Commissioner Joe Carollo should not vote on Miami’s LED billboard appeal

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He also has a conflict on redistricting map

When the Miami City Commission meets this week to consider, once again, the repeal of the ordinance that allows giant LED billboards on public land, Commissioner Joe Carollo should sit it out.

Carollo must recuse himself because he is too close to former Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, who is a lobbyist for the company that wants to make millions from advertising on billboards at the Perez Art Museum Miami and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. In fact, Sarnoff — who we can assume wrote the ordinance passed last year and spread hundreds of thousands of dollars through his political action committee to get it passed — is also Crazy Joe’s attorney.

Sarnoff represented Carollo in the challenge to the 2020 recall and was also one of his cadre of attorneys defending him against the federal First Amendment violation lawsuit filed by the two Little Havana businessmen the commissioner targeted with code enforcement and city resources. Sarnoff is also fighting the federal Marshall’s seizure of Carollo’s Coconut Grove house.

Read related: Jury says Miami’s Joe Carollo abused power to violate 1st Amendment rights

The firm where he works, Shutts & Bowen, has received part of the $2 million that the city paid for Carollo’s defense fund even before the trial began.

That’s a conflict of interest if there ever was one. He wouldn’t want to vote against his attorney.

Also, Sarnoff has given Carollo at least $57,000 in the last few years through his PAC, Truth is the Daughter of Time. It also gave more than $150,000 to the PAC belonging to former Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla, who was suspended after his arrest last September on felony bribery and money laundering charges related to unrelated PAC contributions from another lobbyist.

Both reasons could be why Carollo has consistently voted against the repeal that taxpaying residents clearly want.

James Torres, the president of the Downtown Neighbors Alliance and former commission candidate for District 2, is leading the charge and organized a protest Sunday on Biscayne Boulevard within feet from the sign that is already constructed at the PAMM.

Residents have overwhelming opposed the sign ordinance and supported the repeal at every public meeting. There are a few who defend the signs, but their comments seem scripted and Ladra would not be surprised to learn that they were paid to be there.

Commissioners passed the repeal in February, after Miguel Gabela reconsidered his deferral. He said then that he wanted to respect the commissioner of the district, Damian Pardo, who is responding to his constituency by supporting the repeal.

But something has changed. Gabela is not as supportive now. And it might be that now former State Rep. and Miami lobbyist Manny Prieguez, who helped Gabela get elected, is also lobbying for the one of the sign companies. Prieguez registered to lobby for Orange Barrel Media in January, just two months after Gabela won his seat in November.

Read related: Miami repeals law allowing massive billboards despite threat of lawsuit

Gabela will be the one to watch Thursday because Pardo and Commissioner Manolo Reyes are solidly pro repeal.

Of course, Carollo should also recuse himself from any vote on the redistricting map, because he stands to benefit from the new boundaries if his house remains in District 3. His original vote on the new map –which carves his Coconut Grove home into the district he represents and allowed him to move back from a rental — was a violation and he should recuse himself now.

He won’t though. Carollo has shown, repeatedly, that he enjoys abusing his power. So expect him to be a hard no on Thursday.

And when has he ever been known to decline an opportunity to talk and talk and talk.

  billboards, Joe Carollo, Marc Sarnoff