There is a secret meeting in Miami Beach this afternoon at which the city manager’s contract will be discussed, as well as several other measures that include limiting residential input into government policy.
City Manager Jimmy Morales could come out of it with a raise and a five-year contract. Not right away, maybe. But once they know how the votes are going to go, a commission meeting is just a rubber stamp.
The Committee as a Whole meeting — coming three weeks after Morales asked for a five year extension and for the city commission to authorize the finance committee to negotiate a raise — is not a regular commission meeting. It is a more like a secret gathering. It is not in commission chambers. It is in the manager’s office conference room. It is not aired on television or streamed live online or even recorded. There is no public input.
If Commissioner Michael Góngora had not put it on Facebook, nobody would have known it was happening.
City commissioners got an emailed agenda from the mayor’s chief of staff Friday. “Below are the items to be discussed at Tuesday’s Committee of the Whole. Do you want to add anything,” Michelle Burger wrote, before adding the items:

City Manager Performance Evaluation
Ballot Questions / Resolutions
Best Practices for the Office of the Mayor & Commission
Eliminating the Commission Committee system and moving towards two (2) Commission meetings a month
Quarterly meetings for all boards and committees (except land use boards
Policies related to presentation and awards agenda

The last one seems pretty boring, but the rest certainly seem like they should be discussed at an open and public city commission meeting.
Particularly the manager’s evaluation, which was taken off the table by Mayor Dan Gelber last summer, when the commission evaluated the city attorney, Góngora said.
“I had inquired whether or not we were going to be evaluating the city manager and I was advised it would happen at a future date,” Góngora told Ladra, who said he was put off by fact that it came so much later on the heels of the request for a five year extension.
“Regardless of how you feel about the city manager’s performance, I’m unaware of us ever doing such a lengthy contract extension in the past,” Góngora said.
Gelber did not return a call for comment. Commissioners John Aleman, Micky Steinberg and Ricky Arriola did not return emails seeking comment Tuesday morning, although Arriola did have his aide call back and stress that the 2 p.m. meeting nobody knew about — with the seven commissioners, their staff, the city manager and his staff and the attorney and clerk and their staff in the manager’s conference room — is open to the public.
Commissioner Mark Samuelian said he was not concerned because nothing would be determined Tuesday without further discussion. “I’m under the impression there will be more than one discussion,” Samuelian said, adding that a salary increase would  go before the finance committee.
But when? Because also on the agenda for the secret meeting is a discussion about having all boards and committees meet quarterly instead of monthly or more regularly. This item would clearly get a lot of comment at a regular commission meeting.
“They are suggesting that the frequency of the meetings could be burdensome to city staff,” Samuelian said, adding that he wants to hear from staff about just how stressful it is and from his appointees to see what they think.
Góngora said he opposed the idea. “Those committees do a great job. Limiting them to once a quarter would stifle them and the hard work they do. It would severely impact citizen involvement,” he said.
There’s another questionable item about scrapping the committee structure within the commission and having all issues go before the full commission twice a month. These meetings are already 12 hours long sometimes, and this would likely make them longer. But it would also give the mayor more control.
No wonder he’s bringing these things up in secret.

Read Full Story

When Audrey Edmonson took over as chair of the county commission last month, she mentioned term limits that will force her to step down in November — and lamented there’s going to be a brain drain because of it.
“The board will never have as much combined experience as it does today,” she said. “There will be a great loss of institutional knowledge.”
Don’t make us laugh, Audrey dear.
First, the idea that there is a lot of brain power on the county commission is funny enough on its own. Have you met Javier Suarez? But the thought that newbies without any government experience are going to be running county government is utterly ridiculous when, in fact, we have a slew of veteran lawmakers already chomping at the bit.
Our next commission will most likely be a bunch of familiar faces playing yet another round of political musical chairs.
Read related: Commission term limits don’t really mean new faces
Five open seats — a miracle caused by the passage of term limits by voters in 2012 — have provided a unique opportunity for upwardly mobile local politicians to climb the government ladder.
Former State Sen. Rene Garcia was the first elected to throw his hat in the ring, running for the District 13 Hialeah/Miami Lakes seat that will be vacated by Esteban Bovo, who is termed out and running for county mayor. He did it last year, before he even left office, and has already raised $7,197, which is pennies because he hasn’t gotten started yet.
Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert, himself termed out this year at the city, filed paperwork last month to run for the District 1 seat being vacated by Barbara Jordan, and has a big fundraiser at the NINE club at Hard Rock Joe Robbie stadium on Feb. 28. Jordan and Gilbert will also co-host the 6th Annual Black Heritage Festival at Miami Carol City High and it seems he has her seal of approval. Jordan, who has been a commissioner for 14 years already, could also run for mayor of Miami Gardens because, well, what else is she gonna do?
Las malas lenguas say another seat swap is planned between Edmonson and Miami Commissioner Keon Hardemon and that they struck a deal to support each other. He hasn’t filed any paperwork and there are already two other candidates who have. But neither one has raised any real money and Hardemon, who has publicly said he plans to run, would start off as a frontrunner by a million miles.
Nobody has talked publicly about Edmonson running for Hardemon’s seat but we already know she feels she has the experience and “institutional knowledge” (read: special interest connections). And, like Jordan, Edmonson — who will have served 15 years at the county and served as El Portal mayor before that — might not know how to survive if released to the wild. Don’t ask Ladra if Edmonson lives in the district because that doesn’t always matter, as proven by Joe Carollo, who somehow convinced a judge that he lived in a tiny apartment he just rented in Little Havana rather than in the really nice Coconut Grove house he and his wife have owned for years.
Former Miami-Dade School Board Member Raquel Regalado lives in District 7, where Xavier Suarez is termed out and, most likely, running for county mayor. At least for now. Regalado, who lost a mayoral bid in 2016, has switched races three times already. First she was going to run for Congress in District 27, then she was going to run for state Senate in District 40, then she switched over to run for senate in District 37 where Jose Javier Rodriguez sits now. Then, since a Democrat won the congressional race and J-Rod is sitting put for now, she moved on to the county. But who knows with her? She may run for a city of Miami seat in 2019 instead? Or state rep.
Read related: State Rep. Kionne McGhee runs for District 9 county commission
State Rep. Kionne McGhee hasn’t filed any paperwork either but he confirmed to Ladra Sunday that he would run for the District 9 seat in South Dade vacated by Dennis Moss, who has been in that very same office since 1993, same as Commissioner Javier Souto, who was miraculously re-elected in November.
Does that mean Moss is going to run for state rep in District 117?
Ladra couldn’t reach him over the weekend. But I’d make that bet.

Read Full Story

Miami-Dade Commissioner Xavier Suarez is not only running for mayor in 2020 (probably), he’s got a whole slate of commission candidates he is supporting.
“Ordinarily, it would seem a bit early to engage in those discussions,” Suarez said.
But this is no ordinary election. Term limits approved by voters in 2012 mean that five of the seven county commission seats on the 2020 ballot will be wide open. That makes for a unique opportunity to change the make up of the board — and its priorities — which has people coming out of the woodwork.
That “together with the announcement of various eminent candidates for the five open seats, compels me to make my own plans clear – beginning with what issue and which candidates are likely to advance the county in the right direction,” X said.

Read related: Carlos Gimenez taps commissioner to block return of 1/2 penny funds
Suarez, who announced his endorsements last week, naturally would want allies for his administration and indicated that these candidates will support his efforts to separate the half penny funds from operational and maintenance expenses and implement the S.M.A.R.T. plan.
“Winston Churchill defined ‘squandermania’ as diverting taxpayers’ money for useless or improper purposes,” Suarez said, hinting at a word we might see on the campaign trail. “The misuse of the half-cent for 17 years, totaling $1.8 billion, must end in 2020. I am committed to supporting five new commissioners who will see to that.”
Those candidates are:

District 1: Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert, a “dogged champion and architect of Miami Garden’s renaissance as the eminently livable city in the northernmost region of the county. Recently selected chairman of the Transportation Planning Organization, he has fought for prioritizing the northern corridor of the S.M.A.R.T. Plan and to recoup municipal powers over the site of Hard Rock Stadium.”
District 3: Miami Commissioner Keon Hardeman, who “has distinguished himself as chairman of both the Miami City Commission and the SE Overtown C.R.A. His relentless pursuit of tax increment bond monies resulted in $60 million of financing, including affordable housing and commercial/cultural development, that have already transformed NW 3rd Avenue into one of the most desirable places to live, work, and play in the urban core.
District 7: Former Miami-Dade School Board Member and one-time mayoral candidate Raquel Regalado, who “led the effort to complete and promote MAST Academy, as well as bringing the school system to its present ‘A’ rating. She is a vocal critic of ‘squandermania’ of the half-cent surcharge funds and a strong proponent of the S.M.A.R.T. Plan using rail, as presented to the voters in 2002.”
In District 9: State Rep. and Minority Leader Kionne McGhee., considered “the emotional leader of the battle to bring rail to the South Dade transitway. He, too, is a vocal critic of ‘squandermania’ of the half-cent surcharge funds, testifying before the CITT in the 2017 board meeting that led to the resolution calling for the unwinding of unification by 2019.”
In District 13: Former State Sen. Rene Garcia, “one of the most respected legislators ever to serve our county. He is committed to using the half-cent surcharge for its proper purposes. He has been a steadfast supporter of Medicaid expansion in Florida. Like the others in this slate, he believes that a society is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable citizens.”

Read Full Story

State Rep. Kionne McGhee will run for the Miami-Dade County Commission seat in District 9 this year that is vacated by the term-limited Dennis Moss. In fact, he’s the hand picked successor.
McGhee hasn’t filed any paperwork and didn’t call Ladra back Sunday, but he was publicly endorsed by Moss Saturday at the Richmond Heights Community Development Corporation Founders breakfast and had told a Miami Herald reporter days earlier that he would back the state rep, who becomes the fourth elected or former elected for sure (there might be five) running for an open county seat due to term limits, approved by voters in 2012, forcing five of the seven commissioners whose terms are up this year to step down.
Read related: Republicans enter House races against Richardson, McGhee
Former State Sen. Rene Garcia, the first to file paperwork, is running in District 13, where Commissioner Esteban Bovo is termed out and most likely running for mayor. Miami Gardens Mayor Oliver Gilbert is running in District 1, where Barbara Jordan sits now. And former Miami-Dade School Board Member Raquel Regalado, who lost a bid for mayor in 2016, has officially changed her next race (again) to a bid for District 7, where Xavier Suarez sits now while he runs for mayor, too. The three of them have already opened campaign accounts and filed paperwork.
Because open seats create opportunities for non incumbents, three other candidates have also filed paperwork to run in District 9: They are Pastor Mark Coats of Grace of God Baptist Church in Miami, which is affiliated with Grace Christian Preparatory School, Community Councilman and activist Johnny Farias and attorney and activist Marlon Hill, Southridge High Class of ’88.  According to the latest campaign reports, Coats has raised $24,415, Farias just under $5,000 and Hill filed in February so his first report is due in March.
Read related: Tales for Tallahassee: Quick observations from Dade Days
Farias, the only candidate Ladra could reach on Sunday, said he was staying in the race, even though Moss had already publicly endorsed McGhee.
McGhee is a Democrat who was first elected to the state House in 2012 to fill the seat vacated by Dwight Bullard, who was elected to the Senate. Gosh that seems like such a long time ago. He was able to defend his seat in 2014 against a female Hispanic Republican who didn’t put up much of a campaign and last year he was unopposed.
When he first got to Tallahassee, he turned his desk around so that it did not come between him and his guests. I expect that same kind of accessibility at the county level, where he has been South Dade’s principal champion for rail and not really fast buses. Ladra fully expects that to be the gist of his campaign.

Read Full Story

Dear Mr. Jeff Bezos:
You don’t know me. I am not an elected official. But I do order a lot of stuff on Amazon. And I live near your old neighborhood in Cutler Ridge. My daughter graduated from Miami Palmetto High, your alma mater. Go Panthers!
I know you are under a lot of pressure from local electeds and business leaders to bring your Amazon HQ2 here, now that you’ve scrapped New York City from the plans. And I understand it is tempting. We have great weather, beaches and culture and a diverse and technically savvy workforce thirsting for opportunities like the ones you will bring. I want Amazon here, too.
But you also have a rare opportunity to do something for your onetime home community by making some requests or setting some conditions on coming.
Read related: Mayor Carlos Gimenez lies about Miami-Dade to get Amazon HQ2
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez is desperate for you to come here. He has been trying to get you here for months, dangling economic incentives in front of you and your peeps. It would be a great, big feather in his cap and he wants to boast about it as part of his legacy.
You have him right where you want him.
Friday afternoon, Gimenez wrote a desperate letter:
Dear Mr. Bezos:
As Mayor of Miami-Dade County, I would like to extend a hand in partnership and encourage you to reconsider Miami as one of the sites for your North American headquarters expansion.
I understand that Amazon has decided not to pursue an additional headquarters at this time, which is completely understandable. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t take this opportunity to reopen the lines of communication because Miami, without a doubt, has the talent, technology and low taxes to serve Amazon’s needs. In short, we are confident that the diversity, dynamic entrepreneurial spirit and openness to partnership that drew Amazon to our community in the first place continue to be worthy of consideration.
As senior executives of your team learned during their visit to our world-class community last year, Miami is committed to a successful, collaborative partnership with Amazon. To that end, I would like to personally invite you and your team back to our community to discuss how Amazon and Miami can continue to grow together. Please reach out to me directly to schedule a time when we can re-engage in this exciting opportunity.
Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you.
Ladra definitely wants him to hear from you, Mr. Bezos. But she wants him to hear an earful.
Read related: Carlos Gimenez taps commissioner to block return of 1/2 penny funds
You should tell him how the lack of public transportation options or the mayor’s seriousness in addressing the issue is one of the main reasons why Miami didn’t cut it in the first round. You should encourage him to stop stealing the half-penny tax that was supposed to go to the expansion of rail and rapid transit and using it to balance his budget. You should tell him to stop going to such great lengths to keep using those funds, and blocking efforts to unmingle the monies.
Mr. Bezos, you might actually have more pull with our mayor than we, the constituents he likes to ignore. Gimenez actually had the audacity to tell us during his re-election campaign that more rail was coming, when he never had any intention to do that. He had a critic removed from an independent citizen board on transportation issues.
You are in a unique position to stop some of this bullying and really actually make something happen for us.
Don’t do it for me. Do it for your fellow Panthers.
P.S.: Just in case nobody told you, Gimenez was the first mayor to kowtow to President Donald Trump when he went against sanctuary cities. And his lobbyist son worked for him. FYI.

Read Full Story