The Miami-Dade County commission committees — where the real wheeling and dealing for county contracts occurs — were repartido, or handed out, last week to the new batch of commissioners. And it’s clear who the chairman’s favorites are and who, ahem, are not.
New Commission Chairman Jose “Pepe” Diaz, who was sworn in under way too much pomp and circumstance a week earlier, exercised his biggest power when he sent out a memo Tuesday with the committee chair assignments — one of the reasons to be a commissioner in the first place — and appointments. He also changed the committee structures a bit, which means giving them new cool names, and merging them when appropriate.
This is Pepe’s prime prerogative. The big stick the chairman carries. So he’s going to use it to reward friends and punish enemies.
Read related: Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz takes Miami-Dade lead in last two years
Is that why commissioners Rene Garcia and Joe Martinez got nada? They are each said to be in the dog house. Martinez for being his cranky curmudgeon self and diminishing Pepe’s rise by blaming the inexperience of the board (las malas lenguas say he wanted to be chair). And Garcia for grandstanding on the District 8 appointment and almost everything else.
Neither of the two highest profile Republicans got to chair a committee. That also means that they are the only two elected commissioners not in the Chairman’s Policy Council. It is kind of a weird move by a Republican chair who is going to run for something (likely Sweetwater mayor) in just two years.
New commission appointee Danielle Cohen Higgins is also chair-free and off the Policy Council — but she gets three choice vice chair positions. The first is on the Infrastructure, Operations and Innovations committee chaired by Commissioner Raquel Regalado, who got exactly what she wanted. Regalado is intent on getting septic-to-sewer connected wherever possible as soon as possible. It’s almost all she talks about. And innovations? Well, why, that could be anything.
This is a powerful board because there’s a lot of money in infrastructure and water and sewer. So it will help Cohen Higgins raise money for the election she still wants to run in two years. So does her position as vice chair of the Airports and Economic Development and Housing and Community Services, the latter of which will be chaired by Commissioner Jean Monestime.
In a wtf moment, Commissioner Keon “Pay-to-Play” Hardemon got chair of the Airports and Economic Development Committee. Just give him the county wallet, why don’t you? Airport concession agreements and development at Opa-Locka and Kendall Executive are sure to make the Hardemon family and friends plan members richer. Las malas lenguas say that was the price Keon put on his vote for chair. There’s really no other good reason. It’s like putting the fox in the henhouse, and that’s what everybody is saying, not just Ladra.
Former State Rep. Kionne McGhee, who is gonna be great but would have preferred transportation, got Health, Emergency Management and Intergovernmental Affairs. That was, like, a Garcia given. The former senator has spent most of his political career in Tallahassee advocating for expanded healthcare and his private efforts on eradicating HIV in Miami-Dade. We’re talking years. Decades. He is a healthcare hero to many in the community, including the real healthcare heroes at Jackson Health System.
Read related: Jackson, healthcare workers in Miami-Dade make 2020 political gains via SEIU
At least Garcia gets to be vice chair and is eager to work with McGhee on initiatives to provide more health care, preventative care and other resources to Miami-Dade residents.
McGhee, meanwhile, will take his fight for rail to South Dade to the Transportation, Mobility and Planning Committee, where he is vice chair under Commissioner Eileen Higgins, who is likely to prioritize the BayLink, whatever they decide to call it. But this committee plays second fiddle to the Transportation Planning Organization, which is chaired by Commission Vice Chairman Oliver Gilbert, who is a voting member of every committee.
This is going to be fun to watch, even if nothing gets done. Again.
Commissioners Rebeca Sosa and Javier Souto got to chair the Port Miami and Environmental Resilience and the Recreation and Culture (read: Parks) committees, respectively, because it’s tradition. Commissioner Sally Heyman got chair of Community Safety and Security, with Martinez as Vice Chair. Yawn.
Committee meetings will also be staggered so that some will begin at 6 p.m., which was one of the requests of the new commissioners who have day jobs. They will meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning Feb. 9, which is after the first commission meeting of the year this Wednesday, Jan. 20.
New committee structure under Pepe Diaz suggests alliances and snubs added by Ladra on
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