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In recent weeks, Coral Gables residents have been subjected to a misleading narrative about litigation costs and fiscal responsibility—one that conveniently ignores the much larger, far more damaging financial decisions made by this commission during the last two years. Let’s set the record straight.
A July 16 memo from Commissioner Castro to the Commission cherry-picked $556,000 in
litigation costs—spanning ten years—and used it as a red herring to deflect attention from the truly alarming fiscal choices our city has made recently. The Wawa lawsuit, which makes up the bulk of that figure, was a response to a lawsuit filed against us—not a voluntary legal crusade. That’s an important distinction.
Meanwhile, what’s gone unmentioned is the hiring of a City Manager at an unprecedented salary of over $368,000—without a background check or a résumé. This lack of transparency not only defies best hiring practices—it disrespects the taxpayers.
Add to that the 26 new positions added in FY2025, costing an estimated $11.5 million over the next decade. These are recurring expenses, not one-time investments. And yet they were passed with little discussion of long-term consequences.
Even more troubling: the commission approved a 4% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for
retirees—after the Retirement System reported nearly $170 million in losses. That one vote alone increased our unfunded liability by over $14 million and our annual required contribution by $2.2 million.
We’ve also seen a 101% pay raise for commissioners—championed by Commissioners Castro and Fernandez. While I succeeded in passing legislation to reverse those raises, the damage to public trust is done.
Since I was first elected in 2013, I’ve made financial stewardship my priority. Reserves have nearly tripled. Pension liabilities were significantly reduced—until this commission’s actions reversed that progress. Property values are now cooling, and we can no longer rely on skyrocketing tax rolls to make up for the poor decisions made over the last two years.
Coral Gables residents deserve a full audit and a sober financial plan for the next decade—not politically motivated spending sprees. I urge my colleagues to join me in conducting a
comprehensive review of our budget decisions and to take accountability seriously.
Because fiscal responsibility isn’t just a catchphrase—it’s a disciplined commitment. And the
future of our city depends on it.
