It took two days because Miami Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla was hoping to wear two of his colleagues down. But Commissioner Manolo Reyes and Chairwoman Christine King stood fast on their desire for a special election to fill the vacancy in District 2 created by Ken Russell‘s resignation to run for Congress (he lost the primary).
This election will likely take place on Feb. 27, the absolute last day it can, according to the city charter, according to City Clerk Todd Hannon and City Attorney Victoria Mendez. If it could be later, ADLP would have it later.
Diaz de la Portilla was so intent on naming former and disgraced Circuit Court Judge Martin Zilber — who Ladra first pointed out as a wannabe replacement weeks ago — that he wanted to wait until Thursday’s commission meeting to call for the election. After pretending to worry about how much an election would delay representation for D2 residents, he tried to drag it out as long as possible.
There was a stealth community campaign for an appointment. And then more than a dozen votes between Saturday and Sunday — because the meeting was recessed. Each and every time, ADLP voted for Zilber, who was forced to leave the bench after an ethics investigation found he had staff run errands for him on public time and was calling in decisions from the beach. Birds of a feather.
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Commissioner Joe Carollo, who also wanted to appoint someone, changed between Zilber and James Torres, president of the Downtown Neighborhood Alliance, and two other applicants. Because he knew it was futile so he wanted to score points with everybody. Especially former U.S. Attorney Kendall Coffey, a last minute applicant who has represented Carollo in legal matters.
Both King and Reyes — which, coincidentally, translates to kings — held their ground, indicating on their ballots that they did not choose any applicant. Reyes even offered to donate $50,000 of his office budget to help defray the cost of the special election, estimated at $300K to $330,000.
It was ludicrous for Carollo — who spent a lot of time spanking Russell for putting them in this position (which he didn’t do with Keon Hardemon in 2020) — to make the cost argument. Here is a guy who spent almost $1 million on some iffy sculptures for Maurice Ferre Park, a guy who has racked up close to $1 million if not more in legal costs defending against lawsuits about his abuse of power, a guy responsible for a million or so in overtime for police protecting illegal barricades the county has sued to remove. He’s soooooo fiscally responsible.
None of the other arguments held water.
That the elected would only serve until November? So what? The appointed person would also only serve until November. Unless Carollo had something else in mind. Yes, the district needs a voice through November when they can pick again. They should pick that voice, not the commission.
That the district would be unrepresented for months, when it’s really only about five weeks and four commission meetings, which aren’t always very productive. There are items on the agenda for Thursday, for example, that have been deferred many times.
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That it was not enough time for people to campaign, giving an advantage to some who were planning it. Did he even hint that Russell could come back? Or did Ladra imagine that? Said ADLP: “It’s going to be rigged.”
He would know, right?
Reyes said it wasn’t for a lack of good, qualified applicants, either.
“We have an excellent field,” he said. “We have have people who have proven themselves.” But since he couldn’t choose, a special election was best, he said, hinting early on that he was not going to change his mind.
“Everybody knows that my word is my bond. I won’t back down.”
Reyes had said from the beginning that he wanted an election. On Sunday he admitted he was wrong when he went for the appointment of Jeffrey Watson in 2020.
It was great to watch Manolo grow a pair and to watch King cleverly manhandle the Two Amigos with unending patience and her indoor voice. She gives them just enough rope to hang themselves. Has she figured their plans out? Is she pissed off that they tried to play her?
Read related: Folks line up to fill Miami commission District 2 seat after Ken Russell is out
Either way, the Two Amigos do not get their power grab and automatic three vote bloc — and neither does Jorge Mas, the developer and InterMiami owner who is building Miami Freedom Park and will need a four-vote majority to make changes to their agreement (and those requests are coming, folks). But the people in D2 do get to exercise their democratic right and choose their commissioner.
So, who’s going to run. Ladra believes that Torres will run a campaign for the seat. Zilber allegedly already has a political action committee. Some have mentioned Jim Fried, who ran against Russell in 2019 and came in second place — with 15% of the vote.
But there are also a few other, dare Ladra say, more exciting names being floated around, including Anthony Balzabre, the former assistant director of the Omni Community Redevelopment Agency — who was forced out after he cooperated with an investigation into an ADLP crony, Jenny Nillo, and her ghost job — and Juan Zapata, the former county commissioner from the “West End” who now lives in the Brickell area.
Either would be such a welcome breath of fresh air on the commission. Let the campaigns begin.
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We need to look at this, Martin Zilber will become the new clown of the group, On Saturday, its was all about nothing in his speech,
Here is an idea, lets rally around JAMES TORRES check out @miamidnapresident proof is in the pudding, night and day from Zilber and others
My vote is JAMES TORRES on FEB 27th.
No Zilber No Zilber No Zilber No Zilber No Zilber No Zilber No Zilber No Zilber No Zilber and also no more Marc either!
Facts: Martin Zilber is a joke , and its a money grab, did you see that all of his speakers were co-workers, no one from the District. Lets bring a bunch of co-workers to one of the most important interviews of your life. Freaking Clown
Now IF we all want fresh and new ideas, lets rally around JAMES TORRES simple as humble pie.
@Sophia your comment are on point and make sense to me, the change needs to be JAMES TORRES on FEB 27th.
No Zilber No Zilber No Zilber No Zilber No Zilber No Zilber No Zilber No Zilber No Zilber and also no more Marc either!
Let The Governor Appoint Some one , NOT One Of The Bad Apples Bunch !!! We The People of Miami Deserve BETTER !
Thank you again for getting to the nitty gritty. Torres is certainly a nice young man & has been showing up at city hall unlike Zilber or lol the plastic surgeon. However Torres is Joes #2 choice & was called into Carallo office during breaks by the commissioner himself. Sarnoff was running between Joe & Alex offices every break like a divorcé mediator both days. What’s the deal w Zilber? Other than birds of a feather there is something bigger on the table!!! D2 deserves better if joe & Alex meant what they said regarding Ken leaving us high & dry putting us in this predicament they would have chosen someone from the list who actually shows up and has for over a decade.
Marcelo is a developer/realtor who has been granted ARPA funding for affordable housing project in west grove this is a conflict and he was a no show on Saturday. Embarrassing circus with zero respect for the residents who pay their salaries!!! Anthony B is Ken’s most recent chief of staff is he running? We need a committed commissioner now not someone who’s going to be campaigning thru nov 2023!
Juan Zapata had some great ideas for reforming MD as county commissioner but was blocked at every turn by the usual suspects who exist on the status quo. He knows the inner workings of government very well, and would be an asset and a strongly independent voice for the district from day one.
While I opposed him on a number of issues, I respect him immensely, and in the end he rather walk away from a rigged system than compromise is ideals.
It appears Martin Zilber was only briefly a Judge. Because he got busted. He got busted abusing the public’s trust. Zilber would refuse to work on Mondays and Fridays and yet still demanded to be paid. And he would send his staff out to do personal errands for him. Taxpayers were screwed. Luckily, there are better candidates. D2 voters deserve better after getting screwed by selfie boy Ken Russell, the scammer Marc Sarnoff and the drunk Johnny Winton.
Once again you nailed it! I laughed so hard at “pretending to worry about how much an election would delay representation ….” and “soooooo fiscally responsible.” And, finally, “it’s going to be rigged,” he would know right? Congratulations to the “Kings” for holding their ground.
Thank you.
Marcelo Fernandez is probably the most qualified applicant. He has private sector experience which most candidates do not have.
My name is Sophia, I am a resident of district 2, I was in city hall January 7, we cannot allow Martin Zilber with a background full of corruption to be our representative and less at the hands of the other corrupt Diaz de la Portilla…..it is time to do Democracy and the only way to do it is to go out and vote….”VOTE FOR JAMES TORRES FEBRUARY 27TH” I am a witness to everything he has done for our community, we need someone to work, to be there for us, no more corrupt politicians. …we can make democracy go out and vote…check @billycorben interview about Zilber… also visit @miamidnapresident James Torres….
Joe Carollo is a mob- controlled criminal. Every one of these jobs becomes a pork barrel for his bosses. The entire City is a RICO operation. Every City Dept is corrupt. The actions by the City are no longer surprising, the City only exists to rob the taxpayers and keep the criminals in office. The Mayor, Every Commissioner, every Dept. Head, Fire Dept, Police Dept, etc. Do you hear the Theme from The Godfather?? Everyone else did. Your newspaper is a third-rate Hometown Rag that investigates nothing. Carollo has been an informant for the SAO, the FBI, and the Herald for years. All,of you suck.
Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/key-biscayne/article269915207.html#storylink=cpy