In its first meeting since the April election, the newly configured Coral Gables City Commission—absent Commissioner Melissa Castro, who was undergoing undisclosed surgery—swiftly advanced a series of ordinances and resolutions Mayor Vince Lago has long championed.

The special meeting, a rarity held May 7, marked the mayor’s return to full political control at City Hall, with his allies—Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson and newly elected Commissioner Richard Lara—consistently voting as a bloc at the meeting on key issues that had previously stalled before the election.

Mayor Vince Lago dismissed Commissioner Castro’s request to postpone the specially convened meeting to a time when she could attend, noting that he had not been granted similar accommodations in the past. Still, he offered “our best wishes to the commissioner” and wished her “good health,” striking a more conciliatory tone than in some recent public exchanges.

Chief among the actions taken was the repeal of controversial commissioner pay raises approved in 2023. The commission voted to roll salaries back to previous levels, rejecting a competing proposal to reduce them to a symbolic $1 annually.

Anderson and Lara both expressed sympathy for the $1 salary concept as a gesture of accountability but favored restoring prior levels to ensure public service remains financially accessible.

Commissioner Ariel Fernandez, who had previously supported the raise, joined the majority in voting for the rollback. He opposed the $1 proposal, stating, “Bringing it down to a dollar, although novel, is not what residents are asking for,” and explained that such a move could limit who is able to run for office in the future.

Mayor Lago said the $1 figure came from conversations with residents who viewed the prior raises as “egregious and disrespectful.” He attempted to play a video of past commission debates on the raises, but technical difficulties prevented it.

“My point is simple,” Lago said. “Commissioners Fernandez, [former Commissioner Kirk] Menendez, and Castro can walk it back however they want—but it showed a lack of respect.”

The commission also voted to cut office budgets from $10,000 to $5,000 per member. The move appeared aimed in part at Castro, with Anderson, Lara, and Lago criticizing her use of funds for new-resident welcome packages, which they called unnecessary and outdated.

Elections, Charter changes, and procedural shifts

The commission also passed the first reading of an ordinance to move city elections from April to November, citing potential cost savings and higher turnout.

“This isn’t about quality versus quantity—every vote is quality,” Lago said. “I walked to thousands of homes. The message was clear: residents want a November election.”

While Fernandez opposed the change, saying it should go to a binding referendum, the mayor offered a compromise: a nonbinding resolution to gauge public support.

The commission also advanced an ordinance requiring a supermajority (four out of five commissioners) to approve spending from the city’s general fund reserves—another item Lago had failed to pass under the previous commission.

Several charter-related items also cleared first reading, including one calling for a special election to reform the Charter Review Committee and another to ask voters whether the city charter should include an Inspector General position.

Public comment, process changes

In a move criticized by several residents, the commission passed on first reading a measure that would limit public comment to the beginning of meetings, rather than allowing comments on each individual item. Civic activists Maria Cruz and Jackson “Rip” Holmes spoke out against many of the mayor’s proposals, but the new majority proceeded undeterred.

Commissioner Lara announced he will hold office hours every Monday from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. by appointment.

Mayor Lago noted the meeting’s two-hour duration and setting in City Hall chambers would be the model for future sessions.