Peace, love and harmony was the theme of the Doral State of the City address Wednesday.
Kool and the Gang’s Celebration played over the speakers as a short slideshow of Doral’s achievements showed parks that had been completed or were about to be, road widening projects, the building of Doral City Hall, workshops and other happy moments.
But it didn’t take long for Mayor Luigi Boria to bring up the not so good times with what seemed like an olive branch offer to wipe the slate clean with City Manager Joe Carollo, with whom he has had an ugly public spat that has led to corruption investigations after the latter made a slew of allegations during a three-hour public meeting.
Boria never mentioned the investigations, of course. But after he quickly thanked the council members, Carollo and entire city staff, he surprised a lot of people by announcing that he had written a letter to the manager.
“I am not going to read the letter in its entirety but I am going to emphasize that it is time to move forward,” Boria said. And, yes, Ladra and everyone else, I am sure, has asked for that letter.
It was clear, though, that the message Boria was sending publicly Wednesday was that he is “turning the page” and building bridges to start fresh.
But it may take a lot more than one letter and a public pep rally to mend fences in the aftermath of a very ugly dispute between the mayor and his one-time confidante, the former mayor of Miami, who made several serious allegations against the young city’s top elected official less than two months ago. Which was around the time Boria tried, but failed, to fire him.
Maybe this is just Boria reacting to the fact that he doesn’t have the same power at City Hall as he does at his private company. And that he didn’t have the votes to fire Carollo.
“I think he understands the manager is here to stay and he answers to the council,” said Vice Mayor Christi Fraga. “He’s done a good job and I think there’s a lot still to be done,” she added, referring to Carollo.
Councilwoman Sandra Ruiz said it has been a “year of learning” for the mayor to, one surmises, understand the rules of public office and she expects a “better year” in 2014. “He has more experience. He knows more his limitations.”
Councilwoman Ana Maria Rodriguez said she was “happily surprised” to see the mayor “address the thing that has been on top of everyone’s minds.
“I know it’s the holiday season and we all tend to be benevolent and generous. I hope his actions follow his words. I hope it’s not a holiday feeling,” Rodriguez told Ladra. “This has been a year of transition. It takes time for people to work together.
“We have been working,” Rodriguez added. “Unfortunately, it has been overshadowed by a lot of the petty nonsense. Now, our residents are going to see the work.”
Councilwoman Bettina Rodriguez Aguilera told Spanish news reporters that the worry is the political dispute could be disruptive economically. “Stability is so important to keep the businesses. We have to be a stable city,” she said.
And maybe this is just Boria reacting to those type of sentiments indicated in a recent poll he brought up in the speech.
“The people of Doral do not like to see the discord between the city manager and myself. The people of Doral do not want to see this dispute anymore,” Boria said during his address, citing the survey that he hasn’t taken public credit for but to which, he told Ladra, he had access to the results of and which must have been done, he said, by someone who likes him.
“It is time to usher in a better system of cooperation and get past our scuttle and begin anew,” he said Wednesday. “The people of this city elected me as a mayor and you as council members and expect us all to work in a dignified house.”
He quoted Lincoln about a house divided (later, he quoted John F. Kennedy) and then went back to the letter. That danged letter that I can’t get my hands on ’til tomorrow.
“I recommended the city manager…knowing his capabilities and experience,” Boria said, apparently forgetting that he told everyone weeks ago that he had made a huge mistake by hiring him. “Mr. Carollo, the letter I recently sent to you and the intent of that letter is to recognize the excellent job that you have done and continue to do.
“We are mature adults that can see far and beyond our faults,” he said, bringing up the Christmas tree lighting days ago an the Menorah lighting just moments earlier.
“The focus of both ceremonies was light. Let’s use light as a source of new energy for the administration,” he said, sounding very much like the pastor he is in his off time. “Let this light mean a new beginning for our city. a new beginning that means collaboration, peace and unity in the city.”
But is he really as forgiving as he told Ladra that he was? Has he really buried the hatchet?
Carollo was very guarded when he spoke to me. He was grateful for the recognition of his work.
“I have never stopped working, professionally leading our staff and city in a professional way. I will continue doing that,” he said. “We did everything the mayor requested in helping make sure tonight was a success.” (Note to self: Another request to make).
But the manager did raise an eyebrow when I asked him to respond to the mayor’s olive branch and said he would wait and see how things play out. Then he made some bizarre reference to a fictional character.
“We might want to take the pelican from the flag and we might want to put a Barney up,” he said.
Say what? Does he mean the egret in the city seal and replace it with the purple dinosaur of toddler fame?
You know, “I love you, you love me?”
And what does that mean exactly?
Luigi Boria makes State of the City surprise olive branch added by Ladra on
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