Coral Gables mayor tries to reject a hefty raise, is censured

An ordinance to reject salary and allowance increases for only the Coral Gables mayor and vice mayor was shot down by a 3-2 city commission vote Tuesday.

The proposed ordinance would have allowed the mayor and vice mayor to not accept compensation and allowance budget increases previously approved by the commission.

“Do I believe that elected officials overall including those in Tallahassee are underpaid and the county for the amount of hours they put in, yes I do,” said Rhonda Anderson, the city’s vice mayor. “There are three different numbers being done, as far as salary increases, and there was no discussion item on the agenda, no ordinance or the public could have participated in, and no opportunity for public comment whether this be a ballot item or not…. I want open discourse on all these issues to the public to weigh in. So, it’s based upon the process that was used and that I am declining.”

During the Sept. 24 commission meeting, a resolution to remove from Coral Gables’ 2023-2024 budget planned salary increases of 53% or more for five elected officials in order to consider them further was rejected.

The current proposed salary increases in the budget include going from $44,905 to $69,000 for the mayor; a 53.66% increase. The vice mayor’s salary will go from $39,285 to $67,000, a 70.55% increase. Commissioners’ salaries will jump from $36,488 to $65,000, which is a 78.14% increase.

Currently, the mayor gets a $6,000 expense allowance and the vice mayor and commissioners get $4,800. The proposed new allowance will go up to $9,600, along with a new car allowance of $8,446 for each. Once all are tallied, the mayor will get 71%, the vice mayor 92.91%, and commissioners 101.34 % increases in salaries and allowances.

“This is now the fourth meeting in a row that we have discussed. Let’s not lie to residents, though. Let’s call it for what it is,” Commissioner Ariel Fernandez said during Tuesday’s commission meeting. “This is an attempt by the mayor and the vice mayor who are up for reelection to limit the number of people who can potentially run against him in our next election. But the election is over a year and a half away.”

Commissioner Fernandez went on and accused Mayor Vince Lago of publicly attacking, through media airways, his colleagues for being uneducated and non-working. He also accused the mayor of attacking former officials, criticizing a senior relief grant, saying commissioners are thieves, and even attacking fellow commissioners’ wives and having negative views on women.

“Last Saturday during our launch of the city’s Downtown Express Trolley tour, you said that and I quote, ‘Real men do not let their wives work.’ You said they should be like you and tell her to and I quote ‘Stay home with the children’” Mr. Fernandez said. “Mr. Mayor, it’s the 21st century. Look around you. We’re in a room full of fully capable, qualified and dedicated women who have been forced to work twice as hard to advance their careers because of men like you who believe they need your permission.”

Mr. Fernandez said that Mayor Lago has violated the city’s civility code clause with his recent actions.

“The City of Coral Gables deserves better from its mayor. On Sept. 13, you were asked by Commissioner [Melissa] Castro if you agree to treat your colleagues with respect and you brushed her off and instructed staff to move on to the next item on the agenda,” he said. “The tactics we have seen from the individual currently holding the office of mayor are a clear violation of the civility code and reprehensible. You speak about your legacy; this is your legacy. Coral Gables deserves better.”

“I did review it (civility code) and it says that the commission has the right to censure its own members,” he continued. “I would like to see us going forward, take a look at this civility code and actually put some teeth in it because the actions that have been taken by the mayor are just totally unacceptable. I’m making the motion to deny this item that’s on the table.”

City officials are indeed underpaid, Vice Mayor Anderson responded to the commissioner, “but the way it was done on this commission is disgraceful, and for you to imply that I am doing this as a plot to get reelected, I take exception to that. For you to dress me down to say that this is some plot to get reelected, it’s not, as it is clearly a matter of transparency to the residents.”

The mayor responded by stating that he always tries to keep the commission as respectful and collegial as possible.

“Please let us not forget you (Commissioner Fernandez) were the one that started Gables Insider, the most diabolical, disrespectful blog in this community that demeaned Miriam Ramos (former city attorney) and Mike Mena (former vice mayor). It was so disrespectful that I can’t believe it still continues as a breeding ground for people to be disrespectful towards employees, and towards residents. But again, don’t lecture me about how to behave, when you were the one that started Gables Insider.”

“I try to be as collegial and respectful here in the commission to get the business done on behalf of the residents,” Mayor Lago said. “You always have some sort of gotcha moment. Always a gotcha moment in an attempt to undermine me and to chip away at my integrity and what I stand for in the service that I’ve done here in the city. Enough is enough with me. You can say whatever you like. You’re entitled to your opinion. You have made comments that were cut-and-paste that were not the full comments. You have said things that were taken completely out of context.”

After the salary budget change vote for the vice mayor and mayor was concluded, Commissioner Kirk R. Menendez immediately put forth a motion to censure Mayor Lago, which was approved by a 3-2 vote.

“I hereby make a motion to censure Mayor Lago for having made several disparaging and personal public comments attacking his colleagues and their families through the media and other outlets,” Mr. Menendez said. “That’s my motion.”