Will start to look at possible campaign reforms
The Miami Commission officially made George Wysong, an assistant city attorney for the past three decades, the new city attorney to replace Victoria Mendez, who was demoted earlier this month to a transitional, lame-duck post in the department — going with the recommendation made by a selection committee made up almost entirely of lobbyists.
Only Commissioner Joe Carollo voted no because, in his opinion, the city did not follow the established selection process and the commissioners were just rubber-stamping the selection committee’s choice. Apparently, Crazy Joe wanted to interview all the candidates himself.
Well, the two candidates — the other eligible candidate was Sonya Miller, general counsel at Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens — because in a town full of lawyers, nobody wants to clean up the mess Mendez has left behind.
Wysong, who doesn’t speak Spanish, thanked his team — which is really his team now — and his wife (whom he almost forgot) and said, in a short speech at the April 23 meeting, that he would be fair, kind and respectful. All new things for this office.
Read related: Selection board of lobbyists choose George Wysong for Miami City attorney
“Let’s get down to business,” Wysong said. And, immediately, he started doing just that, earning his new salary — whatever it is. We won’t know until later what kind of raise in pay and benefits Wysong gets. His compensation is reportedly going to be discussed at the May 23 commission meeting.
But it’s already almost like a magic wand was waved over commission chambers last week. The tone from the legal desk, with Assistant City Attorney Jihan “Gigi” Soliman sitting “second chair,” was definitely more professional and, dare Ladra say, trustworthy than before. These two instill confidence. They sound like they really know what they’re talking about and, more importantly, aren’t batting for anyone.
Soliman explained, for example, that the city wears two hats in reference to the sign ordinance and the Perez Art Museum Miami. One is proprietary, as the lessor, and the other is regulatory, as the government agency in charge of land use and zoning. Soliman read the lease agreement that indicates the PAMM has violated its lease because it has not gotten a written consent from the city for the sign.
PAMM cannot enter into third party agreements to sublet or occupy any portion of the premises “without first getting the written consent from the city,” Soliman said. “Any such transfer without the city’s prior written consent shall be void.”
Soliman also said that the PAMM would be in default under this lease and “shall permit the city, at its election, to terminate this lease.”
Would it be crazy to have hope? About the city attorney’s office, not that PAMM be evicted.
On another matter, Wysong got into gear right away — as was the intention, since he’s been with the city his entire professional career — and shared what he had learned about the Miami Beach campaign finance limitations that Pardo wants to consider for the city of Miami.
The Beach code prohibits campaign contributions from vendors who have a pending contract or standing order with the city, from real estate developers and from lobbyists with a pending or present solicitation for goods and services or on real estate development issues. The code also prohibits any campaign consultant whose candidate is elected from lobbying the city for 12 months after the election.
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“Our main concern is when there is a conflict, a definite conflict with the city,” Pardo said.
The problems with that are (1) some shady politicians and their financial backers are willing to pay the $500 fine for a violation and (2) there’s nothing prohibiting all these special interests from contributing to political action committees, instead.
“You can very well circumvent that. You are not doing anything if you are not including PACs,” said Commissioner Manolo Reyes.
Wysong, again showing a marked difference in the professional tone, said it was a complicated issue and that the court has ruled that contributions are a form of free speech. “We will look at that and PACs,” he said.
Again, longtime political observers worry that Wysong is part of the complicit cartel that was the city attorney’s office under Mendez. After all, he was part of the conspiracy to thwart the Joe Carollo recall process before it even began. Critics say Wysong carried Tricky Vicky’s water.
But last week’s meeting seemed like a page had turned. Was it an illusion or a new beginning?
After 30 years in Miami, George Wysong becomes official city attorney added by Ladra on
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