It looks like Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago is backpedaling on his decision to move the city’s election from odd- to even-numbered years just because he wants to and is now suddenly saying that the public should vote on it after all.
What a concept!
At their next meeting Tuesday, city commissioners will again discuss changing the municipal election date to coincide with state and national races. But this time, there seems to be a consensus on taking it to a public referendum.
Don’t get too cozy, though. They’re still not on the same page. Nobody is singing Kumbaya.
Lago, who pushed hard for the change with no voter approval, wants the charter amendment to be on the ballot in a special vote-by-mail only election in April of next year. Commissioner Melissa Castro — who has advocated for a public vote all along — wants to have it in April of 2027. Because in the City Beautiful, even scheduling an election can turn into a political brawl.
Read related: Coral Gables: Melissa Castro shut down again on election change challenge
By having it next April, L’Ego hopes that, if voters pass the change, he can still move the next election to November of 2026 and get rid of Castro and Commissioner Ariel Fernandez five months early. Some opponents fear that the move will also help him wiggle out of term limits, offering him another term because one of his will be interrupted. But having it coincide with the next municipal election in April means that it could take effect on the same candidates who would be elected that month, once again disenfranchising voters who won’t know when they vote if they are putting people in office for four years, or if it’s going to be give or take a few months.
The perfect solution would be to have this election change referendum on the November ballot in 2026, where the city already has questions on the establishment of an inspector general and limiting the way the city can spend its reserves. That way, voters will know when they vote in April of 2027 just how long their commissioners will serve.
Plus, if Lago’s arguments are legit, and this is truly just about cost and turnout, then November of 2026 — even April of 2027 — makes more sense than a mail-in ballot only question in April of next year, which would still cost the city extra and draw very little interest because there is nothing else to decide.
Either way, the commission on Tuesday would also have to rescind their earlier resolution from May that changed nearly 100 years of city elections, moving them to November even-numbered years beginning in 2026 — shortening everyone’s terms by five months — which is another meeting agenda item sponsored by Castro. This is the same commissioner who was censured by her colleagues in July for having the guts to write Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier for an opinion on the matter. He has 
already said Miami’s move violated both the city’s charter and the county’s home rule charter.
So have four judges so far.
This change in direction for Lago comes right on the heels of that court smackdown in Miami, where a county judge ruled that those city commissioners couldn’t unilaterally move election dates without a public vote. And then a three-judge panel upheld that on appeal. There is no way this sudden willingness by Lago to let the people decide is a coincidence.
“I think he knows where this is heading,” Castro told Political Cortadito. Translation: The legal winds spooked him. He’s just trying to get ahead of the inevitable and avoid another courtroom embarrassment like the one Miami commissioners just suffered. Because, according to the language in Lago’s resolution, the city knows it had no choice.
“Pursuant to section 6.03 of the Miami-Dade County Home Rule Charter, as well as the City Charter and Chapter 18 of the City Code, the City Commission is authorized to submit ballot questions to the electors of the City for approval or rejection of proposed amendments to the City Charter,” says one of the whereases.
Notice it does not say that the city commission is authorized to change the election date without the approval of the electorate. So, they know. Ladra would venture to say they knew all along.
Read related: Third DCA strikes down Miami election change; November ballot is on
There are solid arguments on both sides. Moving the election to November in even-numbered years saves the city close to $250,000 per election cycle. And trends nationwide show that ordinary residents, especially young voters and people of color, 
have more power when local races ride shotgun with high-turnout elections. Voter participation in the Gables in April ranges from 20% to 30% and can soar to over 80% in November.
But opponents say there are good reasons to keep the elections separate from state and national races, which are partisan and can be highly contentious. They eat up the bandwidth, including air time, which becomes much more expensive for local candidates and issues. Furthermore, critics argue that a higher quantity of voters does not equal a higher quality of candidates because many voters will not have any idea about local politics and will be moved by whoever has the most money.
This isn’t just about dates. It’s about who gets to be heard — and who gets left behind.
What’s clear is this: the commission may pass something Tuesday. With Lago’s sudden turnaround, there will be at least three votes to put this on the ballot for voters to decide. Ladra fully expects the echo chamber — Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson and Commissioner Richard Lara — to follow along as usual.
Then the real fight moves to the ballot box. And Coral Gables voters, not judges or politicians, will likely have the final word on when they get to vote for mayor and commissioners.
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Mayor Lago wants to move our election to November to save $105,000 every 2 years (look at Ordinance No. 2025-08 – we spent $125,000 on the regular election in April 2025 and it would cost $20,000 to hold such election in November; any November runoff election will still cost $125,000 because it is not tied to another election). The City spent $65,000 on a 10-minute drone show at The Biltmore July 4th presentation for mostly non-residents. Lago will spend $130,000 on drones every 2 years compared to not spending $105,000 on our April election to separately consider our local politics, direction and quality of life!
The April 2026 referendum is going to cost @ $100,000 when we already have a referendum date set for November 2026 to consider other changes to our Charter. How is this fiscally responsible?!? No, this is only to reduce the terms of officials who we elected to serve 4 years (who are independent and not Lago devotees) to only 3 years and 7 months.
In November 2026, we get to vote in person, early vote and vote by absentee ballot. In April 2026, we are limited only to vote-by-mail on a very important question. We all want more INFORMED voters to participate. Lago wants more UNIFORMED voters that he can influence with texts, emails, mailouts, phone calls and social media ads with PAC and developer money to continue his reign over the City. If Lago and Anderson wanted more INFORMED voters, they would have the City do something to encourage voter engagement and education. Despite requests, they do nothing for voter engagement/education because it is only about their own re-election and power over Coral Gables!
…. carlos e has it all wrong… those who want to keep the election in april as it has been for 100 years arent smarter or more clever… all they are asking is for democracy focused on coral gables… illegal lago spent 1 million on his campaign… only because developers profit of him… what residents want is power back to the coral gables people… not the power to developers who fund a campaign full of lies… of course many good people who get lyin lagos developer funded texts vote for him… because they have not heard or understood how deep lagos true personal and public corruption goes….
Schedule the special election for any day, any month, the referendum is going to pass. It’s crazy that so many of you are criticizing the ballot referendum. What makes you the expert or smarter than the rest of the residents who show up to vote in November and not in April? That’s their AMERICAN right. You dont like it, move to Uganda.
Mark my words: what’s coming next is a big push to shift the election to November so that grassroots candidates get drowned out. The goal is to make sure only the well-funded candidates, those backed by developers, special interests, and lobbyists can dominate. That way, they can keep controlling development and overdevelopment in Coral Gables. At the end of the day it’s always been about the money for the Mayor. It’s not about what’s best for the residents, it’s about who can pay to play. Don’t believe me? Just go look at his PAC (Coral Gables First).
If the Gables elections are moved to coincide with general elections, our candidates and issues will be at the back of a long and complicated ballot and will be overlooked by many, if not most, voters.
That mayor is a big Crook, he has mail votes under his friend’s owner offices!!!
Check that address and make sure they are real residents not offices addresses
… it has taken this long for lago to do the legal thing… it is a warning to residents that he tries so hard to so the illegal thing… like renting to a crooked developer… or lyin’ -about his lobbyist brother… #drainthelago
ALL Coral Gables voters must decide, not just those who vote by mail! Who in their right mind thinks it’s OK to disenfranchise the majority of voters who choose to vote in person or Early Voting? That’s insane and must not be allowed.
Perhaps the proponents of a mail only election didn’t get the memo that mail voting should be eliminated altogether.
Complying with the law is usually a good idea, and I expect the voters will agree to save the additional election expense and move the elections to November to coincide with the general cycle.
Coral Gables residents voted for Vince Lago clearly demonstrating this is the style and type government they wanted. Now they can all have it and enjoy all that comes with it. “We get the government we deserve”.