Javier Baños
Baños is the Editor of Gables Insider
In a heated meeting on October 10, 2023, one that saw the censuring of Mayor Lago, a significant remark was leveled against Commissioner Melissa Castro. The Mayor accused her of unethically conducting business with the City of Coral Gables. At first, the allegation seemed another example of Mayor Lago’s aggressive defense against political critiques.
However, this narrative shifted just four days later, presenting Lago’s comment in a different light. On October 14, the Miami Herald unveiled a story centered around a revised opinion, dated September 28, 2023, from The Miami Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust. This opinion raised concerns about the appropriateness of M.E.D. Permit Expeditors – owned by Commissioner Castro – accepting work in Coral Gables. Notably, an earlier opinion in June 2023, at Commissioner Castro’s behest, had approved the company’s actions as long as Commissioner Castro had limited contact with city staff. The June opinion expressly says, “The Ethics Code does not prohibit your outside employment as the owner of a permit expediting firm that does business in the City of Coral Gables.”
The unfolding of events seemed oddly timed. Not only was Lago’s critique weirdly prescient, but curiously, the Miami Herald acquired the revised September 28 opinion even before its original requester, Commissioner Castro, was informed of the changes. There was no event or action that seems to have triggered the bizarre reversal of the opinion from June to September. While there might be a benign explanation for this sequence of events, the optics certainly cast a shadow over the Ethics Commission and, by extension, the broader situation. The point of the initial request and the process itself is to give guidance to newly elected public officials with the hopes of avoiding ethical pitfalls. The actual experience of Commission Castro’s now ill-fated request makes the Ethics Commission seemly complicit in a political attack by Lago or his proxies and may function as a cautionary tale against any future request by elected officials.
Mayor Lago’s strained relationship with Commissioner Castro is hardly a secret, with the former openly expressing his disdain. His actions have ranged from trivial and childish, like excluding Ms. Castro from official photos, to more serious allegations of seeking her potential replacement while she was hospitalized in intensive-care during August 2023. Now, whispers suggest that Lago might use this revised ethical opinion via his commentary and proxy emails as a lever to either force Castro out of the Commission or stifle her business.
Permit expeditors, like Commissioner Castro’s company, have had controversial relationships with municipalities in the past. Previously, their methods involved the purveying of seemingly mundane and innocent niceties such as pastries and coffee, along with a feminine smile and extending small courtesies to government staff, ostensibly for smoother bureaucratic processes. There have even been rumors of greater exchanges in other municipalities. Yet in Coral Gables, Mayor Lago’s heralded online permitting system, designed for transparency and minimal personal interaction, should reduce opportunities for misconduct. Everything is public, free for the examination of anyone. That is not to say that there is no value in the business format. Permit expeditors are more than list-checkers and paper-pushers, as the system does require a degree of knowledge of the intricacies of the process, but it is designed to be openly monitored, which should curtail any real or supposed impropriety.
Some might argue that the Ethics Commission is concerned about potential pressure on city staff by the mere presence of permits from M.E.D. Expeditor. However, the current system aligns and queues reviews with filing dates and identifies contractors or owners, not expeditors. This makes the idea of secret preferential treatment amongst a large staff somewhat far-fetched. Ultimately, the choice lies with the voters, who seemingly voiced their contentment just half a year ago when they elected Commission Castro over the Mayor’s preferred candidates with full knowledge of her employment.
While any proven abuse of office by Commissioner Castro should be justly addressed, her proactive move to seek the ethics opinion in the first place argues against malicious intent. Politics is, however, as much about perception as it is about reality. In the midst of these controversies, Mayor Lago might be wise to redirect his energy from attacking Commissioner Castro, a dedicated mother of two, to addressing the people’s business and his own well-documented allegations connected to builders and developers.
After all, voters are astutely observant and can discern the motives and actions of each Commission member.
See Miami Herald Article Here.
See Draft Opinion of June 2023 Here.
See Draft Opinion of September 2023 Here.
The views expressed in opinion pieces are those of the opinion authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Gables Insider, its staff or its affiliates. If you would like to submit an opinion for publication, please email it along with a photo and a two sentence biography of yourself to [email protected].
Oh dear “What’s Ethics”… You do have to love the comments! Especially comments as absurd as yours. But maybe you know something we don’t. So please, enlighten us! What are the ethic violations after ethic violations facing Mayor Lago? You and Jane Moscowitz are clearly part of the Gables Intelligence Agency, so reveal your secrets! The Political Justice Warriors are patiently waiting.
You gotta love the comments. Sure, criticism should go around to everyone, but seriously. . We are talking about potential violations.
Lago is up front in your face commiting ethic violation after ethic violation. Sad.
I would think she could expedite permits in other municipalities, just not in the city of coral gables.
I agree that Melissa Castro did something. How weird is that she has been recently elected with Ariel Fernandez, and both voted to increase their salaries by 102% and opposed to lower our taxes. They should resign from their posts as Commissioners, since they are not ethical at all, and only benefiting from the taxpayer’s money.
* CONCERNED for the TRUTH *
Reading this article, I must say that Commissioner Dr. Castro, should have asked the ethics board, before running for the position. That is to be honest and decide what to do. She waited 5, 6 months to find out..(BIG WHOPPER)
If she was honest, that would have been the start…contact the Ethics board.
Then she gets elected…1st thing on her agenda, tries to get the City Manager fired.,
2nd..Newly elected Castro and Fernandez, along with KIRK Menendez decide they need a HUGE raise , plus expenses, because they say they work too many hours for the City.
3rd..They decide that the residents of the city do not deserve a lower millage rate.
Why are you always defending Melissa Castro, she has a mouth and she can say things herself.
She either resigns or close her company. NOW…Why all the fuss, she should have been transparent for the start….
I have lived in this CITY 60 plus years and have NEVER seen anything like this, new commission
God help us.
I believe Commissioner Castro did the right thing by seeking an ethics opinion. That said, it appears that she has two choices: 1. Remain on the Commision and divest her interest in the expediting company; and 2. Remain an own an owner of the company and resign her position on the Commission.
To correct my comment. CASTRO did do something. She’s raised her salary 102%+ and voted against lowering the mileage rate by 5%. Like they LOVE to say, that must be what the residents want.
Thank you, Mr. Baños, for linking the draft opinions on this post. It is apparent to me that you either did not read the opinions, or you are banking on the intellectual laziness of your readers. Forget the term spin, the amount of geometric movements required to reconcile your opinions with reality are impossible to fathom. Use the links people. Read the opinions, lest you become Inciter sheeple.
Banos is either deliberately trying to slander Mayor Lago or he did NO RESEARCH for this article, except for speaking with Elaine de Valle. As someone who listens to all the CG commission meets, Mayor Lago only raised Castro’s expediting company when CASTRO TRIED TO INTRODUCE legislation to stop City Officials from working with employees and in the Gables. I WONDER WHY? Maybe because SHE KNEW THE INVESTIGATION was going to reduce her ability to do business in the City and wants everyone else to be limited as well. Seems to me like she coordinated ALL OF THIS.
Further, did you even read the first report. It said she can continue while it was investigating. It never conclusively stated she can and then reversed like you claim.
Journalist have 0 integrity for the truth and are just another form of TMZ. Slandering those they personally don’t like. If I was Mayor Lago, I would sue you for slander and make you prove you either didn’t know what the hell you were writing about or show your deliberate intent to simply slander Mayor Lago.
I get you can’t write about what CASTRO has done because the Article would be 1 word. ZERO
The article describes a “bizarre reversal of the opinion from June to September.” To be clear, to anyone that has read both drafts, there was absolutely no “bizarre reversal” of the opinion. Actually, the two versions are simply a continuing draft that contains the same cautionary ethics guidance. the flamboyant and inaccurate description of the language of the two opinions misleads readers and suggests complicity where none exists. In the future, perhaps the author should be more accurate and careful in his characterizations.
Those of you calling Baños biased are correct, though that doesn’t take away from L’Egos transgressions. Vicente tried unsuccessfully to paint a picture that he was being attacked by commissioners and failed miserably. He needs to stop with the mansplaining/gaslighting of commissioners and the public. We are a small city and with a city manager, not a self- appointed ruler and Code interpretor. It was about time, people saw this tiger’s stripes – albeit with a yellow streak.
Feminine smile??? Dude you are such a creeper. I’ve seen you side boob at least two random women when you hugged them. You are too young for that crap you perv.
Give us a break Mr. Baños. You really should be more thoughtful with your writing, or at least include the disclaimer “Editorial” at the start of every article. This is more opinion and commentary than it is informative. Not that we asked for your opinion anyway. On top of that, it’s a very obvious effort to divert attention away from Castro and a sorry attempt to defend her. But NOOOO! The enemy is the Mayor. He is and will always be the person we have to hate and frame. Wait, is that what you’re trying to say? Huh, I think I just summarized your article. The really sad part is that people will believe your narrative. Who asked you to write this one? We know you’re getting direction from the CGNA, which, as I’ve mentioned before, you have internal associations with. SunBiz is a fantastic tool, I encourage everyone to just look up Gables Insider and CGNA and you’ll find all the connections. Don’t pick and choose which parts of the full story you want to report. Some of us are a lot smarter than you think.
The pettiness of the squabbles reported seems entertainment value only. The more important issue is how to expedite the permitting and inspections process. Perhaps the whole process should be sourced out to special providers. The current system certainly is not working.
I keep getting more and more discouraged with Mayor Lago and his attempt to sabotage Commissioners Castro and Fernandez. His true manipulative and deceiving colors are showing and he will pay for this in the end. Sickening!
Sadly, neither should be there! We need committed adults running and representing our city. Someone owning an “expediting permits” group or company, in a city where
getting any kind of permit takes forever, smells bad. And someone posturing and holding grudges instead of running the city as he was elected to do so, should concentrate on the many problems and important issues that plague CG. This is not kindergarden. Do your job!
Next elections we need full disclosure of affiliations and company ownership from candidates before we vote.
Why does Castro not just transfer the ownership of M.E.D. into someones name unrelated to her? The commission salary, automobile & expenses increase also are directly related to this matter assisting Castro financially when she gives up control of M E D. As far as Lago is concerned he would have been political history in CG & defeated had anyone just challenged him in the prior election, it just seems intentionally planned for Lago to remain Mayor.
the whole permitting thing is a joke. we’re finishing a home, and permitting has been a 3yr nightmare. maybe we used the wrong expediting company?!?! but I’ll say this.. we’ve had major life -safety matters completely ignored by the inspectors, while other nit-picky things (speed of closure on an outside gate) get center billing. seriously, the inspectors have added zero value. there’s no reason for this people to have a job we pay for.
Castro was transparent about her company, and even initiated the review to inform how to act. Corrupt politicians use brokerages, multiple companies, and PACs to launder the money they receive. They aim to hide their pay for play connections, like de la Portilla did. Lago has yet to publicly address his dealings with corrupt individuals, his involvement in multiple companies, and why he tried to hide his brothers involvement in little gables in a public farce, at the commission, where signed that no one in his family was involved.
“… along with a feminine smile…”
Really?