The seven items that newly re-elected Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago asked the city clerk to put on the agenda for next week’s special meeting of the city commission include “addressing current city manager and protocols for hiring charter officers.”
Many have speculated that this means Lago will bring back former City Manager Peter Iglesias, who was unceremoniously fired in February of last year at Lago’s loud objections by a new majority on the commission that may have been reversed with this month’s elections. Iglesias has been spotted at high profile events lately — like the swearing-in ceremony, where Lago thanked him, and the centennial gala Tuesday night, where he was hobnobbing with the mayor through the crowd.
Las malas lenguas say that Lago campaigned on bringing Iglesias back. It’s ironic because there was a whisper campaign against attorney and Gables activist Tom Wells, who lost against Lara, that said he had made a deal to name former Commissioner Kirk Menendez, who lost the mayoral race to Lago in the first round April 8, the city manager.
It’s ridiculous. Or maybe it was projection.
At the swearing-in Friday, which was at the Coral Gables Police and Fire headquarters while City Hall undergoes renovations, the mayor — who beat Menendez and resident Michael Abbott — thanked his friends and supporters and then told Iglesias to 
“please stand to be recognized,” which he did and got applauded by the Lago-friendly, standing-room only crowd.
Then he proceeded to really lay it on thick.
“You embody everything that is right in government. You are the human spirit. You and I have disagreed, prior to you even being in the city of Coral Gables,” Lago said, referring to Iglesias prior job at the city of Miami and Vinnie’s private sector job in construction. “But you were always right because you did things humbly and you did things for the right reason.
“I am honored to be by your side.”
Be by your side? Not have been, but be?
By then, Lago had already told City Clerk Billy Urquia to schedule the special meeting.
Read related: Coral Gables manager fired, MIA Director Ralph Cutie could replace him
“Per my conversation with the City Attorney yesterday, April 23rd, I would like to call for a special commission meeting on May 6th to take up the following items,” Lago wrote to the city clerk on Thursday, two days attorney Richard Lara won the runoff. He numbered the items:
- Commission meeting procedures/legislative protocols for sponsorship
- Address Commission salaries
- City election date
- inspector general
- Addressing current city manager and protocols for hiring charter officers
- Addressing current Charter review
- City reserves
Urquia told Ladra that the agenda will be posted on the city’s website on Thursday.
Three of those things on Lago’s list are similar to items that he tried but failed miserably to get on a referendum last year via petition — rescinding the salary increases approved in 2023, moving the municipal election from April to November and needing a super majority to dip into the reserves for operational or capital expenses.
But the first item, “commission meeting procedures/legislative protocols for sponsorship,” sounds like L’Ego is trying to further control the commissioners he doesn’t like by controlling when and how they can put items on the agenda. What else could it be?
Everyone, even Lago, thinks that Lara is going to be the mayor’s needed third vote to move his agenda along. They both campaigned on the same things. But one of those things was having a process for the selection of the city manager. If Lago fires City Manager Albert Parjus, or demotes him and rehires Iglesias, isn’t he doing the same thing he accused rival commissioners Melissa Castro, Ariel Fernandez and Menendez of doing?
Read related: Coral Gables skips search, hires new city manager Amos Rojas on the spot
How many times did he repeat the message that the city “has seen three city managers in two years”? He’s going to make it four?
Neither Lara nor Lago returned calls from Ladra, but several people close to Lago told Political Cortadito that they had advised him not to rock the boat by hiring Iglesias and to tone down the rhetoric.
This will be Lara’s first true test. The first-time elected said during the campaign that the Gables should have a process for the hiring of a city manager. Let’s see if he sticks to that.
“We have the most qualified city manager that we’re going to find,” Fernandez told Political Cortadito Wednesday, citing Parjus’ experience at the county and in the Gables, where he was hired by Iglesias as his No. 2. “We’re heading into the budget season. We are looking at possibly cutting the millage rate and eliminating or lowering the garbage fee.
“This is not the time to change city managers.”
Somewhere, Kathy Swanson Rivenbark is laughing and raising her martini.
Coral Gables Vince Lago may move to bring back City Manager Peter Iglesias added by Ladra on
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