A total of 6,144 absentee or vote-by-mail ballots were sent to Coral Gables voters last week for the April 8 election. They landed in mailboxes at the same time as several mailers for different candidates — and false attack ads from Mayor Vince Lago, who is fighting his first real challenge, against Commissioner Kirk Menendez.
His political action committee, Coral Gables First, put out a series of “facts” that are very misleading and the same old arguments he’s been making for months, because he can’t run on his own track record.
“Fact 1: Commissioner Menendez gave himself a 101% raise.” Um, well, technically that’s true. But the salary was $36,488 a year, which many might agree is not enough. It had not been increased in decades. Now it’s $65,000 a year, which many think might still not be enough. Lago doesn’t use the actual numbers because they make sense. It’s much more scandalous to say it’s a 101% raise.
Read related: Kirk Menendez strikes back at Coral Gables Mayor ‘Lyin’ Vince Lago’
Another “fact” is that Menendez voted against a millage rate reduction. Of course it would not serve Lago to say that Menendez actually voted against potential service cuts. The millage rate reduction that Lago proposed was tiny and would only result in the saving of less than $100 a year for most homeowners. But the owners of the large projects would get tens of thousands in relief, which was Lago’s intent. Example: The owners of Gables Station would get a $29,400 tax break.
That’s not on the mailer. 

Menendez had a hit of his own. In a mailer where he said the choice was night and day — he’s day and Vince Lago is the night — he reminded voters of the scandals that Lago has been involved in.
“Lago’s brokerage received a $640,000 commission from a deal with developer Rishi Kapoor, under FBI investigation, raising serious ethical questions,” the mailer states. “Lago’s ties to real estate transactions involving Kapoor, a developer with questionable dealings, raise concerns about his use of public office for private gain.”
The mailer also mentions the recall effort against Lago “amid allegations of mismanagement, conflicts of interest and questionable influence,” and also says that the mayor’s efforts to annex Little Gables were rejected by 63% of Gables voters.
He could do better. He could remind voters that Lago misrepresented himself when he swore he had no conflict of interest with Little Gables by leaving his brother out of an affidavit he signed — very dramatically and publicly — saying nobody in his immediate family had any interests there. When, in fact, Carlos Lago once represented the largest property owner in Little Gables, which owns the trailer park that could become a new, enormous construction project. Which is why he left out the word siblings in his affidavit.
Read related: Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago may have conflict of interest in Little Gables
He could remind voters how Mayor L’Ego almost got into fisticuffs with the former city manager. He could remind voters how he put a restauranteur on Giralda out of business.
But there’s time.

In the commission races, candidates are keeping it more clean, so far.
Rhonda Anderson just touted “a proven record of service and accomplishments,” citing the addition of 15 police officers and two dog parks and tree canopy and “pedestrian safety enhancements” and the under-grounding of power lines in North and South Gables. But she didn’t do any of that on her own. She is one vote on the commission.
“As more than a 35-year resident and having raised my family in Coral Gables, my commitment and priority has always been to improve the quality of life and to ensure that Coral Gables remains The City Beautiful,” her message states.
Ladra hasn’t seen any negative campaigning from Anderson, but it’s hard to hit Felix Pardo and Laureano Cancio, who have not been in office and have no real negative baggage.
Read related: Two more candidates say they will run for Coral Gables commission in April
Cancio has no money in his campaign account for mailers. Pardo has put out at least one of his own. And it’s not a hit piece, but it does raise concerns about overdevelopment and points the finger at Anderson for much of what has been approved. One one side, the registered architect lists his own achievements and service record, which includes stints on several community and city boards, including the planning and zoning board, which he served on twice and was chairman of.
The other side is a letter to voters.

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In the race for Coral Gables mayor, the campaign financing is super lopsided. Incumbent Mayor Vince Lago has out-fundraised Commissioner Kirk Menendez, who has challenged him — more than 16 to 1.
After coming in with a negative total in his December report, Lago’s campaign finance reports show he has raised $263,825 just since January, with $108,750 coming in the first two weeks of February. These last couple of months and the first week of March have doubled his take since last year to $430,925.
A lot of his contributions are still coming in at the $1,000 maximum amount, and a whole lot of it is not from Coral Gables, with addresses in Doral, Virginia Gardens, Hialeah, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami proper and as far away as Minneapolis, Baltimore, and Kirkland, Washington.
A lot of it is also from real estate developers and construction industry folks who know a friendly pol when they see one.
There are also a few bundles, which is one person or group contributing more than the maximum $1,000 through relatives and multiple companies. This includes $15,000 from former Commissioner Frank Quesada and John H. Ruiz, the University of Miami booster whose LifeWallet company was placed under civil and criminal investigations last year amid fraud allegations and billions of dollars that disappeared. The company was also sued by Cano Health, which alleged it was a “Ponzi scheme.”

Also listed is at least $5,000 each from the Agave developers, developer Lissette Calderon, contractor Carlos Marquez, another $4,000 between Jesse Manzano, his campaign consultant, and Ralph Garcia-Toledo — the two have a development firm together. Don’t feel too bad for Manzano, though, because he’s been paid more than $24,000 just since January for consulting and research.
Read related: Kirk Menendez strikes back at Coral Gables Mayor ‘Lyin’ Vince Lago’
This does not include anything raised by his political action committee, Coral Gables First, which hasn’t reported any transaction since last year.
In comparison, Menendez — who does not have a political action committee — has raised nearly $26,000 in total, since January of last year. He raised $8,480 since the beginning of this year. Only 12 of the 67 individual contributions are the $1,000 maximum donation. The great majority are from the Gables. And there are no bundles.
Gables voters are not easily swayed by fancy advertisements and slick videos. Two years ago, Commissioners Melissa Castro and Ariel Fernandez beat better funded candidates who had Lago’s support, which shows the mayor’s impact among voters is waning.
Because a lot of the people who donated to Lago’s campaign, unlike those who donated to Kirk’s, can’t vote in the city election.
The post Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago rakes in campaign funds, much from developers appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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Pero por supuesto.
Former Miami Commissioner Frank Carollo, brother to the current commissioner, has filed to run for the District 3 commission seat that he served two terms, from 2009 to 2017. This was expected and is not good news. He may not be as bad as his big brother, Commissioner Joe Carollo, but Frank Carollo is still not a good role model as a politician.
He took a mysterious free trip to Spain in 2011 and stayed at a swanky hotel (value: at least $1,635) and said it was paid for by AirEuropa, which had gotten a key to the city months earlier.
Frank Carollo also got out of a traffic ticket in 2012 by calling then Police Chief Manuel Orosa when he was stopped for crossing the double yellow line on a street in Coconut Grove. He got off with a warning. The Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust determined that there was probable cause that he abused his power.
And, in 2015, he was questioned by WLRN about the connection between some of his campaign donors and the upzoning (read: gentrification) of Little Havana.
Maybe it’s in the Carollo DNA.
Read related: Frank Carollo pleads ‘no contest’ to ‘call the chief’ ethics charge
Also running for the District 3 seat so far are Oscar Elio Alejandro, Rolando Escalona and Brenda Betancourt, who is president at Calle Ocho Inter-American Chamber of Commerce and a frequent speaker at the commission meetings. She is, so far, the frontrunner by all accounts. And she’s not worried.
Al contrario.
“It was no surprise because he had announced like three months ago,” Betancourt told Political Cortadito. “I think it’s better for me now that he’s in the race, because there’s more reason for voters to choose me. Before, we couldn’t really talk about him. What for? But now, we can remind voters that we had eight years of Frank Carollo and what did he do? Nothing.

“Now, the ‘Why vote for me’ is very easy. We have to stop corruption. We have to keep the city safe and we have to safeguard the tax dollars of our people.
“I’m happy that he’s in the race,” said Betancourt, who has been involved in civic activity for 34 years.
In the mayoral race, it was not expected that former Miami Commissioner Ken Russell would jumping (more on that later). And that is good news. He may get to run against Joe Carollo and/or former Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla, who was removed from office in 2023 after an arrest on public corruption charges that were later dropped. Other potential candidates include Commissioner Manolo Reyes and former city manager Emilio Gonzalez.
Read related: Long list of potential 2025 Miami mayoral candidates starts to take form
None of them have filed any paperwork, however, to indicate that they have opened a campaign bank account.  The other candidates who have, so far, are Ijamin Joseph Gray, Michael Hepburn, Maxwell “Max” Martinez and June Savage.
Russell announced last week and said that giveaway of $10 million to the Miami Freedom Park developers for the 58 acre park in their property was the deciding factor. He was the deciding vote in 2022 on the lease and only voted in favor because those $10 million had been promised as a “public benefit” to acquire and improve parks in other areas.
He is the first announced candidate who sounds like he could be good for Miami, even though he is also recycled.
Like award-winning filmmaker and activist Billy Corben has said repeatedly: “In Miami, we don’t recycle our trash, we re-elect it.”
The post Recycling in Miami: Frank Carollo and Ken Russell on the November ballot appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, facing the harshest budget year of her administration and almost certain cuts to services, asked all department heads earlier this month to identify where they could cut 10% of their expenses. Then, this week, she has recommended the county hand another $10.5 million subsidy to FIFA for the seven 2026 World Cup games that will be played here.
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association already got $10.5 million in cash and another $25 in donated or in-kind county services, like police and fire rescue. It was cut from their original request for $21 million in cash after pubic outcry last year, including criticism from Florida House Speaker Daniel “Danny” Perez.
Even Levine Cava, last year, had concerns about the subsidy, calling it a significant cost. That resistance was why Commissioner Oliver Gilbert, who sponsored the legislation (the World Cup games will at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens), decided to compromise and as for only half of the cash the organization wanted.
But even then, it seemed like another bait and switch was coming when Miami-Dade Commissioner Anthony Rodriguez said, “We might need more.”
Read related: Rep. Danny Perez enters Miami-Dade politics — as precursor to mayoral run?
Gilbert is again sponsoring the legislation that would give FIFA the other $10.5 mil.

But do they really need it?
All FIFA tournaments generate revenue from sponsorships. In 2022, FIFA had revenues of over $5.8 billion, ending the 2019–2022 cycle with a net positive of $1.2 billion, and cash reserves of over $3.9 billion, according to Wikipedia, which cites the organization’s own Financial Highlights report of April 2023. There have been investigative journalism reports over the years that have linked FIFA leadership with corruption, bribery and vote rigging.
Hmm. They should fit right in here.
This $10.5 million is a drop in the bucket for FIFA leaders, who all get big, fat bonuses, but important to Miami-Dade residents, who could see their services decrease.
The legislation is coming up at Tuesday’s county commission meeting. It is part of the “mid-year supplemental budget adjustments and amendments” for operating and capital expenses that total $137.258 million, according to the memo from the mayor’s office. That includes:

Almost $30 million for the new Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Department, most of it for bargaining concessions and overtime.
More than $1.3 million to the Property Appraiser’s office.
$6.3 million to the Tax Collector’s office.
$3.7 million for the Supervisor of Elections, for 16 new positions and “rebranding efforts.”
$750,000, or $150K for each of the constitutional positions, for outside legal counsel in the transition process.

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Police and firefighter unions endorse Kirk Menendez
It’s no surprise that both the Coral Gables Police and the Coral Gables Firefighters unions have endorsed Commissioner Kirk Menendez in his bid to become the next mayor in the April 8 election. Incumbent Mayor Vince Lago might want you to think that’s no big deal. But it’s only because he has always belittled and demeaned the city’s first responders.
He actually calls them “special interest groups.”
Yeah, they’re special. And their interest is protecting the lives and safety of Gables residents.
“As election season heats up, you may see some candidates bragging about endorsements from special interest groups — especially the police and fire unions,” Lago’s campaign handlers wrote in an email to residents paid for by his Coral Gables First political action committee. “But here’s what they won’t tell you: these endorsements weren’t made through a fair or transparent process.”
Lago complains that he wasn’t even invited to an interview by the police or fire unions. Would he have gone? He didn’t get a questionnaire either. “Because he refuses to play politics with special interests. Instead of seeking union bosses’ approval, he’s seeking yours,” the email states.
Read related: “Boo hoo!” Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago melts down at police press event
“These endorsements don’t represent the hardworking men and women who protector city.They’re decided behind closed doors by a handful of union leaders — without input from the rank and file.”
Hmmm. That’s not entirely true. Lago was probably not invited or asked any questions because we all know how he stands on police and firefighters: He hates them. He has belittled them time and time again. He makes fun of them. He ridicules and chides then in public meetings.

Also, fyi, union “bosses” are elected by the union membership. They represent the rank and file just like Lago and the commissioners are voted into office to represent the residents. Ladra would be willing to bet real money that a great majority if not all the police officers in the city endorse Menendez. The street cops. The bicycle cops. The marine patrol. The paramedics that bring people back to life. The drivers of the fire trucks and rescue vehicles. Everyone.
He also complains that the unions are funding a “flood of attack ads and text messages.” But that’s like los pajaros tirandole a la escopeta. Lago is the one whose Gable First PAC has been funding negative attack texts and emails against not only Menendez, but also the two commissioners that beat his handpicked candidates last year and have created a new majority that doesn’t include him. There have been at least 14 emails so far since January. But he sent a dozen or so texts last year, even before the campaigning began.
The email from Lago’s PAC is so egregious that the police and fire unions felt the need to send out a joint statement “regarding campaign information” to set the record straight.
“Our firefighters and police officers work tirelessly to protect Coral Gables, offering highest in class service to its residents, but they can only do their jobs effectively when they have the proper resources, support and leadership in place. Unfortunately, years of neglect, underfunding, and staffing shortages have placed unnecessary strain on our public safety departments—jeopardizing the well-being of both first responders and residents,” the statement says, adding that Lago is the one misleading the public.
“While recent upgrades to fire stations and emergency services have been promoted by Mayor Lago as major feats of progress, the truth is these were not proactive investments. They were urgent repairs made necessary by long-standing neglect:

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The Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust has dismissed two frivolous complaints against longtime Coral Gables activist Maria Cruz that were filed by proxies for Mayor Vince Lago — and most likely at his behest.
The first complaint was filed by his fundraiser, Brian Goldmeier, and the second by lobbyist Jorge Arrizurieta, who was Lago’s appointment to the city’s board of adjustments — until someone notified the administration that he had moved out of Coral Gables. The commission found no probable cause for the first complaint and no legal sufficiency for the second.
But there is no way that either of them didn’t file the complaint at Lago’s request or, at the very least, with his permission. They seem to be retaliation for last year’s unsuccessful mayoral recall that Cruz spearheaded. Attorney Ben Kuehne, who has represented Lago in separate matters, even went to the commission to argue on the complaint’s behalf.
“It obvious that they are trying to intimidate me,” Cruz, Lago’s loudest critic, told Political Cortadito.
To which Ladra says “Good luck with that!”
In the first complaint, Goldmeier — who recently moved to a home on Aledo Avenue– said Cruz “exploited” her official volunteer position on the city’s code enforcement board to intervene in a case, which she reported, about an orchid that he nailed to a tree in front of the house. She did write a series of emails to follow up and asked why he was issued a warning instead of a ticket. Goldmeier said he felt targeted because of his ties to Lago.
“Because it is known that I am a consultant for many elected officials in Miami-Dade County, some of whom Ms. Cruz does not support, I was concerned about her involvement in the complaint,” Goldmeier wrote in his complaint.
Read related: Mayor Vince Lago’s consultant files complaint vs Coral Gables recall activist
Cruz says she didn’t know it was Goldmeier’s house. Fat chance of that. She knows everything. But Goldmeier did wait six months to make the complaint, which was right after she started a recall against Mayor Lago that fell short by just 117 signatures. And that seems more retaliatory than a legitimate reporting of his orchid mauling.

The Ethics Commission did provide Cruz with a “letter of instruction” as to how to properly recuse herself. While she did recuse herself from vote at the code enforcement board in November, 2023 — where the violation was dismissed — she first went into a long explanation of how she became involved.
“In any such circumstance where recusal is advisable, it is important that the delineated three (3) steps of the recusal process be followed. First, publicly disclose the recusal and the nature of the conflict of interest,” the letter of instruction said. ” Second, leave the meeting while the matter is being discussed and voted upon. Third, file a written disclosure regarding the nature of the conflict with the City of Coral Gables City Clerk.”
In the second complaint, Arrizurieta accused Cruz of being an unregistered lobbyist. It was legally insufficient because it was a lie. Cruz was not a lobbyist because she is not paid to represent any entity. She represents herself and the interest of certain Gables residents. She might be a pain in the, er, neck to some politicos (read: Lago), but she ain’t a lobbyist by any measure. And Ladra suspects that both Arrizurieta and Lago, whose permission he must have sought to file the complaint, know this.
Read related: Coral Gables activist forms PAC to recall former friend, Mayor Vince Lago
Both the Miami-Dade code of ethics and the and the Gables ethics code “provide as an exemption to the definition of lobbyist to allow any person that appears for the purpose of self-representation without compensation of reimbursement, whether direct,
indirect, or contingent, to express support or opposition to any item.”
Nobody is paying Cruz. She is driven, but unpaid.
“The complaint fails to allege that Ms. Cruz worked on behalf of a principal, as is required for her to be considered a lobbyist under both the City and County lobbyist requirements,” the final order reads. “Additionally, if Ms. Cruz was not working on behalf of a principal, then it appears that she would be ‘lobbying’ on behalf of herself, which is exempted by provisions in both the City and County Code. Thus, Ms. Cruz would not be required to register as a lobbyist to speak with a member of the Coral Gables Board of Adjustment to express her opposition to a variance application.”
Ladra can’t help but wonder what their next complaint against Cruz will be. She should sue to recover any legal costs she may have incurred.
The post Ethics board dismissed two Vince Lago complaints against Coral Gables activist appeared first on Political Cortadito.

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