Property appraisers: Vote yes on Amendment 2, or rents, prices rise

Property appraisers: Vote yes on Amendment 2, or rents, prices rise

The elected property appraisers in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties came together this week to write an op-ed piece about Amendment 2, urging voters to vote yes to keep an annual 10 percent cap on the increase in non-homestead property values — and make it permanent. This includes apartment buildings and duplexes where owners […]

Increased property values could = more library hours

Increased property values could = more library hours

Miami-Dade County will see close to 9% more taxes come in next year thanks to increased property values and new construction, according to a report delivered Monday by Property Appraiser Pedro Garcia. Whew! Maybe now we can open all our libraries all five days of a work week? And even add weekends to those that […]

Ethics commission: Eddy Gonzalez didn’t lie, just misled

Ethics commission: Eddy Gonzalez didn’t lie, just misled

The Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust found Wednesday that there was no probable cause to a complaint against former State Rep. Eddy Gonzalez for violating the Mandatory Fair Campaign Practices Ordinance when he ran for Miami-Dade Property Appraiser last year. Filed by then-candidate Pedro Garcia, who won the election Nov. 4, the complaint […]

Pedro Garcia kills it over Eddy Gonzalez and his money

Pedro Garcia kills it over Eddy Gonzalez and his money

State Rep. Eddy Gonzalez is going to have to look for a real job. Gonzalez, who is termed out this year, lost to former Miami-Dade Property Appraiser Pedro Garcia in the runoff Tuesday — even though he spent more than twice as much as Garcia. Guess voters could see right through the slick career politician’s […]

Marco Rubio comes out for Eddy Gonzalez in prop app race

Marco Rubio comes out for Eddy Gonzalez in prop app race

State Rep.  Eddy Gonzalez has scored the Holy Grail of 305 endorsements in his bid for Miami-Dade Property Appraiser — the backing of none other than Sen. Marco Rubio, a one-time VP hopeful. In what may also be the first time a U.S. Senator stumps for a Property Appraiser candidate, several people told Ladra they had gotten […]

Que paso? Eddy Gonzalez heads into runoff as numero dos

Que paso? Eddy Gonzalez heads into runoff as numero dos

This is not the way it was supposed to happen. As expected, State Rep. Eddy “Here Comes Hialeah” Gonzalez heads into the runoff for the Miami-Dade Property Appraiser’s position after Tuesday’s election, but he is going into Round 2 with the second highest number of votes, trailing former Property Appraiser Pedro Garcia by a whole […]

Eddy Gonzalez: A tale of two mailers — black and Hispanic

Eddy Gonzalez: A tale of two mailers — black and Hispanic

State Rep. Eddy Gonzalez‘s mailer arrived in Ladra’s mailbox Wednesday, urging me to give him my vote for Miami-Dade Property Appraiser. Also urging me from their smiling photographed faces were Sen. Anitere Flores, Miami Beach Commissioner Jonah “Potty Mouth” Wolfson, State Sens. Oscar Braynon and Dwight Bullard and State Rep. Daphne Campbell. But when my […]

Lines drawn in battle for Miami-Dade Property Appraiser

Lines drawn in battle for Miami-Dade Property Appraiser

There were no fisticuffs, but it was lively and lines were definitely drawn in the debate last week between the five candidates for Miami-Dade Property Appraiser — a juicy $196,000-a-year job overseeing the assessment of property values, which is the main source of revenue (read: cash cow) for the county budget as well as all […]