A new political action committee in Coral Gables has formed with the intention of getting three charter amendments on the ballot.
According to it’s website, Accountable Coral Gables is promoting a change in the election date to November on even years — which there is already a petition being circulated for — the requirement of voter approval to increase electeds’ salaries in the future and the requirement of a four fifths vote on the commission to dip into the city’s reserve funds.
“The City Beautiful deserves a transparent and accountable government that answers to the people,” reads a mission statement. “Accountable Coral Gables was created to deliver on this objective, and will begin with three fundamental petitions that will shape the City’s future.”
But there is no “about us” section or any information about who is behind it. Not very accountable. And it is not to be confused with the Gables Accountability Project, a nonprofit started by parents at C.W. Carver Elementary to stop the since abandoned WaWa gas station across the street on Grand Avenue.
What makes sense is that this PAC is tied to Mayor Vince Lago. Not just because the address is the same address as the accountant for his own PAC, Coral Gables First. Not just because the language used is the same language that Lago uses in his egotistic and arrogant screeches. Not just because Alex Bucelo, the former commission candidate he backed and raised money for, is the chair. Not just because Lago has already been bothering folks for contributions to his “new PAC.”
But also because this is his agenda.
First and foremost is a petition that Ladra has already written about to change the date of the city’s election from April on odd years to November on even years, to coincide with state and national elections. Proponents say it will increase turnout and make electeds more representative. Critics say it will become a partisan race and shut out independent and grassroots (read: poorly funded) candidates. After all, this only gained steamed with the establishment after reform candidates Melissa Castro and Ariel Fernandez were elected last year.
Read related: Someone’s collecting petitions to move Coral Gables election date to November
What’s certain is that this is something Lago pushed for last year and could not get passed because the three amigos — commissioners Castro, Fernandez and Kirk Menendez — voted against it. He and his apologizers, like former Mayor Raul Valdes-Fauli — who just helped recruit a challenger for Menendez next year — have been crying about it ever since.
What’s also certain is that people started collecting signatures last week, before the PAC was officially formed and able to collect contributions or pay anyone. So who was paying the petition gatherers? Not very accountable.
Also, pay no attention to the misspelling of the word “ammendmant.” ¡Que Pena!
The second petition is to require voter approval before electeds can raise their salaries or compensation packages again. “The commissioners have the right to choose if, when, and how large of a raise to give themselves – which would be an unacceptable policy in any other corporate governance structure,” the website states.
This 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, what’s certain is that Lago led the charge against this, most likely because he is getting so much queso from his multiple real estate and other grafty mousetraps that he doesn’t need a salary.
The third petition is to require a supermajority or four fifths vote if the commission ever wants to spend monies from the city’s reserve funds, unless there has been a declared emergency. “The reserve fund should not be treated as petty cash and was established for use in emergencies,” it says on the website, which some Gables residents said looked suspiciously like the city website (Ladra doesn’t see it).
Accountable CG will have to collect signatures from at least 10% of the registered voters — which, at last count, was 31,743 — on each of the three petitions to get the questions on the ballot. It’s doable.
As of 9:20 p.m. Wednesday, there was an Accountable Coral Gables listed as a committee on the city’s Elections page, but no qualifying forms or documents. Ladra, for one, can’t wait to see who contributes.
New Coral Gables PAC seeks to change election date and commission powers added by Ladra on
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