Javier Baños
Baños is the Editor of Gables Insider
The Coral Gables City Commission concluded its final meeting of the year, tackling a range of pressing issues that have been under review, with discussions revealing the city’s determination to address key concerns amidst a few heated debates.
Gables Education Initiative
Central to the meeting was the adoption of the School Community Relations Committee’s Gables Education Initiative into the city’s strategic plan. This resolution, aimed at transforming Coral Gables into a ‘City Brilliant’, marks a significant shift towards enhancing educational excellence. The Commission is looking to engage with Miami Dade county school board representatives and is planning a citizen workshop in the upcoming year. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to involve citizens in shaping the city’s future, particularly in implementing the ambitious goals now embedded in the city’s strategic plan.
Street Lights
The Commission also turned its attention to street lighting, a matter of considerable interest to the community. At the request of Commissioner Fernandez, there was a call for further collaboration with Florida Power & Light (FPL) to address the issue of obstructively tall lights near the Granada Golf Course and the replacement of others throughout the city. Mayor Lago underscored the importance of maintaining and cleaning existing light poles, emphasizing this effort as crucial to the city’s beautification. Furthermore, the Commission approved a significant investment of $308,414.00 for the restoration, repair, and replacement of historic White Way Lights, integral to preserving the city’s aesthetic heritage.
Litle Gables Annexation
Another critical topic was the proposed annexation of Little Gables, which the Commission decided to put to a public vote in the August 2024 County elections. This decision, expected to cost approximately $18,000.00, allows residents to have the final say on this contentious issue, although Mayor Lago and Vice Mayor Anderson had initially preferred a decision by the Commission.
Employee Pension
The most emotionally charged segment of the meeting concerned the cost-of-living adjustment for the pensions of city retirees. Many former city employees, primarily elderly, made heartfelt appeals for an increase in benefits, which have remained unchanged for over a decade. Their stories of financial hardship and health issues resulting from their service were moving. However, the city faces a dilemma with its pension fund, struggling to fulfill its existing obligations while managing a significant unfunded liability. The suggestion of a cost-of-living adjustment, though morally compelling, was deemed financially imprudent by some Commissioners due to the potential increase in the city’s liability by approximately $27 million.
In a bid to find a middle ground, Commissioners Menendez and Castro proposed repurposing a portion of the budgeted additional pension payments to grant a one-time payment of $2,500.00 to each retiree in 2023. This compromise aimed to provide some relief to the retirees amidst rising inflation. However, after multiple votes on various proposals, the Commission could not even agree on a reduced single payment of $1,300.00, falling short of the 4/5 vote needed for the more modest benefit. This inability to reach a consensus resulted in the denial of the cost-of-living increase and other proposed benefits, culminating in a session marked by frustration and disappointment among the retirees, some expressing their discontent vocally and vividly.
The meeting concluded with the Commission extending holiday greetings, wrapping up a year of significant decisions and highlighting the challenges of governance in addressing the diverse needs of our dynamic city.
There seems to be a lot more wading going on here than any where else, particularly through bad reporting, terrible writing styles, and false narratives. This “news” source prides itself on being the “most trusted source for Coral Gables news,” but Mr. Baños should consider changing that last word to “narratives,” it really would make things easier for the rest of us. Maybe some folks would stop wasting so much time allowing Mr. Baños to tell them how to think and more time actually thinking and doing their own research about these topics. It is not Mr. Baños’s motive to give facts or conduct accurate reporting… instead his motive is to portray the Mayor and the City in a negative light because it improves his readership statistics. You’re right Mr. Jones, you are squandering your time on this blog. You clearly don’t care very much for facts, opting to blindly believe everything Mr. Baños has to say just because it fits into your warped perspective of Coral Gables politics, which is exactly what Mr. Baños wants from you. Would you like me to go on?
I see what they’re doing here. Trying to get folks to read the L’Ego blog, that often quotes from El douche himself. I’d rather squander my time with smiling baldy here, than wade through that blow hard.
The Pension program has got to go for NON-ESSENTIAL personnel! This needs to end! Private businesses ended this practice decades ago! Want to know why WE STILL HAVE PENSIONS???…because it’s NOT their $$$ that’s why!
Mr. Baños, would you be so kind as to clarify who is to blame for the Commission’s inability to agree on a final number for the single lump-sum payment? Or maybe lay out all the facts so your readers can better understand the whole situation. This is a pretty lazy post if you ask me.
What is this folks? News or narratives? This platform is drastically diminishing in quality (not that it ever was of quality), but that was to be expected from Mr. Baños. Fortunately for us residents, Aesop’s Gables just shared a more detailed and insightful post that paints a much clearer picture of what really took place last Tuesday. Because my comment will go directly to moderation if I post a link here, you can Google “aesop’s gables substack” to find the post. Happy reading!