Absentee ballots land in Coral Gables mailboxes - and so do the hit pieces

A total of 6,144 absentee or vote-by-mail ballots were sent to Coral Gables voters last week for the April 8 election. They landed in mailboxes at the same time as several mailers for different candidates — and false attack ads from Mayor Vince Lago, who is fighting his first real challenge, against Commissioner Kirk Menendez.

His political action committee, Coral Gables First, put out a series of “facts” that are very misleading and the same old arguments he’s been making for months, because he can’t run on his own track record.

“Fact 1: Commissioner Menendez gave himself a 101% raise.” Um, well, technically that’s true. But the salary was $36,488 a year, which many might agree is not enough. It had not been increased in decades. Now it’s $65,000 a year, which many think might still not be enough. Lago doesn’t use the actual numbers because they make sense. It’s much more scandalous to say it’s a 101% raise.

Another “fact” is that Menendez voted against a millage rate reduction. Of course it would not serve Lago to say that Menendez actually voted against potential service cuts. The millage rate reduction that Lago proposed was tiny and would only result in the saving of less than $100 a year for most homeowners. But the owners of the large projects would get tens of thousands in relief, which was Lago’s intent. Example: The owners of Gables Station would get a $29,400 tax break.

That’s not on the mailer.

Menendez had a hit of his own. In a mailer where he said the choice was night and day — he’s day and Vince Lago is the night — he reminded voters of the scandals that Lago has been involved in.

“Lago’s brokerage received a $640,000 commission from a deal with developer Rishi Kapoor, under FBI investigation, raising serious ethical questions,” the mailer states. “Lago’s ties to real estate transactions involving Kapoor, a developer with questionable dealings, raise concerns about his use of public office for private gain.”

The mailer also mentions the recall effort against Lago “amid allegations of mismanagement, conflicts of interest and questionable influence,” and also says that the mayor’s efforts to annex Little Gables were rejected by 63% of Gables voters.

He could do better. He could remind voters that Lago misrepresented himself when he swore he had no conflict of interest with Little Gables by leaving his brother out of an affidavit he signed — very dramatically and publicly — saying nobody in his immediate family had any interests there. When, in fact, Carlos Lago once represented the largest property owner in Little Gables, which owns the trailer park that could become a new, enormous construction project. Which is why he left out the word siblings in his affidavit.

He could remind voters how Mayor L’Ego almost got into fisticuffs with the former city manager. He could remind voters how he put a restauranteur on Giralda out of business.

But there’s time.

In the commission races, candidates are keeping it more clean, so far.

Rhonda Anderson just touted “a proven record of service and accomplishments,” citing the addition of 15 police officers and two dog parks and tree canopy and “pedestrian safety enhancements” and the under-grounding of power lines in North and South Gables. But she didn’t do any of that on her own. She is one vote on the commission.

“As more than a 35-year resident and having raised my family in Coral Gables, my commitment and priority has always been to improve the quality of life and to ensure that Coral Gables remains The City Beautiful,” her message states.

Ladra hasn’t seen any negative campaigning from Anderson, but it’s hard to hit Felix Pardo and Laureano Cancio, who have not been in office and have no real negative baggage.

Cancio has no money in his campaign account for mailers. Pardo has put out at least one of his own. And it’s not a hit piece, but it does raise concerns about overdevelopment and points the finger at Anderson for much of what has been approved. One one side, the registered architect lists his own achievements and service record, which includes stints on several community and city boards, including the planning and zoning board, which he served on twice and was chairman of.

The other side is a letter to voters.

“The City of Coral Gables has always been a special place for me,” he wrote, including details about meeting his wife at the University of Miami, having their wedding at the Church of the Little Flower and of raising their three children with the help of the War Memorial Youth Center.

“Although I have contributed more than 40 years of community service to our city, it is but a drop in the bucket compared to what we have received in return,” he wrote, and then gets dark. “Over the past decade, unwelcome change has been chipping away at our great city. Seemingly, the city has been up for sale. This has happened in other places, but I never thought could happen here. Special interests have been given the keys to the city.”

He mentions the “unbridled and incompatible development,” the choking traffic and a lack of resources to meet all the residents’ needs. He said “some neighborhoods have become unrecognizable” and that “awful decisions by some politicians have brought us to the brink of losing what has made this place special for one hundred years.”

And Pardo blames Anderson, “who is responsible for many of the incompatible developments, misdirected priorities, negative impact on existing neighborhoods and a lack of action in addressing residents’ concerns.”

Claudia Miro, running in the seat now occupied by Kirk Menendez, has also put out at least one mailer with her signature lime green branding. In it, she says she is the most qualified in her race and lists her involvement with the planning and zoning board, the Miami-Dade County Interfaith Board, The Miami Herald Community Advisory Board, United Way and Florida International University.

She was removed from the planning and zoning board after she voted against Lago’s wishes.

Her mailer also wishes everyone a happy Women’s History Month.

“Women get the job done — and get it done right,” the message says. “With over 25 years of public service and a Master’s in public administration, I have the experience, leadership and vision to make Coral Gables stronger, safer and more transparent. Vote for proven leadership. Vote for Claudia Miro.”

Ladra has not seen any mailers sent by the other two candidates in that race. Lawyer Thomas “Tom” Wells, who is self funding his campaign and has been endorsed by Coral Gables United, spent $4,140 on a “mail-out” on March 14, but Ladra has not seen it. And attorney Richard Lara, Lago’s handpicked pocket vote, has raised more than $113,000 and spent almost $60,000, but his latest campaign report, filed last week, shows nothing spent on mail.

There will be lots more mailers sent and Ladra hasn’t seen any secret dark money involved yet. But there are still three weeks left until the April 8 election.

So there’s time.

Absentee ballots land in Coral Gables mailboxes — and so do the hit pieces added by Ladra on March 18, 2025
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