After two cancellations, a town hall meeting to discuss potential changes to the Coral Gables city charter has been scheduled for Thursday evening.
Created last September with legislation sponsored by Commissioner Ariel Fernandez, the charter review committee’s first meeting in December was cancelled due to a scheduling conflict with one of the board members, said City Clerk Billy Urquia. He said a second cancellation in January was at the request of Commissioner Fernandez.
The committee is comprised of five residents, each appointed by one of the members of the city commission. Mayor Vince Lago appointed former Mayor Don Slesnick. Fernandez appointed Felix Pardo. Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson appointed former State Rep. Annie Betancourt. Commissioner Melissa Castro appointed Jane Moscowitz and Commissioner Kirk Menendez appointed Tom Wells.
The city also requires two town halls. This would be the first.
Fernandez proposed the charter review committee at the same time as Mayor Vince Lago was pushing for a change in the city’s election date from April in odd numbered years to November in even numbered years, to coincide with presidential and state elections in order to drive up turnout. That initiative failed 3-2, with only Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson supporting Lago, as usual, in what began a trend for a new majority rule: Fernandez and commissioners Melissa Castro and Kirk Menendez.
Read related: Cast of losers, Vince Lago lackeys host event for Gables commission candidate
Other changes that might be considered by the charter review committee include two that are also being pushed by a new political action committee that formed last month — after people started collecting petition signatures.
One would require voter approval to dip into the city’s reserves. This is likely Lago’s initiative — the PAC is chaired by two-time failed commission candidate Alex Bucelo, who Lago funded and supported — to defend against a suggestion by Fernandez during the last budget workshop that the city dip into its reserves to provide residents with tax relief. The other, in the wake of salary and benefit hikes passed by the three amigos last September, would require would require voter approval for any future raises for electeds.
If there is any doubt that Accountable Coral Gables is a Lago vehicle, just look at the other members of the PAC, which include the other failed commission candidate that Lago backed, Ivette Arango D’Oski and L’Ego loyalists George Kakouris and former Commissioner Wayne “Chip” Withers.
Many of them were also on the host committee for a fundraiser for Richard Lara, the attorney recruited by the establishment who announced in a six-minute speech during public comments that he was running against Menendez.
Maybe someone will announce they are running against Anderson at Thursday’s charter review committee meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. in commission chambers at City Hall, 405 Biltmore Way. The meeting can also be attended via Zoom (meeting ID: 305 446 6800). It is an advertised Sunshine meeting because it could be attended by more than one member of the city commission.
The last charter review process took place in 2015 and was chaired by former Mayor Raul Valdes-Fauli. At that time, they recommended against a change in the election date.
Coral Gables Charter Review board seeks public input on potential changes added by Ladra on
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