Nobody knows where it came from. Nobody remembers any discussion about it. It wasn’t on any of the slides in the presentation of the Coral Gables 2023-2024 operating budget at Wednesday’s first public hearing. It wasn’t in the draft budget presented to city commissioners and the public in July.

But tucked into the $258 million city budget is a hefty pay raise for the mayor and commissioners.

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Coral Gables Mayor Vince “Sore Loser” Lago is still upset about having both his commission candidates trounced in the April elections. So he keeps cutting newly-elected Commissioners Melissa Castro and Ariel Fernandez — who was once a Lago ally — out of photographs he posts on social media. And he keeps ignoring them at public events, like ribbon cuttings, pretending they aren’t there.

“I have a business. I am a single mom. So when I take time out to go to an event, to a function and you don’t acknowledge it, it’s disrespectful,” Castro said at the meeting, calling the mayor out publicly.

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Three commissioners opposed him on firefighters and tax rate, too

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The residents of Little Gables, an enclave of unincorporated Miami-Dade nestled in North Gables, are voting right now on whether or not they want to be part of the City Beautiful, paying taxes into Coral Gables and getting services — most importantly police and fire — from Coral Gables.

It came as a surprise to at least one city commissioner that those steps were already taking place — and that ballots — which apparently only have a “yes” option — have to be in by Oct. 9. There is a community meeting about it on Sept. 27 at the city’s new police and fire headquarters, 2151 Salzedo St.

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Critics worry that special interest influence will grow

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Board votes 5-3 against resolution along partisan lines

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