Coral Gables voters to weigh in on Little Gables annexation in ballot question

The primary ballot this month for Coral Gables voters includes a non-binding question about the long proposed annexation of neighboring Little Gables into the city — and the vote could halt the process or help move it forward.

It’s probably going to halt the process. The up or down all depends on who comes out to vote.

Residents who most support the annexation are those who live adjacent to the unincorporated Miami-Dade enclave. Those who live farther than the downtown aren’t as sure it’s worth the expense on their tax dollars. Which is $23.6 million over the course of five years.

The question reads: “Would you support the City pursuing the annexation of Little Gables (the area generally bounded by SW 8th Street to the North, SW 16 Street to the South, Cortez Street to the West, and SW 40th Avenue to the East) into the City of Coral Gables via Miami-Dade County’s annexation process, and absorbing all associated annexation costs?”

Key words: “absorbing all associated annexation costs.”

Note that there are not any actual figures in the ballot language. Let’s be fair and say that some of the additional property revenue will cover that. The city estimates it will still be in the hole for between almost $5 million to possibly $9 million for at least those five years. It could take longer to recover the costs. There is no long-term prognosis. And after going down the second year, it creeps up every year after, according to the city’s own estimates.

And that’s not a popular idea with most residents, which is why Mayor Vince Lago — who is almost hellbent on annexation — didn’t even want his constituency to vote on it. Last year, he fought putting the referendum on the ballot, calling it a “mistake.”

“We should trust in ourselves, as elected officials, to move the process forward and make the right decision,” Lago said at a commission meeting last November. “We can’t vote on everything based on referendum. That’s not why we’re here. We’re here to make decisions and move this forward, or vote against it if that’s the case.”

Gee. He sure has changed his mind since then, pushing this and three other referendums he wants to put on the ballot, but is failing miserably at doing so.

Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago attacks colleagues, manager in citywide email

The proposed annexation of Little Gables has been an issue for decades. Residents and homeowners in both the city and the unincorporated Miami-Dade enclave are split on the issue.

Some Little Gables residents say they are happy to be part of the county. Others say the purchased their homes thinking they would soon be part of the city. Gables residents who live closest to the neighborhood, which borders 8th Street on the north and the City Beautiful on three sides, are more in favor of annexation than those who live further away. Supporters do so only on for public safety.

In other words, no matter what side Gables residents stand on, they are clasping their pearls at the thought of letting the denizens of Little Gables — a dark, seedy square of streets with no-tell motels, alleged ‘drug houses’ and a trailer park full of poor people — into the City Beautiful. Yuck!

Last year, the city held a series of workshops that seemed designed to convince residents that this would be better from a public safety and code enforcement perspective. The city seems to want this. The biggest cheerleader is Lago, who has gone on a media tour to push a yes vote. It’s almost as if he stands something to gain from it. And he might.

The owner of the trailer park, which is the biggest property in Little Gables, was once officially represented by Lago’s brother, lobbyist Carlos Lago. He is no longer registered to lobby for them officially — and he doesn’t have to be in order to “consult,” which is a loophole for the registration requirements — but he only withdrew his registration with the city of Miami in March of 2023, after Political Cortadito and others started asking questions about Lago’s Oscar-winning affidavit moment at the August, 2022, meeting, seven months earlier.

Little Gables annexation dreams dashed by staged ‘grassroots’ effort

That’s when Lago swore, on the dais very dramatically, in a signed affidavit, that he had no family members tied to any interests in Little Gables — glaringly leaving out any reference to siblings, which is specifically included in the county “conflict of interest” language that he used.

The Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust investigated the potential conflict of interest and whether or not Lago violated the truth in government code with his bogus affidavit. They found no evidence that he had knowingly left off the “siblings, half-siblings and step-siblings” from the text.

Typo then. Sure, you can believe that. You can also believe Lago just wants to give the people of that trailer park a nicer zip code.

But let’s be honest, the mayor’s brother could certainly get “rehired” if the property — of which there are even plans on record to develop it into the “Moorish Village” — were suddenly in Coral Gables

There are also other commercial properties on Southwest 8th Street that could suddenly become hot.

There is no organized anti-referendum campaign.

“I am letting voters tell the commission what they want,” said Commissioner Ariel Fernandez, who was the one that sponsored the legislation to put the referendum on the ballot. Commissioner Melissa Castro is the one who insisted the language include “absorbing all costs.”

The actual figure could not be part of the ballot language, according to the city attorney.

While the question is non-binding, it is expected to provide city leaders with a much more definitive sense of how residents feel.

And las malas lenguas out at early voting say they feel negative: The referendum is losing 2 to 1.

annexation, Little Gables, Vince Lago

Coral Gables voters to weigh in on Little Gables annexation in ballot question added by Ladra on August 14, 2024
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