Miami City Commissioners on Thursday hired a new city attorney: Deputy City Attorney Victoria Mendez was voted in 3-2 in what sources say was a very politicized process. Mendez was reportedly pounding the pavement at City Hall in the last few days to lobby commissioners on her behalf. So was her husband, Carlos Eduardo Morales — […]
Homestead City Manager George Gretsas will very likely get a two-year extension on his contract tonight, in part as a pat on the back for his role in the investigation that led to the arrest last month of former Mayor Steve Bateman on public corruption charges. Gretsas, hired last year, doesn’t get a raise in […]
The topic of last night was the county budget, but a couple of Miami-Dade Commissioners decided to take the opportunity to criticize the elephant in the room: a recall effort against one of their colleagues. Commissioners Dennis Moss, Bruno Barreiro and Audrey Edmonson each said that the recall — announced last week when Vice Mayor […]
It’s hard to believe it, but we saw it with our own eyes. And it’s on video tape for proof: One after another, people came before the Miami-Dade County Commission Tuesday evening and basically begged commissioners to tax them further to save libraries, fire-rescue services and dogs and cats. But mostly libraries. More than eight […]
A ‘message’ to the mayor: Careful, they may veto you. Without a doubt, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez was already walking a fine line. Last week’s last minute veto of an 8-4 decision by the county commission, for many, is just the last straw in a series of possible political abuses by the man we elected […]
On tonight’s big budget night, which everyone has been anticipating, commissioners are flying blind. Pretty much just like the rest of us. That’s because the last minute about-face made by Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez — who first proposed a small tax increase to maintain services and then switched to a more politically convenient (really? how’s […]
While all eyes are on the Miami-Dade County Commission and its budget hearing today, there will be phones ringing off the hook at the homes of voters in Miami Lakes and Homestead, where there are city elections Oct. 1. That is because absentee ballots drop for voters in both cities Tuesday and Wednesday. Miami-Dade Elections […]
People are still asking what really happened with the million dollar campaign to elect Miami Commissioner Francis Suarez as mayor? How could an up and coming, popular politico — son of Miami’s first Cuban mayor, who many considered the natural heir to the seat — just decide to throw in his towel? Did he jump? Or […]
The arrest last month of Sweetwater Mayor Manny “Maraña” Maroño on federal bribery and extortion charges left the city shocked (a little), embarrassed (a lot) and one commissioner short after Jose Diaz became acting mayor when the governor suspended Maroño. The decision was slated to be made Monday night, but because Commissioner Manuel Duasso was missing […]
There’s a crowded ballot in the race to replace suspended Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi, who was arrested last month on charges of bribery and extortion after a two-year FBI sting in which he allegedly accepted kickbacks for facilitating a bogus grants application. But only two of the hopefuls are experienced candidates with money to […]