Type of government: Commission-Manager
Five-member City Commission: (purpose): To provide community leadership and develop policies to guide the City Administration's delivery of services.
Members: Mayor-Don Slesnick, II
Vice Mayor- William H. Kerdyk, Jr.
Commissioner- Maria Anderson
Commissioner- Wayne E. "Chip" Withers
Commissioner- Rafael "Ralph" Cabrera, Jr.
·
City Manager (Appointed by commission) Purpose: to serve as chief administrator of the City and ensure that the Commission's policies are properly executed. Budget-$144 million. Members: City Manager- Patrick G. Salerno
Assistant City Manager- Maria Alberro Menendez
Assistant City Manager- Dona Spain
Public Affairs Manager- Maria R. Higgins Fallon
Executive Assistant to City Manager-Lillian Quiroz
Executive Secretary-Pilar Wiesse
The Commission also appoints the City Attorney (Lourdes Alfonsin Ruiz) and the City Clerk (Walter Foeman)
Coral Gables' City Commissioners are elected to four-year, staggered terms. The Mayor serves for two years.
City-wide elections are held the second Tuesday in April in odd-numbered years.
Coral Gables' City Commissioners are elected to four-year, staggered terms. The Mayor serves for two years.
City-wide elections are held the second Tuesday in April in odd-numbered years.
What's Happening Now?
6 Commission Candidates Spar at Forum
(cggazette.com)
Approximately 150 people turned out to hear the six candidates vying to fill the commission seat Chip Withers is vacating after 20 years speak at a forum March 1.
Sponsored by the Ponce Business Association and moderated by CBS4 anchor Eliott Rodriguez, the two-hour event at the Church of the Little Flower featured insurance healthcare executive Rene Alvarez, commercial real estate broker Jackson Rip Holmes, real estate broker Richard Martin, attorney Frank Quesada, business owner Brad Rosenblatt and real estate investor Gonzalo Sanabria.
The candidates opened the forum by outlining their priorities for the city.
Alvarez, a 15-year Coral Gables resident and a University of Miami/City of Coral Gables Relations Committee member, called the city budget “bloated” and said Coral Gables must look for new tax revenue streams.
Holmes, a graduate of Coral Gables High School and the University of Florida School of Law, outlined four top goals: Creating more jobs, lowering taxes, re-energizing downtown by bringing in a department store and making sure taxpayers' money is spent on their priorities (police, fire and garbage pickup).
Martin, president of the Ponce Business Association, said the city must adopt a business-like approach to its operations and called for pension cost controls and reforms.
Quesada, a member of the Coral Gables Community Foundation board of directors, said City Hall is lacking the leadership needed to reduce wasteful spending. He also said "pension reform is not done."
Rosenblatt, president of the Business Improvement District, said the city must “…keep the commercial district healthy.”
Sanabria, chairman of Doctor's Hospital Foundation board of directors and a member of the city’s Historical Preservation Board, touted his extensive experience in the public and private sectors and said several times during the night, "No new taxes, no new fees."
On improving the pension system, Rosenblatt called the problem serious and suggested outsourcing whole departments, namely Building & Zoning and Information Technology.
Alvarez and Martin both proposed a 401(k)-type (defined contribution) plan for new hires.
Holmes referred to the city employees’ pension plans as “gold plated.”
"I remember when ‘pension’ was a good word 10 or 50 years ago," said Quesada. “But state statutes limit our options (today).”
Sanabria said something must be done about pensions and reform is inevitable. “(The pension contribution) doesn’t leave a lot for other city funding needs,” he added. “Seventy percent of our revenues go to employee benefits and salaries. There’s not a left to go around.”
Perhaps the most divisive issue discussed during the evening was on the $16 million Miracle Mile Streetscape project. One candidate said its need was immediate while the others were opposed questioning its necessity and if it was the best use for scarce public monies at the moment.
Only Rosenblatt supports the plan, saying businesses want it and it should have been done years ago. He added that the projected loss of 75 parking spots downtown is a small price to pay to create a more pedestrian-friendly area that will “…get hundreds of thousands of people,” to come downtown.
Quesada said he could support but not now and that the city must resolve its pension woes first.
Martin also said he is against the project at this time, as the money should be used for the pension system.
Holmes said his main criticism of the plan is the loss of 75 parking spaces. "Taking away parking is just not smart," said Holmes.
"We don't have revenues for this now," said Alvarez, explaining that the project would be a tremendous head wind for business owners who are struggling already.
Sanabria was most adamantly opposed to project, saying Coral Gables taxpayers should not, “…be on the hook for $20 million,” the residents’ projected portion to fund the plan. Plans to eliminate 75 parking spaces also set off the alarm for him. "I have built many shopping centers; the last thing you want to do is cut parking," added Sanabria, who also wants more minutes per quarter in parking meters.
If audience response is any indication, the best lines of the night came from Sanabria and Holmes. In his closing remarks, Sanabria told the crowd, “There is no learning curve when you elect me.” And in his final statement, Holmes connected with the audience when he said, “look folks we’re all suffering in the Great Recession. But we’ve got a city manager (Pat Salerno) who when he was running Sunrise (Fla.) created lots of jobs. If we’ve got a guy who can bring home the bacon and ain’t doing it, we need to light a fire under him. We need to light a fire under him.”
City voters will elect a mayor and two commissioners on Tuesday, April 12.
Sponsored by the Ponce Business Association and moderated by CBS4 anchor Eliott Rodriguez, the two-hour event at the Church of the Little Flower featured insurance healthcare executive Rene Alvarez, commercial real estate broker Jackson Rip Holmes, real estate broker Richard Martin, attorney Frank Quesada, business owner Brad Rosenblatt and real estate investor Gonzalo Sanabria.
The candidates opened the forum by outlining their priorities for the city.
Alvarez, a 15-year Coral Gables resident and a University of Miami/City of Coral Gables Relations Committee member, called the city budget “bloated” and said Coral Gables must look for new tax revenue streams.
Holmes, a graduate of Coral Gables High School and the University of Florida School of Law, outlined four top goals: Creating more jobs, lowering taxes, re-energizing downtown by bringing in a department store and making sure taxpayers' money is spent on their priorities (police, fire and garbage pickup).
Martin, president of the Ponce Business Association, said the city must adopt a business-like approach to its operations and called for pension cost controls and reforms.
Quesada, a member of the Coral Gables Community Foundation board of directors, said City Hall is lacking the leadership needed to reduce wasteful spending. He also said "pension reform is not done."
Rosenblatt, president of the Business Improvement District, said the city must “…keep the commercial district healthy.”
Sanabria, chairman of Doctor's Hospital Foundation board of directors and a member of the city’s Historical Preservation Board, touted his extensive experience in the public and private sectors and said several times during the night, "No new taxes, no new fees."
On improving the pension system, Rosenblatt called the problem serious and suggested outsourcing whole departments, namely Building & Zoning and Information Technology.
Alvarez and Martin both proposed a 401(k)-type (defined contribution) plan for new hires.
Holmes referred to the city employees’ pension plans as “gold plated.”
"I remember when ‘pension’ was a good word 10 or 50 years ago," said Quesada. “But state statutes limit our options (today).”
Sanabria said something must be done about pensions and reform is inevitable. “(The pension contribution) doesn’t leave a lot for other city funding needs,” he added. “Seventy percent of our revenues go to employee benefits and salaries. There’s not a left to go around.”
Perhaps the most divisive issue discussed during the evening was on the $16 million Miracle Mile Streetscape project. One candidate said its need was immediate while the others were opposed questioning its necessity and if it was the best use for scarce public monies at the moment.
Only Rosenblatt supports the plan, saying businesses want it and it should have been done years ago. He added that the projected loss of 75 parking spots downtown is a small price to pay to create a more pedestrian-friendly area that will “…get hundreds of thousands of people,” to come downtown.
Quesada said he could support but not now and that the city must resolve its pension woes first.
Martin also said he is against the project at this time, as the money should be used for the pension system.
Holmes said his main criticism of the plan is the loss of 75 parking spaces. "Taking away parking is just not smart," said Holmes.
"We don't have revenues for this now," said Alvarez, explaining that the project would be a tremendous head wind for business owners who are struggling already.
Sanabria was most adamantly opposed to project, saying Coral Gables taxpayers should not, “…be on the hook for $20 million,” the residents’ projected portion to fund the plan. Plans to eliminate 75 parking spaces also set off the alarm for him. "I have built many shopping centers; the last thing you want to do is cut parking," added Sanabria, who also wants more minutes per quarter in parking meters.
If audience response is any indication, the best lines of the night came from Sanabria and Holmes. In his closing remarks, Sanabria told the crowd, “There is no learning curve when you elect me.” And in his final statement, Holmes connected with the audience when he said, “look folks we’re all suffering in the Great Recession. But we’ve got a city manager (Pat Salerno) who when he was running Sunrise (Fla.) created lots of jobs. If we’ve got a guy who can bring home the bacon and ain’t doing it, we need to light a fire under him. We need to light a fire under him.”
City voters will elect a mayor and two commissioners on Tuesday, April 12.
Mayoral Candidates Joust at Rotary Debate
By George Volsky
georgevolsky@aol.com
Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick, evasive as it is his wont, has been put on defense by his two opponents in the April 12 election during the second debate mayoral Thursday at the Coral Gables Country Club.
Former diplomat James Cason and Coral Gables attorney Tom Korge repeatedly pinpointed the many failures of the mayor’s ten-year long tenure. But their charges, given the less-than-informative and sharp format of the debate that followed the Rotary Club of Coral Gables’ regular luncheon, failed to deliver a propaganda knockout to Slesnick.
Still, the mayor, constantly circumventing the questions, at one point appeared to reveal a defeatist demeanor. He said that he and his wife would be “proud” of his mayoralty’s accomplishments if he is not re-elected in April. And he even praised his two opponents as being worthy mayoral candidates.
According to one resident who observed the debate – and who used to be a Slesnick supporter – both Cason and Korge would have scored the debate’s winning points had they referred to Slesnick’s penchant for distorting facts, (or as he put it “for lying,”) an example of which, he said, actually happed today.
“This morning,” said the residents who asked not be identified, “I read Don’s ad in the Miami Herald’s Neighbors section and there, to my surprise, he took credit for the Coral Gables Trolley System as his ‘major accomplishment.’”
The resident continued: “I don’t think there is anyone in this audience - and we, the Rotarians, are quite aware of what it’s going on in the city - who doesn’t know that it was Bill Kerdyk, not Slesnick,- who proposed and fought for the trolleys and that, on the contrary, Don first tried to kill the project and when he failed to do it, he insisted unsuccessfully that its users pay a quarter per ride, which would have immediately scuttled the system. When I read the ad, I couldn’t believe that Don had run it. It offends us and our intelligence. Does Don believe Coral Gables voters are stupid?”
Like in the first debate, Cason said that he would look at the city’s many and serious financial and administrative problems with “new eyes and ears,” and would insist on a total reorganization of its administration. He also told the audience that as mayor he would put transparency at the top of his agenda.
In that context, Cason accused Slesnick of hiding from voters - until after the election - a comprehensive analysis of the city’s controversial financial relations with the Biltmore Hotel by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, reportedly completed after almost a year of work. (The report, authoritative sources have told the Gazette, concludes that Coral Gables should not hope to ever be repaid about $5 million, if not more, that the Biltmore management owes the city.)
Korge, as he has done before, charged Slesnick with negligence in not reacting for a long time to the hotel’s managers who wanted to discuss their financial problems with the city, and who in view of the mayor’s refusal to talk stopped paying the rent.
But Slesnick ignored his opponents’ statements. Neither did the Rotary Club moderator ask the mayor – as he could have done – to explain why the PWC report should not be released before April 12 vote. Neither was the mayor asked what was his position on that important city issue, as well as on an equally critical huge pension shortfall, a question from the public which the mayor pointedly ignored.
Slesnick’s replies to difficult questions were: “after all, the sun shines on Coral Gables;” “George Merrick would be proud if he saw the city today;” “we have the most civil city commission in South Florida;” and a new Slesnick gem: “you can look at the facts five different ways.”
At the outset of the debate, it was expected that the Rotarians, many of whom have been the mayor’s political and personal friends for years would have received him with warm and thunderous applause. That, significantly, did not happen. Applause was generally evenhanded and if anything it showed the audience’s lack of enthusiasm for Slesnick’s re-election bid.
georgevolsky@aol.com
Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick, evasive as it is his wont, has been put on defense by his two opponents in the April 12 election during the second debate mayoral Thursday at the Coral Gables Country Club.
Former diplomat James Cason and Coral Gables attorney Tom Korge repeatedly pinpointed the many failures of the mayor’s ten-year long tenure. But their charges, given the less-than-informative and sharp format of the debate that followed the Rotary Club of Coral Gables’ regular luncheon, failed to deliver a propaganda knockout to Slesnick.
Still, the mayor, constantly circumventing the questions, at one point appeared to reveal a defeatist demeanor. He said that he and his wife would be “proud” of his mayoralty’s accomplishments if he is not re-elected in April. And he even praised his two opponents as being worthy mayoral candidates.
According to one resident who observed the debate – and who used to be a Slesnick supporter – both Cason and Korge would have scored the debate’s winning points had they referred to Slesnick’s penchant for distorting facts, (or as he put it “for lying,”) an example of which, he said, actually happed today.
“This morning,” said the residents who asked not be identified, “I read Don’s ad in the Miami Herald’s Neighbors section and there, to my surprise, he took credit for the Coral Gables Trolley System as his ‘major accomplishment.’”
The resident continued: “I don’t think there is anyone in this audience - and we, the Rotarians, are quite aware of what it’s going on in the city - who doesn’t know that it was Bill Kerdyk, not Slesnick,- who proposed and fought for the trolleys and that, on the contrary, Don first tried to kill the project and when he failed to do it, he insisted unsuccessfully that its users pay a quarter per ride, which would have immediately scuttled the system. When I read the ad, I couldn’t believe that Don had run it. It offends us and our intelligence. Does Don believe Coral Gables voters are stupid?”
Like in the first debate, Cason said that he would look at the city’s many and serious financial and administrative problems with “new eyes and ears,” and would insist on a total reorganization of its administration. He also told the audience that as mayor he would put transparency at the top of his agenda.
In that context, Cason accused Slesnick of hiding from voters - until after the election - a comprehensive analysis of the city’s controversial financial relations with the Biltmore Hotel by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, reportedly completed after almost a year of work. (The report, authoritative sources have told the Gazette, concludes that Coral Gables should not hope to ever be repaid about $5 million, if not more, that the Biltmore management owes the city.)
Korge, as he has done before, charged Slesnick with negligence in not reacting for a long time to the hotel’s managers who wanted to discuss their financial problems with the city, and who in view of the mayor’s refusal to talk stopped paying the rent.
But Slesnick ignored his opponents’ statements. Neither did the Rotary Club moderator ask the mayor – as he could have done – to explain why the PWC report should not be released before April 12 vote. Neither was the mayor asked what was his position on that important city issue, as well as on an equally critical huge pension shortfall, a question from the public which the mayor pointedly ignored.
Slesnick’s replies to difficult questions were: “after all, the sun shines on Coral Gables;” “George Merrick would be proud if he saw the city today;” “we have the most civil city commission in South Florida;” and a new Slesnick gem: “you can look at the facts five different ways.”
At the outset of the debate, it was expected that the Rotarians, many of whom have been the mayor’s political and personal friends for years would have received him with warm and thunderous applause. That, significantly, did not happen. Applause was generally evenhanded and if anything it showed the audience’s lack of enthusiasm for Slesnick’s re-election bid.
--------------------------
I also got in contact with Maria Higgins Fallon, the Public Affairs manager whom I have an interview with on Monday. She is going to discuss with me some of the more current issues the city is facing.
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