties. The AJ Capital website calls the Miami project “Little River.”

“Situated north of Wynwood and the Design District neighborhoods, Little River is establishing itself as the foremost epicenter for culture, cuisine, and the arts,” the website states. “Through a thoughtful approach centered on championing local talent, the area has become home to an ever-expanding roster of creative businesses and acclaimed food and beverage concepts, including Sunny’s Steakhouse, a popular restaurant by Will Thompson and Carey Hynes of Jaguar Sun; La Natural, a two-time Michelin-approved sourdough pizzeria and natural wine haven; and Rosie’s, a James Beard semi-finalist and Michelin-approved restaurant serving up soul food from the memories and culture of Chef Akino West.
“With aligned values, MVW Partners and AJ Capital Partners will continue to evolve, elevate, and enhance the historic neighborhood, while retaining the vibrant charm and character that has defined it in years past.”
Right now, Little River is the only area in the city that has Transit Oriented Development designation, paving the way for a massive TSND project. But residents worry that what’s happening there will happen in other neighborhoods near Metro Rail stations.
Read related: Miami-Dade and city of Miami to meet re zoning density along transit routes
The TSND ordinance is being pitched as a tool for affordable housing. But it only requires 10% of units to be affordable at 100% AMI. That’s $86,800 a year for a single person, meaning “affordable” could still mean $2,200 a month for a studio. Which, for the record, is market rate in large swaths of the city. That’s what they mean by “affordable housing.”
Meinhardt said the city should require the affordable housing to be 40% or 50% of the project. Because 10% is a joke, a slap in the face.
There’s also no plan to mitigate permanent displacement. There’s no mention of tenant protections or relocation assistance and this will more likely impact working-class families and seniors living in lower to middle income areas near the Metrorail. So while developers toast with champagne, longtime residents face eviction notices and rising rents.
Put simply, it’s just too much of a change too fast without enough answers to clearly legitimate questions or mitigation of pressing concerns. This could be the single most significant rezoning since Miami 21 and it’s time to pump the brakes on this train. Many residents and community activists have asked the commissioners to defer this vote.
The One Grove Alliance group sent an email this week that says the ordinance “threatens the integrity, livability, and democratic planning framework of our city. Both the process and content demand a full reset.”
Grove activists say the pace is reckless and deeply undermines public trust. But they are not alone.
“This proposal will greatly harm the character and scale of Miami’s neighborhoods,” said Morningside activist Elvis Cruz, who also says that, at the very least, historic districts should be excluded “What is being proposed is far too intense and dense.”
He said that the “intent” section of Miami 21 includes “preserve neighborhoods” in the language. “But this won’t preserve neighborhoods. This will completely disrupt neighborhood character and scale,” Cruz said. “This is one big gift to the developers.”
Cruz was among about 40 participants in a Zoom meeting on Tuesday last week that started late and lasted a little more than 45 minutes. Participants described it as a lecture more than a community meeting. No questions were allowed.
“It was one-way communication, like watching TV,” Cruz said. “They set it up so the participants could not see who else was on the Zoom, could not chat amongst themselves, and could not ask questions.” He also said that an email address to submit questions, provided by the city, kept bouncing his emails back for two days.
This is how they’ll say they didn’t get that many questions. There’s not that much interest in this, right? Wrong.
Read related: Miami Commission ends Bayfront Park Management Trust in surprise vote
Cruz is also concerned that Commission Chair Cristine King has offered an amendment to exclude historic neighborhoods, but it seems that the historic district exemption amendment did not make it to the draft that was being circulate last week. It seem that Neighborhood Conservation Districts are off limits, but aren’t historic districts supposed to receive greater protection than NCDs?
And is that enough? Especially when this seems to be a zoning favor for one particular developer?
The train leaves the station at Miami City Hall about 9:30 a.m. Thursday. The meeting can also be viewed live via city’s website.
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The post Critics say Miami’s new transit zoning ordinance = loophole for developers appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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