So, it was apparently Coral Gables Commissioner Kirk Menendez who came up with the plan to give himself and his colleagues some pretty big raises in salaries, more wiggle room in their expense accounts and brand new car allowances where there were none.
Newly-elected Commissioners Melissa Castro and Ariel Fernandez apparently agreed, according to City Manager Peter Iglesias, who can count.
“I was asked by one commissioner and I touched base with the others and three commissioners decided to do it,” Iglesias told Ladra, confirming that Menendez was the one who approached him about the bigger compensation package.
“I work with three, right? I’d rather work with five but I work with three and that’s why the increase is there,” he said.
It’s odd, however, that none of them owned up to it during the first budget hearing Wednesday.
Read related: Whopping pay raise for commissioners is tucked into Coral Gables budget
“This should have been handled in a commission meeting, not lumped into the budget,” said Mayor Vince Lago, who also said he didn’t want the 53% raise. He doesn’t need it with all his side gigs (more on that later).
“We want to be up front. We, all of us, want to be clear. I wasn’t notified,” Lago said. “Who approved this raise? Who requested it?”
Nobody raised their hand.
“My understanding is there was a majority support for the increase,” said Coral Gables Finance Director Diana Gomez, who had to look in her notes and added that the request was made through the city manager’s office after the first draft of the budget was published.
For the five-member commission, the increase this year totals $265,000, Gomez said.
The mayor’s salary would jump from $44,905 a year to $69,000 a year, although he said more than once that he would not take it. His annual expense account would jump from $6,000 to $9,600 and he would get a brand new car allowance — there isn’t one now — of $8,446 ($704 monthly).
The vice mayor’s salary goes from $39,285 to $67,000. Commissioners’ salaries would go from $36,488 to $65,000 a year (is that 78%?!). The proposed compensation also includes doubling commission expense accounts to $800 and a brand new $704 car allowance.
“I will not be taking a salary increase,” Lago said. “It sends a horrible message, especially when people have told me its supposed to be a part time job.”
“I don’t like the smell of it,” said Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson, who also said she didn’t want it.
She agreed that it should have been brought up at a commission meeting. “So there’s transparency and not something slid in at the last minute at the first public hearing after we have had a budget published for residents to see all summer long,” she said.
Both Lago and Anderson voted against the $258 million budget the city passed on first reading Wednesday.
Read related: In Coral Gables, Melissa Castro calls out Vince Lago for his rudeness, disrespect
Menendez said the raise and compensation will bring the City Beautiful up to date. “Since the 1980s, there really hasn’t been an increase at all,” he told Ladra. “It’s not a part time job. It’s a full time job and we are doing the job.”
“The salaries the commission has in this budget is equal to what our administrative assistants make,” Menendez said.
Why couldn’t he have just said that from the dais?
In his commission meeting summary, Fernandez also justified the pay increases.
“The Commission’s compensation was last modified in the 1980s. There have been cost of living adjustments, but as the mayor stated yesterday, those were limited,” Fernandez wrote in the email blast. “Our expense stipend has also remained unchanged for years and has not received any consideration for inflation.
“The new compensation is equivalent to that of an administrative assistant in the city. It would be comparable to that of municipalities of similar population and budget, such as Doral and North Miami,” Fernandez said. He also has a YouTube video that gives a recap of the commission meeting.
“This change would allow for the Commission to continue to focus more time to addressing resident’s needs. Every member of this Commission devotes over 40 hours a week to this job and takes it seriously. We not only participate in 11+ hour marathon Commission meetings like yesterdays, but we also have agenda review meetings, city staff meetings, open-door office hours, site visits with residents, events, budget review sessions, returning resident calls and emails and many other responsibilities required to represent your interests.”
Again, why couldn’t he just say so from the dais?
3 Coral Gables commissioners want a raise, car allowance, more benefits added by Ladra on
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[…] is just sour grapes. The three amigos voted to give themselves a raise and more expense money for cars and phones. Whether you think they deserve it or you think it’s an abuse of power, […]
[…] Read related: 3 Coral Gables commissioners want a raise, car allowance, more benefits […]
[…] reference is to a salary increase the three commissioners — Castro, Fernandez and Menendez — passed in September at budget time. Lago and Vice […]
No me sorprende de melissa castro a ella le gusta el dinero ajeno…
This is incredible. They are serving their own self interest not their constituents. They knew what their job entailed. Vote them out!
No raises !!! No one can afford any!
Big deal. Give them a raise, they work hard and deserve it. Maybe if we pay our elected officials, they can concentrate on solving our problems and not be as likely to take favors from developers and other non-residents.
Vote these people out!
Forward this article to as many Coral Gables residents as you can. I have done it and many are surprised.!
Vote them out!!!
The increase in salary shouldn’t be objected, but the increase of property taxes is, there should be enough money from the taxes of all those new and luxurious high rises to cover the budget.
MY FATHER IS ARIEL FERNÁNDEZ
One day a fourth-grade teacher asked the children what their fathers did for a living.. All the typical answers came up — fireman, mechanic, businessman, salesman, doctor, lawyer, and so forth.
However, little Justin was being uncharacteristically quiet, so when the teacher prodded him about his father, he finally replied,’
Okay…my father’s an exotic dancer in a gay cabaret and takes off all his clothes in front of other men and they put money in his underwear.
Sometimes, if the offer is really good, he will go home with some guy and stay with him all night for money.’
The teacher, obviously shaken by this statement, hurriedly set the other children to work on some exercises and then took little Justin aside to ask him, ‘Is that really true about your father?’
‘No’, the boy said, ‘He actually worked for the Ariel Fernandez campaign in Coral Gables and helped get him elected commisioner last year, but he is such a disaster that I was too embarrassed to say that in front of the class.’
America’s national debt has topped $33T for the first time, according to the latest figures from the Treasury Department. The record amount of red ink and gloomy fiscal milestone but its ok.to get a 79% raise for being a city commissioner? Lets simply recall all 3 unless this is reversed!! Shortest term commissioners.STC
Ariel Fernandez and Kirk Menendez never held a real job in their lives… They are making more money now then they with that trash publication and as a volunteer soccer dad…
Do we have the power to recall these commissioners? Just curious.
SECRETICO SECRETICO ES MALA EDUCACION
I am in shock as a resident. I thought free breakfast and lunch at Le Parc was an abuse of power. But now we have to subsidize Ariel’s vehicle and Burger Bobs order.
Yes please get Ariel a car. That golf cart is hideous.
Ariel doesn’t get enough free breakfast and lunch at Le Parc as it is?
I think Hercules Mulligan is spot on in his analysis. Someone really thought this through and discussed it – the increases to the pay and expense accounts, and the new goodie – the car stipend, that’s a lot of moving parts. This was a backroom deal cut by Menendez, Fernandez, and Castro – the new majority. “Kirk, you vote with us on the election change, the Fire contract, and the City charter and we will give you cover on the pay hike, while we also take the juicy benefit.”
I, too, regret my votes for these three. It is bitterly ironic that Fernandez and Castro campaigned on restoring transparency and integrity to City Hall. Since April, all they have done is the opposite. It appears that the narcissism and corruption have only doubled in City Hall.
Equal opportunity kvetch here and fair is fair, so Ariel, Kirk and Melissa, it’s your turn. You must really not want to get re-elected. Especially you, Kirk. You’re up in less than two years and are already not well-liked by residents. And you, Ariel and Melissa, you campaigned on claims of transparency and putting residents first, and asserted you would be the salve for corruption. You now look like the complete opposite. I voted for all three of you in your respective elections. This makes me re-think my choices, which really were limited by poor quality candidates all around.
That none of you had the betzim (Yiddish for “balls”) to own up to this item in the meeting this past week shows you are all cowards. Ariel, you are good at giving others lectures and rude, condescending stunts like passing out “Robert’s Rules” to fellow commissioners, but you are a chicken when it comes to admitting to something you know will not land right with residents.
Melissa, you sit there and talk about disrespect from the mayor and vice-mayor. You are right about how they treated you, but you apparently think you don’t need to give respect. It cuts both ways, and people will now question whether you are due any.
And Kirk…well I guess we should just expect this from you. We’ve been told you pulled financial shenanigans when you first joined the commission to benefit your properties in the downtown area. Now you’re up to more money tricks for your own profit. Leopards never change their spots.
How could this come about without Sunshine Laws being violated? My bet is that Kirk was going to vote with Vince and Rhonda for the elections change, but instead saw a chance to get paid. He probably figured Ariel and Melissa would support him on the salary/perk issue if he supported them on the elections issue. There’s the quid pro quo. Then they could all play like the three “hear no evil, see no evil, say no evil” monkeys if it ever came to light. Well it did and you got burned.
Gables residents (i.e. me, my family, my friends and neighbors) lose when our elected officials try to pull crap like this. You may be right on the merits, but that doesn’t matter anymore because the worthiness of your position will now be drowned out by the (correct) perception that you’re all just another bunch of sneaky, thieving politicians suckling at the taxpayer’s teat and only out to enrich yourselves at the expense of those you claim you want “put first.”. You three really blew it.
they haven’t had an increase since 1980? That’s absurd. Of course, they deserve a raise.
Residents not just in Coral Gables, but in the entire country are struggling to make ends meet every month. Few are fortunate enough to receive salary increases at this time, and most, only after years of hard-earned and effective performance at their jobs.
And yet, just a few months after winning their seats, the new commissioners tried to sneak not only a pay increase, a monthly expense account, AND a travel allowance, no less! Something they haven’t earned yet!
And why all the secrecy? Why didn’t the new commissioners have the fortitude to raise their hand and explain themselves when the issue came up during the Commission’s last meeting?
They had to be “outed” after the info was released. What?! Did they think nobody would find out?!
Didn’t they know what the job paid when they ran for the position they now hold?!
But, it’s justified, right? OK. I can sympathize, but…
How about this – Just putting it out there to see if this gets any traction – Commissioners get the pay raise they want, but not immediately. Wait at least 2 years after an election before it kicks-in. And since they consider the job to be a full-time position (which I agree with), have them resign their current employment so they can dedicate all their energies to our residents and the City they so love.
One cannot serve 2 masters…or can they?
Funny thing, Ladra, you said that you found it “odd” that the new commissioners didn’t raise their hands when the issue came up during the last meeting.
I didn’t find it funny…I found it typical.
Satisfied with your vote yet?
Sickening. The commissioners asked for these jobs, they knew what their salaries were going to be and now they want a salary increase before they have been at the job for less than a year, really????
They have not done anything yet to merit a salary increase.
I am sick of all politicians, no exceptions.
Yes Alberto, it is much better commissioners get their salary much more discreetly. Keep up your “contributions”.
Our Commision Members compensation is kind of complementary, if one wants to administer other people’s financial affairs, one should enjoy some financial independence himself. If , today’s salary of an administrative assistant is attractive, then one should apply for that job .
The execution could have been better, but the reasons for the increases are well justified. Plus, this occurred at the first of two budget hearings. Now that it’s out in the open, more discussion can occur.
Greedy. POS. Coral Gables residents are screwed… but educated residents know their commissioners are selling them out.
Our activist commissioners are showing their true teeth. It is all about the personal gains. Lots of rhetoric and big thoughts. But at the end of the day, it is how much they benefit themselves. Shame on those who voted for them.