By Rafael Hernandez

This year in Coral Gables, disputes over power, governance, and identity collided with moments of celebration, remembrance, and civic pride. From City Hall to neighborhood streets, decisions carried lasting consequences — revealing not only how the city governs, but how it understands itself. As the year closes, the Coral Gables Gazette looks back at the events that defined a consequential chapter in the life of the City Beautiful.

March

Police Chief Ed Hudak defended signing an agreement with ICE, making the city the first in Miami-Dade County to assist federal immigration enforcement. “This agreement does not turn the police department into an ICE sublet,” Hudak told commissioners during a heated March 11 meeting. Several residents pushed back. “Our officers should not be deputized as ICE agents,” warned attorney Alana Greer. Mayor Vince Lago called it “walking a tightrope between federal and state government.” 

The Biltmore Hotel offered lighter news, celebrating its groundbreaking centennial with a time capsule ceremony attended by congressional members and local officials. 

Campaign finance reports showed Mayor Lago dominating fundraising with $472,475 raised ahead of the April 8th mayoral race, dwarfing challenger Kirk Menendez’s $39,501. Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson led her race with $77,480, while Richard Lara topped Group III fundraising at $144,930.

Coral Gables Community Foundation Appoints Interim CEO, Following Departure Of Mary Snow

Commission urges UM to restore Merrick name on website, building

April

Commissioner Ariel Fernandez accused a private investigator of following him to his son’s school, part of what he called a pattern of harassment targeting him and Commissioners Kirk Menendez and Melissa Castro. “These incidents are not just political disputes. They are targeted attacks on public officials and their families,” Fernandez said at an April 2 press conference, alleging ties to Mayor Lago.  Lago dismissed the claims as an election stunt.

Lago decisively won his bid for reelection alongside Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson and newcomer Richard Lara. In the April 25 induction ceremony, Lara promised a course correction, while Lago vowed to repeal the controversial 101% commission salary increase, declaring his victory “a mandate” and “a clear referendum on the last two years of dysfunction.” 

But cracks began to show. Castro accused Lago of verbally attacking her at the April 26 El Carnaval festival, calling her a “venomous snake” in front of her young son and prompting a police investigation.

May

City fetes its centennial with celebration at City Hall

Coral Gables Police honor their fallen

Coral Gables city manager resigns after four months

The new commission majority moved decisively to reshape Coral Gables’ political landscape. Mayor Vince Lago led a 3-2 vote on May 20 reinstating Peter Iglesias as city manager just 16 months after his controversial firing. “Peter Iglesias never should have been fired the way he was,” said Commissioner Richard Lara. Commissioner Melissa Castro, who voted against Iglesias both times, disagreed with the move, questioning whether the decision was orchestrated behind closed doors.  The marathon 12-hour meeting delivered more. Elections moved from April to November starting in 2026, cutting current terms short by four months (but were later moved to an April 2026 mail only referendum after the courts interceded), rolling back commission salaries and rescinding Castro’s expedited permitting program.

Commission repeals raises, Nov. elections proposal advances

Resilience, reflection mark UM Commencement

18 development projects now under city review

Coral Gables honors its fallen soldiers at Memorial Day ceremony

Phillips Park renovations cut by $2.7 million for City Hall repairs

June

Hybrid work for Coral Gables city employees ends June 9

The international spotlight was on Coral Gables in June as soccer’s biggest names gathered for the Ole Soccer Miami conference days before the FIFA Club World Cup kicked off at Hard Rock Stadium.  “This is not the City of Miami. This is Coral Gables, don’t get confused,” Mayor Vince Lago told attendees at the June 12 event, highlighting the city’s 2024 win securing FIFA’s North American headquarters at 396 Alhambra Circle. “For the last 100 years, FIFA was based in Zurich, but we are a global association,” said FIFA’s Chief Legal and Compliance Officer Emilio Garcia Silvero. 

But celebration brought controversy when immigrant rights advocates protested outside those same FIFA offices on June 30, demanding ICE and CBP stay away from tournament venues. 

Meanwhile, preliminary figures showed Coral Gables property values rose 5.4% to $25.9 billion, trailing the countywide 8.5% surge and signaling budget debates ahead.

Crime falls sharply in Coral Gables, led by drop in violent, property offenses

Coral Gables reports $30m available for permitting overhaul

Coral Gables City Hall’s structural warnings pile up—so do the questions

Coral Gables Fire Department’s reaccreditation deferred

July

Coral Gables unveiled a proposed $308.2 million budget that held property taxes flat for the eleventh straight year while tapping $31.2 million in reserves. Mayor Vince Lago warned the commission about rising debt, pointing to $99.5 million in principal obligations. “We need to pay down our debts. The faster we pay down our debts, the more money you’re going to have to spend on projects,” he said. 

The mayor also pushed for solid waste reform, proposing green waste containers to stop illegal dumping by outside landscapers. 

The University of Miami also celebrated surpassing $2.65 billion in its “Ever Brighter” campaign, making it the largest fundraising effort by a Florida private institution, with 160,000 donors contributing to student scholarships, research facilities, and athletic improvements.

Commission to vote on steel windows at City Hall despite specialists’ opposition

Coral Gables Planning Board advances high-rise rezoning near UM metro station

Gables Fourth celebration lights up ‘City Beautiful’ sky

Reaccreditation report details Coral Gables Fire Department documentation gaps

Coral Gables launches probe into Youth Center Association, raising questions over decades-old agreement

Decision in Miami case puts Coral Gables election change under new legal scrutiny

Actors’ Playhouse dedicates the Dr. Lawrence and Barbara Stein Center for the Performing Arts

Public schools in Coral Gables earn high marks, leaders applaud progress

Coral Gables Trolley to unveil east-west route as part of pilot program

August

August delivered political and peacock drama as the commission tackled both wildlife and board member controversies. 

The city adopted a Peafowl Mitigation Policy allowing residents to hire licensed professionals to humanely remove the iconic birds causing roof damage, scratched vehicles, and early-morning squawking in neighborhoods like Cocoplum and Old Cutler Road. 

Another clash came August 26 when the commission voted 3-1 to remove Sue Kawalerski from the Planning and Zoning Board after City Manager Peter Iglesias presented an 18-minute video of her confrontations with staff and officials. Commissioner Melissa Castro, who appointed Kawalerski, dissented and immediately nominated former Commissioner Kirk Menendez as replacement. 

Meanwhile, probationary firefighter Walby Othello celebrated his rookie year’s end by having his father-in-law, Chef Calvin Harris, cook for the crew. Harris hoped to launch a nationwide program supporting firehouse kitchens with his spice blends. 

Coral Gables reports strong revenues, uneven spending across departments

Coral Gables Commission denies Castro’s push to revisit election rescheduling after latest Miami ruling

University of Miami names Joel H. Samuels as new provost

How this Coral Gables Commission is legislating in its early months

Gables Estates ranked nation’s most expensive neighborhood

Zoning reversion proposed for parcels near Coral Gables Youth Center and Somerset Academy

Coral Gables marks Senior Citizens Week with full slate of free events

Planning & Zoning Board meeting turns tense over treatment of county commissioner

Two blocks apart, projects will add 362 apartments to North Gables

Coral Gables to put election date change, other measures on conditional 2026 ballot

Coral Gables commission revives Mobility Hub with ‘Carved by Nature’ design

Rare commission vote removes board member; former commissioner nominated as successor

Coral Gables commission hires outside counsel in Youth Center records dispute

September

The commission adopted a $313.6 million budget on September 25, holding property taxes flat for the 12th straight year in a 4-1 vote, but the 45-minute hearing ended in fireworks. The same session saw a unanimous but contentious vote on new decorum rules after resident Maria Cruz criticized commissioners. 

Earlier, Commissioner Lara broke with Lago by opposing raising the Israeli flag over City Hall, calling it divisive. “I want everyone to know I am one of the staunchest supporters of the State of Israel,” Lara said. “But while there are many ways to show support, raising the flag of a foreign nation that is embroiled in an ongoing conflict would likely be viewed by residents as an act of division and conflict.”

Meanwhile, Taste of the Gables generated 5.5 million social media impressions across 74 restaurants, with participating restaurants averaging $509 in ticket sales and parking revenue up 1.4%. 

Coral Gables Police on track to hire 37 officers in ‘record-setting effort’

Robots on the sidewalk: Coral Gables weighs rules for delivery devices

In unprecedented move, Commission blocks Menendez Planning Board nomination after heated debate

Mayor retreats on Israeli flag plan after commissioner, residents push back

Current Mobility Hub design backed as height, land questions persist

A tribute in yellow brick: Coral Gables dedicates Mayor Dorothy Thomson Park

In State of the City address, Mayor Lago urges support for April 2026 ballot issues

Florida law wipes colorful Coral Gables crosswalk

Coral Gables passes $313.6 million budget as tempers flare over pet projects

15 decades in the city, 40 years on the dais inform new book on Coral Gables’ century

Coral Gables increases valet fee — but adds an extra hour of parking

October

Multiple advisory boards publicly questioned whether their role still mattered after the City Commission advanced major decisions without their input. 

The Parks and Recreation Board voiced frustration after a new park was named without board review, echoing earlier complaints from historic and parking boards about ignored recommendations.

The month also saw the city ultimately retreat from a proposal to commemorate the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks by raising the Israeli flag or lighting City Hall. After intense public backlash and divided faith community feedback, officials quietly paused all plans, underscoring the limits of local symbolism in a polarized moment.

Amid the discord, the commission unanimously approved a long-awaited restoration of historic City Hall, greenlighting a comprehensive preservation project decades in the making.

Commissioners urge swift action on Granada Golf Course running path

PBS travel series spotlights City Beautiful for its centennial

Mayor Lago puts transparency and preservation at the center of city’s agenda

One traffic calming project to start on Ponce, another to end on Coral Way

Gables High turns 75 — and Cavaliers come home to celebrate

City’s Interfaith event focuses on unity, community and peace

Coral Gables scrambles to regain control of project across from UM after developer bolts to county

Controversial Mobility Hub clears key hurdle despite split commission and height concerns

Coral Gables weighs how Tallahassee’s tax-cut plans could cost the city millions

November

Parishioners at the Church of the Little Flower returned to a transformed sanctuary following a $6 million interior restoration that repaired long-standing water damage while restoring the church’s mid-century splendor. The gilded dome and renewed altar marked a milestone as the parish looks ahead to its centennial, blending reverence for history with long-term stewardship.

At City Hall, the Planning and Zoning Board narrowly advanced a proposed conservation-based transfer of development rights program, designed to permanently protect ecologically sensitive land while redirecting density elsewhere. The 4–3 vote reflected sharp divisions, with supporters calling it a targeted preservation tool and skeptics warning of unclear valuation, code conflicts, and unintended growth pressures ahead of a City Commission review.

The month closed on a note of community service, as Coral Gables Rotarians marked 23 consecutive years of serving Thanksgiving meals at Chapman Partnership, feeding hundreds and reaffirming a long-standing commitment to helping the county’s most vulnerable residents.

$400 million and counting: Residents push back on costly septic-to-sewer plan

BID 2.0: City moves toward new downtown taxing district

An outpouring of grief for slain former Coral Gables officer

Inside Coral Gables’ $4.4 million city rent roll

Board pushes back after mayor bypasses park-naming rules

Rideshare surge sparks safety concerns — and a new debate at City Hall

New dog park planned across from Coral Gables Library

Bark park surprise: Neighbors want city to paws plan

No septic-to-sewer mandate exists, says Coral Gables

December

This month, the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce began a new chapter under President and CEO Jorge L. Arrizurieta, who launched his tenure with an extensive “listening tour” aimed at resetting the chamber’s strategy after the long leadership of the late Mark Trowbridge. Arrizurieta emphasized accessibility, support for small businesses, and a role as a neutral forum amid development debates, signaling a more open, community-facing approach as he shapes a refreshed long-term vision.

The Venetian Pool was also host to a moment of civic magic, where the Miami Symphony Orchestra performed a rare concert from inside the drained historic basin as part of the city’s centennial finale. The once-in-a-generation event drew residents with deep personal ties to the landmark, city leaders, and music lovers alike.

Vice Mayor Anderson tries to calm dog-park backlash as neighbors hold firm

Charter Review Committee backs election shift but rejects ballot wording

Records vote devolves into a raw display of contempt

Commission sets two-week deadline for Youth Center records, authorizes possible lawsuit

Parks & Rec. Board looks to hold dog park public hearing

Golf carts on the streets? Coral Gables weighs new rules

At UM Fall Commencement, graduates urged to reinvent, serve and keep showing up

Coral Gables plans voter education campaign for mail-only referendum

Planning board backs city’s bid to regain control of university-area development

2025 in review: A seminal centennial for the University of Miami

Neighbors say they were never consulted on proposed dog park; Castro seeks reconsideration

City negotiating TDR swap with UM to acquire park