When Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and Commissioner Audrey Edmonson made themselves members of the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority early last year — convincing colleagues to appoint them rather than citizens, as they had traditionally done — there was talk about making MDX toll funds available to build rail for the SMART plan. That was the whole idea, […]
Of all the Florida constitutional amendments on the ballot — and there are 13 of them — Miami-Dade voters should be the most excited about Amendment 10, which gives us the chance to have an elected sheriff and tax collector and supervisor of elections. And maybe end the series of abuses of power by a […]
Is a Miami-Dade county commissioner intentionally delaying the removal of the half-penny People Transportation Plan sales tax from the general operational budget? And is he, or she, doing it on behalf of Mayor Carlos Gimenez? That’s what it looks like. It’s been more than a month since the Citizens Independent Transportation Trust, a 15-member body created […]
President Barack Obama release his “second wave” of endorsements early Monday afternoon. “Today, I’m proud to endorse even more Democratic candidates who aren’t just running against something, but for something—to expand opportunity for all of us and to restore dignity, honor, and compassion to public service,” tweeted the president, who gave his first wave of […]
There seems to be some question as to whether or not Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez is going to actually increase his own salary. While county commissioners approved a budget Thursday that maxes it out at $250,000 — which is $100K more than he makes right now — Gimenez was coy with the media about whether […]
When was the last time you got a six figure raise? Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez gets a $100,000-a-year raise, nearly doubling his salary to $250,000-a-year beginning in October, because, well, because he can. As strong mayor, he is his own boss and can apparently decide to give himself a raise whenever he wants. No performance evaluation. […]
After a series of major missteps, a protracted and seemingly personal battle with the popular police and several threats, both public and private, to quit her job, Coral Gables City Manager Cathy Swanson-Rivenbark resigned Monday after almost four years at the helm of the City Beautiful. Police Chief Ed Hudak wins. And it seems Commissioner Mike Mena is […]
There’s no mention of them in the lawsuit filed Tuesday by Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo against the city and Mayor Francis Suarez in an attempt to stop the strong mayor vote, but the county mayor’s family is involved. While the emergency complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief was filed in Miami-Dade 11th Circuit Court by […]
Let’s say that the mayor of a big city calls one of his employees on a Sunday morning at home. This employee, who years ago he promoted to chief of her department, is in charge of municipal elections and, lo and behold, she changes her mind about a previously hard and fast deadline on an upcoming […]
Sorry Ladra has had to take a week to recover from the primaries and, yes, I am talking mostly about congressional district 27, where I was part of the campaign. My candidate came in third and, even though she was always the underdog and most expected her to do worse, it still hurts a bit. […]