Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago is all ‘damage control,’ no budget plan

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 what the proposed spending is. It was not much different from the budget presented last month, except the valuations show $750,000 more in property tax revenue.

This was all part of Lago’s recent damage control tour, taken to repair his reputation after the big news stories about his financial benefit from the development of a high-rise on Ponce de Leon Boulevard and his conflict of interests in the Little Gables annexation with financial ties to the trailer park owner. He’s been doing the AM Cuban radio rounds and some ribbon cutting events.

Now he wants to meet again in another week to discuss how to make cuts that would put more dollars in the pockets of residents. Perhaps it was because he knew he didn’t have the votes Tuesday.

It would be expected that independent newcomer Commissioners Melissa Castro and Ariel Fernandez would question any further cuts in the tax rate. Castro, visibly gaining confidence as Lago spirals downward (more on that later), called it “self sabotage.”

But even Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson, who is supposed to back Lago up, was not enthusiastic about making any of the cuts that would be necessary to slash the tax rate even more.

“I’d like to stay the course. We have a number of projects,” Anderson said.

There are $46 million in capital projects budgeted this year — a significant decrease from the $150 million or so last year. Of that, $19.4 million comes from the general fund. And it seems like those might be where some of the cuts come.

But Lago wouldn’t even go near the chopping block. Castro had a list and offered it to him. But he wouldn’t go there. More proof that he is just posturing.

“I don’t have to worry about this because I don’t have any pet projects,” he said.

Does that mean the “mobility hub” parking garage is off the table? Was he pouting?

The projects that are listed in the budget include:

$2.9M for the replacement of IT network infrastructure and emergency generators
$4.7M for facility repairs/improvements including the recertification of City facilities, optimizing energy and water efficiency at City facilities, and the renovation of the Passport Facility
$5.1M for the repairs/restorations of historic facilities including City Hall, the Venetian Pool Facility (including State appropriation), and the restoration of White Way lights
$4.8M in motor vehicle and equipment replacement
$1.4M for parking improvement projects including upgrades to City garages and lots, the installation of multi-space pay stations, and maintenance of the pavers on Miracle Mile and Giralda streetscapes
$9.6M for parks & recreations improvements including Phillips Park (includes State appropriations), Toledo and Alava neighborhood park, Blue Road open space, planning for the Youth Center, Rotary Park enhancement
$2.2M for Public Safety improvement projects including Fire House 4 (includes State appropriation), a Park AED pilot, and the replacement of Police and Fire equipment
$2.4M in transportation and right of way projects including the Last Mile transit stop improvements, Ponce de Leon streetscape improvements, traffic calming, repair, replacement, and new sidewalk, bridge repairs and street resurfacing and milling (includes State appropriation)
$8.7M for utility repairs/improvements including repair, maintenance, and improvement to the sanitary sewer and stormwater infrastructure, waterway maintenance, and the Sea Level Rise Mitigation Program.

Because property values have consistently increased each year — by $13.4 million this year — property owners will still pay more than they did last year. The city provided graphics that show the owner of a home valued at the average $870,321 wold pay $4,838 in annual taxes to the city an increase of $141. A whole $141. That’s $11.75 a month. Someone whose home is valued at $500,000 would pay $81 more a year. And half the homes in Coral Gables are worth under $513,286.

Commissioner Fernandez mentioned that the cut would only really benefit the owners of the million dollar mansions. Castro said further cuts was “jeopardizing the quality of life of residents.”

“The residents deserve a break,” Lago said, and then he let out the real reason he’s trying to do this in the very public eye. “The county mayor is reducing the millage rate. Manny Cid is going to roll back the rate in Miami Lakes,” Lago said, sounding like he’s in competition. “If he can do it, I know that we can do it. We gotta tighten our belt.

“Winter is coming.”

Still, he had no ideas or suggestions on how to tighten that belt. In fact, he wants others to come with the cuts, which only means he’s going to rip into them for it.

“It’s not a debate. It’s something I’m going to do,” Lago said, about proposing a budget cut between 7.5 and 10%. Even if it means “scaling back capital projects,” the mayor said.

“So there’s no plan,” Fernandez repeated, adding that staff had presented this information weeks ago.

“I’m being considerate to you,” Lago replied, saying that he was giving them a chance to suggest the cuts. “There is a plan. I’m willing to cut whatever we have to cut.”

Welllll, not really. He just doesn’t want to give the employees or labor unions anything. He said as much at the first budget workshop, the real budget workshop, in July.

And he wants to look like a hero. It’s part of his comeback damage control tour.

Commissioners also want to find a way to lower garbage fees from $800 a year. But every time they consider making changes to pick up schedules or locations, the public roars and the city backs down.

There may be another meeting in a week or there may not and the mayor may or may not do anything to the budget. But the public can’t speak at sunshine meetings. That might be why Commissioner Kirk Menendez just wanted to come back and make changes to the budget at the first public hearing Sept. 13. The final hearing is Sept. 26.

Ariel Fernandez, budget, Coral Gables politics, Melissa Castro, Vince Lago

Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago is all ‘damage control,’ no budget plan added by Ladra on August 23, 2023
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