Commission Chairman Jose “Pepe” Diaz seizes power, fills void
Miami-Dade Commission Chairman Jose “Pepe” Diaz is flexing again and could get his colleagues to strip Mayor Daniella Levine Cava of more power by taking certain offices and departments from the mayor’s purview.
The commission already voted 10-3 in March at first reading to give Diaz “responsibility for fiscal review and managerial and operational oversight” of certain offices, including the hiring and firing of directors.
The resolution up for final vote Tuesday further requires “such offices to respond to inquiries by the Chairperson; transferring the Military Affairs Board from under the purview of the County Mayor to the Chairperson; eliminating certain responsibilities of County Mayor with respect to such offices; transferring certain responsibilities of County Mayor with respect to such offices to the Chairperson.”
Like, what’s she got left?
Read related: La Alcaldesa Daniella Levine Cava gets installed, declares war on COVID
As soon as he was named chair, Diaz stole Jennifer Moon from the mayor with a better job as the commission’s budget and policy advisor. Okay, stole might be strong. It looked like Moon was going to be canned by DLC. And having their own budget director is something the commission has talked about for years, something that will come in handy at budget time.
Last month, the commission took the $4.8 million county portion of the Miami Marlins settlement that DLC wanted for the general fund and divied it up between them. They each got almost $370K more in their slush funds. This was after Diaz took over the settlement negotiations, to DLC’s surprise, and got $1 million more than the original offer.
Then Diaz proposed that he represent the county in the state legislature and congress as the county’s top lobbyist, a job usually reserved for the mayor. Both went to Tallahassee last month. But only Diaz, a Republican, met with Gov. Ron DeSantis.
“She handles the administration. I do the legislative part,” Diaz told Ladra.
La Alcaldesa has been pretty much in the back seat, not the driver’s seat, since elected. Sure, she’s out doing surveys and taking photos at COVID vaccine sites and unveiling art installations and fundraising (!) for Democrats. In fact, she is registered to seek contributions for four political action committees. Four! Not just her own Our Democracy PAC but also the Miami Women’s PAC, the Florida Democratic Party and the Miami-Dade Democratic Party.
Not part of her job description, but whatever.
Read related: Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz takes the lead in his last two years
These, um, distractions have caused some things to move very slowly at County Hall. Ladra has heard complaints from staff and commissioners — and many say they love the way Diaz is taking charge — that it takes the mayor’s office too long to do anything.
So Diaz is stepping in to do it for her. He doesn’t characterize it as a power grab.
“I’m taking this seriously. It has to be serious. A lot of new people are coming in,” Diaz said, referring to five new commissioners elected in November. “We want to make sure we leave everything codified and done correctly.
“All I’m trying to do is leave the place better than I found it. Is it breaking some eggs to make an omelette? Yes,” he said.
Diaz has also taken the lead on issues while she has shrunk in her seat. She raises her hand to speak at commission meetings. Or doesn’t speak on matters that she coulda shoulda chimed in on, like the 87th Avenue bridge that she blocked as commissioner and her successor has resuscitated.
La Alcaldesa has even called Diaz “mayor” at public meetings. At least twice as Ladra watched live. Probably more times I haven’t seen.
It’s a law of nature: a vacuum will be filled. And even DLC recognizes it.
Ladra is surprised Diaz hasn’t moved on the $135 million from the naming rights at the soon-to-be FTX Arena.
La Alcaldesa Daniella Levine Cava weakens Miami-Dade ‘strong mayor’ added by Ladra on
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