Critics worry that special interest influence will grow
UPDATED: The Coral Gables commission this Wednesday may change the date of city elections from April to November, forever altering the way electeds are elected in the City Beautiful.
It’s not just about a date. This change will make it harder for grass roots candidates with little funding or establishment support to get elected. It seems to be a direct consequence of the election this April of commissioners Ariel Fernandez and Melissa Castro.
And the decision will fall on Commissioner Kirk Menendez, who has become the swing vote on a very divided commission.
The charter amendment would shorten the terms currently served by Menendez, Mayor Vince Lago and Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson. Rather than having the next election in April of 2025, this change would mean the next election is in November of next year. Commissioners talked about this last month, and the supporters say the decreased cost — the city saves about $100,000 by piggy-backing on federal, state and county elections — and the increased turnout that comes with a November vote are the main reasons to make the change.
Read related: Coral Gables commission considers moving elections to November
By supporters, Ladra means Lago and Anderson, who have sponsored the charter amendment item on Wednesday’s agenda. It’s on for a “time certain” discussion at 9:30 a.m. This is totally about Fernandez and Castro being elected against Lago’s will. It would be harder for either of them to get elected on a November ballot.
It could also be difficult for Lago to get elected in April — when only the most engaged and educated voters turn out. With his fundraising ability — he’s got $700,000 sitting in his political action committee — he can drown out any opposition with the federal and state partisan voters who know nothing about him or the issues in Coral Gables.
Fernandez and Castro are against the change. That leaves Menendez as the swing vote. He did not return a call and text message. But when this was discussed last month, he wanted to get citizen input and bring it back to the dais in or after October. Lago seems much more hurried than that.
He wrote an op-ed piece for the Miami Herald and he sent an email blast Tuesday — shortly after the first version of this story was published in Political Cortadito — with a video defending his November stance.
“In our last municipal election, one 20.92 % of us cast our vote. yet in the November election, we’ve seen turnout numbers quadrupling. That difference is not just staggering, it’s a call to action,” Lago said, quoting academic studies and noting how he is willing to cut five months from his own term “to make this change happen.”
In her own email blast, Castro — who worries that this would lead to more overdevelopment — wrote about how the change could favor outside interests.
“While it may increase exposure to a multitude of candidates and issues, it can also make it challenging for local candidates with limited funding to gain visibility and communicate effectively,” Castro wrote in her piece, where she cited sources. “This situation might inadvertently favor candidates backed by powerful interest groups, potentially affecting the overall representation of community interests and the
democratic integrity of the election.”
Fernandez, who proposed having the Gables join the August primary ballot, has an item on the agenda to create a new charter review board. Which is the way charter amendments should be presented.
Doesn’t this seem rushed? Wasn’t this supposed to come back in October? Wasn’t the city going to poll residents about this before making a decision? Is Lago pre-empting them again?
Read related: November vote in Coral Gables = a power play by bitter Mayor Vince Lago
The board of the Coral Gables Neighbors Association, a group that helped get Fernandez and Castro — as well as Anderson — elected and whose influence could be diminished or dulled in a November contest, has also publicly come out against the charter change.
“Our non-partisan elections would turn partisan and usher in money from political parties and special interest groups from outside our area and beyond Florida, all in the interest of gaining a foothold in the City Beautiful, getting their candidates elected and taking control away from residents,” reads an email sent Sunday, urging residents to email commissioners with their objections.
“Can you imagine what our city would become if that happened?
“Don’t listen to the bull about ‘saving money’ and ‘we want to get more voters out to the polls.’ This is nothing but a ploy by the already-dirty to stay in power and keep residents from having a voice.”
The meeting is at City Hall, 405 Biltmore Way, and can be seen online on the city’s website and via Zoom.
Coral Gables moves quickly to move city elections from April to November added by Ladra on
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[…] proposed the charter review committee at the same time as Mayor Vince Lago was pushing for a change in the city’s election date from April in odd numbered years to November in even numbered years, to coincide with presidential […]
[…] proposed the charter review committee at the same time as Mayor Vince Lago was pushing for a change in the city’s election date from April in odd numbered years to November in even numbered years, to coincide with presidential […]
[…] Read related: Coral Gables moves quickly to move city elections from April to November […]
[…] Read related: Coral Gables moves quickly to move city elections from April to November […]
This is an issue for residents to decide by referendum, as election dates are set by the city charter, which can only be changed by a vote of residents.
There are valid reasons supporting each side of this issue, but moving the election is unjustified because April elections actually create more, rather than less, resident involvement. There is a lack of distraction along with increased intimacy of stand-alone city elections. Local organizations hold candidate forums, candidates have greater access to legitimate media, and television and newspaper advertising rates are much lower.
The city must leave this decision to residents. I know how I’ll vote if given the choice.
There is a reason that the city has voted this way since Coral Gables began. It is because Coral Gables is special and different than other municipalities in Miami Dade county. To piggyback on federal and state elections is to dilute our issues and prevent grassroots candidates from getting elected. Partisan politics and money will corrupt Coral Gables elections. Leave well enough alone.
AGREE completely with Animal Farm, Alberto, Gustavo, and Evan. I agree even more with the question: WHO is going to investigate Uncle Vinny? and his partner Peter Iglesias. I see $$$ flowing everywhere in bogus projects. Why? Hmmmm.
The N. Greenway/Granada intersection is just one of these. Who hired the contractors, and why is it such a mess for months and years? AND I see new pavers in front of the cafe? To what purpose? Yes, you see, there is MONEY, Money, money, everywhere…! Where exactly does the flow go?
People with no moral compass become bitter. Now you see the reason why Bitter Lago is trying to “protect” future voting for the big money players, not the little money campaigns like the ones that helped our new commissioners get to office.
Can the Commission legally vote to extend their terms without citizen approval? How can the mayor extend his term without a citizen-led vote? Am I missing something here?
What would happen if the President decided to change federal election dates?
Does anyone believe that Menendez is not part of the Lago posse? Of course he will side with Lago. Menendez will do as he is told. Anderson, who most thought, would be anti development turned out to be just another play along to get along puppet. Got a kick out of her parking lot editorial in the Herald, supporting Lago’s glass house project. Then a week later, Lago writes an opinion piece published in the Herald about the elections. Is Lago still getting paid by Rishi Kapoor for an unoccupied vacant storefront at a sum >$12,000.00 per month?
Correction: It’s not just about a date. This change will make it harder for fringe candidates with little funding or little community support to get elected, by manipulating the election results in low voter turnaround voting days.
¿ S.O.S WHO will Investigate This CORRUPT PUBLIC OFFICIALS ?
Coral Gables Commission considers moving elections to November
What is the big deal? I am going to vote no matter what. I rather go once and vote.
Voting in November versus April will not keep me from voting and my voice will be heard.
I found the email that I received on this issue to be alarmist and baseless.
I think it’s fair to say at this point that we residents of the City Beautiful should be against anything that Uncle Vinny and his gang promote as a policy change. There is a reason why they are promoting this travesty. They know fairly well that “all politics are local,” and since we the “locals” are mostly against him, he wants to take the “local” element out of Coral Gables elections. Pretty obvious and actually sort of a lame move, to be honest.
Thank you.