Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo got his way Thursday when the commission voted to throw all the unused COVID19 relief money for grocery gift cards from the CARES federal funding into a new pot and divide it between four of them again. Commissioner Jeffrey Watson and his $360,388 balance will stay in District 5 because, officially, […]
City commissioners in Miami could officially give the redistricting consulting contract to Miguel de Grandy on Thursday. That’s expected. The contract was taken from former State Sen. Bill Galvano, a pal of Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla, last month and De Grandy was already spoken of as the chosen replacement. What’s not expected or […]
And a slew of electeds supporting him After what is arguably a successful first term, Miami Beach Commissioner Mark Samuelian is getting ready to run for re-election this year. Samuelian filed his first paperwork on Monday and kicks-off the campaign next week with a virtual political powwow of elected leaders, current and former. The other […]
In these “unprecedented times,” we keep hearing from our electeds, as the COVID19 pandemic and economic crisis stretches into 2021, people need help paying the rent, staying in business and/or feeding their families. So why are city of Miami commissioners sitting on somewhere between $700,000 and almost $1 million in COVID relief grocery and/or Visa […]
But nada to connect ships to power and cut pollution Miami-Dade Commissioners will be asked on Wednesday to approve the design, construction, finance, operation, management and maintenance of a new terminal complex at PortMiami estimated to cost taxpayers at least $381 million over half of a 62-year lease with MSC Cruises. In the middle of […]
He wants to revisit light and heavy rail as an option True to his word, Miami-Dade Commissioner Kionne McGhee will ask his colleagues to pull the brakes on the $368 million rapid bus transit project along U.S. 1 to Homestead and park it another 60 days to examine other options — such as light and […]
Even as they talk about the tough times to come and budget shortfalls expected in the wake of the COVID19 pandemic, Miami-Dade Commissioners could spend an additional $19 million on furniture this year — because $21 million is evidently not enough. That’s right, the total amount in the annual budget for furniture could be increased […]
There are seven candidates in the Group 2 race in the Coral Gables election. But, really, there’s only three. Everyone watching knows the fat votes will go to Rhonda Anderson, Tania Cruz-Gimenez and Jose Valdes-Fauli. As the only gringa in the race, Anderson is almost a shoe in for the runoff. She might have the […]
Remember when former Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez threatened to close libraries and did slash their budgets, cutting hours and days of operation, in 2013? Seven years later, not only are the libraries almost back to full hours, but the tiny storefront branch in Hialeah Gardens has been replaced with a cutting-edge, 13,500-square-foot facility more than […]
Miami Beach Police and city officials are trying to clamp down on violent crime that has spiked in the city in recent weeks. “We have too many people not doing the right thing,” said Commissioner Mark Samuelian, who had a virtual town hall meeting last week with Police Chief Richard Clements, city staff and residents. […]