Christine King to give half million of Miami public $$$ to her old non-profit

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After she was elected, Miami Commissioner Christine King resigned from her longtime position as president and chief executive officer of the non-profit Martin Luther King Economic Development Corporation, founded to advocate for and assist investments in Liberty City and surrounding areas.

But she is still very close to the organization. And giving back.

Last year, King gave the MLKEDC $300,000 from her district’s share of the city’s Anti-Poverty Initiative funds. And she already got the city to rent a district office there, 6114 NW 7th Ave., for $2,500 a month (she originally wanted more space for $9,500 a month, but apparently realized that would not fly).

Now, King wants to give another no-bid grant of $550,000 of taxpayer funds to the non-profit.

The city commission chairwoman has a resolution on Tuesday’s city commission agenda that would allocate $550,000 from the District 5 share of the Miami For Everyone program funds, which are earmarked “to assist communities facing the long- term complications resulting from declared emergencies and to address the specific needs of the most vulnerable residents and businesses,” to the non-profit.

Sure, King is no longer officially the president of the organization. But the chairman of the MLKEDC board is still Billy Hardemon, a prolific campaign contributor (read: political influencer) who is also King’s mentor and uncle to Miami-Dade Commissioner Keon Hardemon, King’s predecessor on the Miami dais, who has secured more than $2 million in no-bid grants to non-profits run by Uncle Billy and his aunt, Barbara Hardemon, who works as a consultant and lobbyist.

These funds are intended for “critical infrastructure repairs to the MLK Business Center,” the resolution states. Is that another way of saying King’s office? Or is it Hardemon’s office?

King did not return calls to her cellphone and office or a text.

The application states that the business center houses two clinics, a charter school, a kitchen incubator and a barbershop. Documents supporting the resolution say the money will be used primarily, but not exclusively, for roof, electric, plumbing and “stucco” repairs. Only $50K goes to “salaries.”

Read related: ADLP gave $175K in Miami anti-poverty funds to political pal in Doral

This is likely a good organization that does good, but they’ve gotten $850,000 from the city since King was elected. How many self-serving “grants” are citizens going to let King give to the charity that used to employ her.

By the way, the new president and CEO is Amina McNeil, who was on the board when King was CEO. How much does anybody want to be she’s a placeholder and King will be back in that role after she is termed out — if she doesn’t run for county commission, that is.

It still smells fishy. The MLKEDC should go through the competitive grant process like any other organization.

  Christine King