The debate ended in September, when the new majority on the Coral Gables Commission — Melissa Castro, Ariel Fernandez and Kirk Menendez — voted to keep the Election Day in the City Beautiful in April on odd years rather than move it to the general election on even years. Commissioners also voted unanimously to create […]
The possibility that Miami-Dade Aviation Director Ralph Cutié would become the next city manager in Coral Gables was very short-lived. On Tuesday, Cutié — who oversees operations at the beleaguered Miami International Airport — was named as a potential (preferred?) replacement for City Manager Peter Iglesias, whose third vote for termination from Commissioner Kirk Menendez […]
The city of Coral Gables wants to terminate the lease with Fritz & Franz Bierhaus — a German restaurant that has become very popular, especially for soccer games — but has given the owner three weeks to come up with a proposal at market value rent so he can stay. This is the restaurant where […]
Coral Gables City Manager Peter Iglesias can count. Only because he knows he has three votes, can the manager lash out at Commissioner Ariel Fernandez like he did at Tuesday’s city commission meeting. Se puso feo. “You are the most disrespectful person,” the manager told him. They were talking about the lease at Fritz & […]
Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago had another bad day at City Hall Tuesday. Not only did he lack the votes to reject the proposed salary increase for himself and vice mayor — a grandstanding move that would have locked in future mayors and vice mayors — and is apparently losing the effort to annex High […]
The sunshine meeting Tuesday evening in Coral Gables was supposed to be a workshop for the city’s budget. Everyone expected to hear Mayor Vince Lago‘s ideas to bring the “millage” or tax rate down. That didn’t happen. Instead, we pretty much got a horse and pony show about where the taxes are coming from and […]
Coral Gables Commissioner Rhonda Anderson has booted Claudia Miro, a onetime commission candidate, from the planning and zoning board, saying her attendance, or lack thereof, is the reason. But the timing and circumstances point to another motive: Miro, who was recently reappointed by Anderson, voted last month against naming former Commissioner Wayne “Chip” Withers the […]
Change could give Mayor Vince Lago an additional 20 months in office To increase participation and reduce costs, the Coral Gables Commission may move the city’s biannual elections from April to November. But the question is, will they start in 2024 or 2026? The earlier option, moving the April 2025 election to November 2024, means […]
Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago is not as popular as he thinks he is. There’s no doubt that these recent commission races were a referendum on his leadership. Even though he won re-election with no opposition, Lago worked hard to get his cronies elected. He called people and asked them to put signs in their […]
The runoff for the commission seat in Coral Gables is really a contest between a well-connected, super funded lobbyist with a semi-famous last name, and a relatively unknown business woman with no money and an unfortunate last name. Guess who the establishment has chosen. Ivette Arango O’Doski, whose mother owns the well-known Arango Interiors, has […]