2020 contender Xavier Suarez has dream slate for commission

2020 contender Xavier Suarez has dream slate for commission

Miami-Dade Commissioner Xavier Suarez is not only running for mayor in 2020 (probably), he’s got a whole slate of commission candidates he is supporting. “Ordinarily, it would seem a bit early to engage in those discussions,” Suarez said. But this is no ordinary election. Term limits approved by voters in 2012 mean that five of the […]

Gimenez vs Suarez war of words heats up with new radio spot

Gimenez vs Suarez war of words heats up with new radio spot

As the war of words between Carlos Gimenez and his family and Xavier Suarez and his family continues to heat up, a new radio spot paid by the Suarez PAC began to air Tuesday — calling Gimenez a fraud. Suarez narrates the Spanish language, 60-second spot and makes comparisons between Gimenez and his son, Miami […]

Carlos Gimenez taps commissioner to block return of 1/2 penny funds?

Carlos Gimenez taps commissioner to block return of 1/2 penny funds?

Is a Miami-Dade county commissioner intentionally delaying the removal of the half-penny People Transportation Plan sales tax from the general operational budget? And is he, or she, doing it on behalf of Mayor Carlos Gimenez? That’s what it looks like. It’s been more than a month since the Citizens Independent Transportation Trust, a 15-member body created […]

Miami Commissioner Manolo Reyes campaigns early as opponent is rumored

Miami Commissioner Manolo Reyes campaigns early as opponent is rumored

It took him more than 30 years to finally get a seat at the table, or rather dais. But less than 12 months after being elected to the Miami city commission last November, Manolo Reyes is already campaigning again for next year. He hasn’t really stopped. With $116,000 already in the campaign coffers, according to campaign reports […]

Carlos Gimenez finds hidden millions — yet again — at budget crunch time

Carlos Gimenez finds hidden millions — yet again — at budget crunch time

Well, what do you know? Pushed into a corner by a majority of Miami-Dade County commissioners and an army of activists and angry residents to restore the funding cuts he proposed for transit services (bus routes and Metrorail hours), Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez suddenly found at least $16.2 million we didn’t have before. More found […]

Playhouse ‘restoration’ ain’t what 2004 voters had in mind

Playhouse ‘restoration’ ain’t what 2004 voters had in mind

Proposal sounds like development bait and switch Before members of the city of Miami’s Historical Preservation Committee meet Tuesday afternoon to consider an application to “restore” the Coconut Grove Playhouse, they ought to look up the word restore in the dictionary. Then they ought to categorically deny this proposal because it is more about redeveloping […]

Calusa golf course controversy shows ‘covenants’ are crap

Calusa golf course controversy shows ‘covenants’ are crap

A group of West Kendall residents in a longtime fight against the redevelopment of the Calusa Golf Course won an important battle last week when the Miami-Dade Commission basically did nothing — and, effectively, killed a proposal to turn the 168 acres into more homes. But Ladra has a feeling that the war is not over and […]

Carlos Gimenez, er, Stevie Bovo wins commission chair

Carlos Gimenez, er, Stevie Bovo wins commission chair

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez was elected the commission chairman Tuesday. Sure, the board chose Commissioner Esteban Bovo, Jr. over Xavier Suarez. But the victory belongs to the mayor, who now has a compliant chairman and control of the commission agenda. You could see the satisfaction on his face when the two embraced after the vote. […]