The mayoral race in Coral Gables is going to be heated and already the temperature has been turned up.
Incumbent Mayor Vince Lago has, so far, wanted to make the campaign about three things: Raises that the majority on the commission passed, the changing of three city managers in less than two years, and the opposition that Commissioner Kirk Menendez, who is running against him, has to changing the city elections to November. Lago is taking it all out of context because, well, he has nothing else to campaign on and is growing increasingly desperate in a community that is growing increasingly tired of him and his pathetic public meltdowns.
Last week, after Menendez qualified for the April 8 election, he sent an email blast setting the record straight on the issues and adding a couple more. Ladra was working on a “Lyin’ Vince Lago” post, but the commissioner beat me to it.
And it is well done, so the whole thing is attached here to the bottom of this story.
About the raises, which sounds much worse than it is because Lago uses the term “104% increase” without any context or explanation — the amount is key. After all, 100% increase from $1,000 is $2,000. The actual salary increases for commissioners went from $36,488 to $65,000 a year, which doesn’t seem like a lot. The arguments that the salaries were too low and had not been raised for years and that a higher pay would attract better, less corruptible, candidates make sense.
But saying 104% makes it look like they get a six figure salary. Which they don’t get even with the fattened up expenses and car allowances (which add up to $18,000). Saying 104% is good for the campaign. But a lie.
Read related: Coral Gables commission pay raise is red herring for Lying Vince Lago
Furthermore, while Lago says it was done in secret, it wasn’t secret to him. It may have come as a surprise to the rest of us, butLago discussed it with the city manager before the first of several meetings where it came up.
The mayor’s salary would jump from $44,905 a year to $69,000 a year, although he said more than once 
that he would not take it. But lo and behold, Menendez says the city’s finance department confirmed that he is getting the increased bi weekly checks.
Maybe he’s donating the balance to charity?
And about the November election… Menendez has repeatedly said that he wants to see what the charter review committee, which is tasked with making recommendations for those kind of large-scale permanent changes to the city’s constitution, says about it. He is wary. After all, Lago only began this drive for November elections after his hand-picked candidates lost the election two years ago.
Proponents say the change would increase turnout. But critics say it will make the election more partisan and vulnerable to special interests.
Read related: Coral Gables City Manager Amos Rojas resigns, leaves next month after one year
And on the city manager’s revolving door: It’s hard to fathom that Lago would continue to defend former Manager Peter Iglesias after the longtime structural deficiencies at history City Hall were uncovered months ago and certain offices and functions have been moved out of the building for safety reasons. Iglesias was fired because he wasn’t doing his job, according to three of the commissioners who felt that the manager was retaliating on behalf of the mayor. The new city manager was hired in an atmosphere of the chaos that Lago created himself when he interfered behind the scenes in the potential hire of a county director.
And former manager Amos Rojas said it would just be for a year, so his exit was predetermined and prepared for.
Again, the mayor is stretching the truth because he has nothing else to campaign on.
In his email, Menendez also preempts a bunch of other attacks that are coming.
Read related: Town hall on tiny tax cut in Coral Gables shows residents don’t want it
About the zoning changes made to his neighborhood, for instance. The truth is that vote happened before Menendez was elected and he now lives across from a massive development project — a project that Lago approved.
And Menendez did not vote to increase taxes. He voted to keep the tax rate the same, because cutting it by 1% could lead to cutting services and would only mean less than $100 in savings for homeowners but tens of thousands of dollars for the owners of big projects, like Gables Station, which would get a $28,000 tax break. A bunch of homeowners said they didn’t want it.
On April 8, maybe they’ll say they don’t want a liar for a mayor anymore, either.
Kirk Menendez strikes back at Coral Gables Mayor ‘Lyin’ Vince Lago’ added by Ladra on
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Please take Vince Lago out. I don’t like his twisted strategies.
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I attended last night’s forum at the Coral Gables Museum and it was such an eye-opening experience! Here’s my version/recap:
Lago came in almost close to his starting time and left in a hurry. For his brief time on “stage”, he suffocated the room with his arrogance. Sorry Lago, you and I did not have the resident and Mayor connection.
Abbott talked, but really did not say much substance– he was more of a “this and that” kind of person. Sorry, no connection.
Menendez talked about bringing back civility to CG, now that is music to my ears! And for those who talked about the Youth Center’s scandal — he addressed that too and brought in proof to last night’s event! He may not be perfect, but he is going to be my pick!
Anderson made the most sense out of her group. Felix Pardo was MIA (missing in action)…oops, a commission or some other meeting! As to Cancio, I felt no connection to his message. Maybe it was a generational thing or maybe the residents of Coral Gables were just beneath your own interests for the City Beautiful.
Miro was extremely well-spoken, demonstrated professionalism, confidence, was humble and very approachable. She spoke about issues that were important to me, like traffic calming measures! Wells I did like, but somewhere in speech, you lost me. Sorry we did not connect. Lara seemed nice, but not the kind of guy that would have my back if I needed you to hear me out!
PS– I have no connection to any of these candidates. I am a resident of the north Gables area and I do not want to be forgotten.
We’re Cavaliers, acquainted with Coral Gables’. for 60+ years, and lived to the rear of Abbot’s family home for 30 , or so, at the address , 50. The Abbott family has knowledge of City of Coral Gables Administration, Michael having retired from it’s Bldg & Zoning Dept. The Abbott family isn’t needy , how Michael will deal with sharks developers , a question about the future, and we don’t think anyone in Coral Gables has a Crystal Ball ! .
Lago is a condescending, arrogant bully and should not be the Mayor (or anything else) representing the City Beautiful. He’s an embarrassment. #LagoMustGo
As your Mayor, I will be beyond reproach. I am running to effect change, including, but not limited to:
1) DOGE – Cut Wasteful Spending,
2) Eradicate Corruption,
3) Bring Back CIVILITY,
4) Put SERVICE Back in Customer Service @ City Hall, and
5) Emerging Growth Initiative – SILICON SOUTH:
I WILL Serve You Honorably.
Bringing Back The Gables!
http://www.SOSGables.com
I would like the candidate behind door number three please
If you want to learn more about Lago’s ethics, google:
1. Vince Lago bully
2. Vince Lago money laundering
3. Vince Lago corrupt
4. Vince Lago crime
You can even ask chat gpt if Vince Lago, the Coral Gables mayor, is ethical.
“Lyin’ Vince Lago”?
Really? I guess you’re not on board with the gentle “civility” campaign that Menendez, Wells, and Pardo are beating to death.
Your first indictment: “About the raises, which sounds worse than it is….But saying 104% makes it looks like they get a six figure salary.”
No, it doesn’t. 2 times X = 2X. The average Gables voter can readily understand that. No one ever thought that councilmen were richly compensated, but the aesthetics of doubling your own pay is pretty ugly no matter the starting point.
As bizarre as your argument is (“Don’t trust your own eyes,”) at least it’s not as strained as Menendez’s: 100% raises aren’t REALLY 100% raises if you adjust for a random date in the past.
Usually, one leads with her strongest argument. If this weak defense of pay-gate is your best shot, I’ll pass on the rest.
Man, all of you must live in a different city from the one I live in… never has Lago responded to any concerns in North Gables but Menendez has been there to listen to us. Public meltdowns are only the beginning of the Lago embarrassment – an impending FBI investigation, partnership with Suarez, favors for developers and family members. Who would want that from their mayor? Only those benefitting from it!
Lago is desperate and will say anything to win. We are tired of him and his ego. He doesn’t care about the city – only himself. Can’t wait for the other shoe to drop on him. Come on already, Ladra.
… the biggest issue in coral gables is its mayor is not a leader… rather a bully… commission meetings are a mess because lago lacks leadership… many people voted to remove him mid-term… developers give him money to print lying ads… criminal developer pay him rent… everybody cringes when he is around… lago got to go…
Wow…reading these comments makes me wonder if anyone is paying attention or if they proofread their comments before hitting “send”!
The current city manager is Parjus, not Pardo. The fired city manager was Peter Iglesias, not Peter Rodríguez.
The notion that the appointment of a city manager should be the residents’ decision, or that we should be consulted or have any say in the process, is one perpetuated by Lago and Anderson under the assumption that if you say something over and over, uninformed residents will believe it to be true. Residents don’t have a say in picking a city manager, we never have!
Same with the increase in commissioners’ salaries. Residents don’t have a say in that! The process was followed according to the city charter…the rule of law for our city. The commissioners followed it to the letter, there was nothing done in secret, no subterfuge, as Anderson and Lago would have you believe. A salary increase hadn’t occurred in almost 40 years. I don’t know anyone who’d work for 40 years without a salary increase!
And last, Menendez was not on the commission when the vote for the change of zoning in his neighborhood occurred, which is what has allowed the massive structure going up to be approved.
I’ve lived in Coral Gables for 35 years. I watch every commission meeting either live or recorded. Anyone who says that Lago is responsive, professional, courteous and helpful hasn’t watched the commission meetings. He is rude, arrogant, condescending, and disrespectful to his fellow commissioners, except for commissioner Anderson. As a longtime resident it’s embarrassing to watch, and even more embarrassing to think of what anyone from another municipality must think of this atrocious behavior.
Don’t believe everything you hear, do some research on your own, and be an informed voter.
Kirk Menendez has my vote.
The issue of the salary increase is that when they ran for office (Menendez, Castro and Ariel Fernandez) they knew what the salary compensation was when they sought their office, yet once they got elected they bitched and moaned about how low it was and raised it. That is an issue for the taxpayers to decide, what they are going to pay for their representatives, not an arbitrary decision to be made by those who are getting the raise. Nobody’s perfect but Vince Lago has at least been very responsive to residents can’t say the same for Kirk Menendez.
Hopefully this is accepted as a rational, level-headed response. Regarding the three issues Lago is campaigning on, I support April elections, but am very dissatisfied with how the (1) city manager issue and (2) salary/benefits increase were handled.
First, April elections are worth the expense because they allow voters to focus on Coral Gables candidates and issues without the distraction of up-ballot races. Low voter turnout means voters don’t care. If you can’t take the time to vote, whether in person on election day, through early voting or by mail, you probably don’t know the issues, so who cares if you vote.
Second, the city manager carousel has been awful. It is not that Rojas and Pardo were picked, but how they were picked. Any responsible government will announce the position, take applications, conduct interviews, allow public input and publicly vote on the candidates. That this was not done created an appearance of impropriety and possibly violated Florida’s Sunshine Law. Had proper procedure been followed, perhaps residents would have gotten a better result at a better price. (Similar prior instances were wrong too.)
Third, the salary/benefits increase is the worst thing Menendez and his allies have perpetrated. Increases may have been justified, but that is lost in the debate is over how they were handled: no notice to residents, no public hearing, no public comment. It is our money that was taken without so much as a “Mother may I.” The three commissioners who claim to put residents first put themselves first while giving us their middle fingers.
Lago has always been responsive, professional, courteous, prompt and helpful when I have dealt with him. The same is true for Anderson, Castro and Fernandez. (I call ’em like I see ’em.) I cannot say the same for Menendez. He has never responded when I have raised a concern with the city. My requests are minor and few (traffic calming, slippery sidewalks needing cleaning, etc.), but all politics is local and Menendez’ apparent unconcern about me, a resident who votes in every election, speaks volumes: he doesn’t care.
To be fair, you’re not wrong about Lago. He goes off the rails, misbehaves at meetings, grandstands, is petty, and bruises easier than over-ripe fruit. Maybe I’m a fool, but he still seems the lesser evil (a sad standard, I know) based on my personal experience.
I have been a resident of Coral Gables for something like 20 years. After Don Sleznick we had a string of lousy unresponsive mayors: Valdez Fauli, Jim Cason and I’m probably forgetting some. Vince Lago has been a very responsive, committed mayor for all the years I’ve known him.
Coral Gables is a tiny city (entitled, yes, absolutely, but tiny) and most of us just want it to work.
To give you an example, I have written directly to every city commissioner at least twice in the past year. Once about the proposed bond ($77 million or so, I think) and once about the situation with the parking department website.
Mayor Lago responded immediately. The ONLY commissioner who responded (once only, by the way) was Ariel Fernandez and his explanations about the bond were very shallow. Melissa Castro might as well not exist… she has not responded once nor has she contributed to the functioning of our city. Kirk Menendez only responded when I told Ariel that it was an embarrassment that none of them respond to anything.
Amos Rojas was, as the Cuban saying goes “un cero a la izquierda”. Peter Rodriguez, who was ousted by the trio was on top of it all the time, even taking time to explain some of the recycling problems that the City experienced.
Public meltdowns, I agree, should not happen. But it’s a small price to pay to have a responsive team at the City.
To be fair, they are both liars and both corrupt. At least Lago is consistent and is great for getting things done when contacted. Menendez was on the Lago Team until the last election when he saw the handwriting on the wall and switched sides. Home boy Menendez pushed through a zoning change which benefited him financially when he sold several homes he owned and reclassified the land to higher density development. Every Commissioner in recent memory and all of the past Mayors are responsible for the mess we have in Coral Gables. They all say they are anti development when they run, and cozy up to developers when they get elected. So far, Fernandez and Castro have kept their word So flip a coin and cast your vote for the mayoral candidate of your choice. For me it is Lago-at least he is accessible and is not two faced.