The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which has played a prominent role in discussions at the federal and state levels, may soon have a presence in Coral Gables, even before the April 8 elections.
Earlier this year, as part of Governor Ron DeSantis’ Florida DOGE initiative, he announced that the task force would audit local governments by reviewing publicly available county and municipal spending records to identify inefficiencies.
Late last week, local governments began receiving letters from the governor’s office directing them to identify and eliminate waste. As of March 24, the City of Coral Gables had not yet received such a letter, according to Martha Pantin, the city’s director of Communications and Public Affairs.
A letter sent to the City of Oviedo and other Florida municipalities stated:
“To fulfill our oversight role, and in accordance with Article IV, Section 1(a) of the Florida Constitution, we respectfully request confirmation as to whether your municipality has encountered any instances of financial emergency or distress.”
The letter also requested a response by April 8, the same day as Coral Gables’ elections. “If we do not receive a response from you within 45 days, it will be presumed that your county is in possible statutory violation and in need of assistance,” the letter added.
Candidates in the upcoming election have occasionally raised concerns about waste, fraud, and abuse in local government. However, most who responded to the Gazette’s inquiries about DOGE expressed opposition to the initiative.
“This is extremely disturbing. This is a direct attack on home rule,” said Felix Pardo, a candidate in the Group II Commission race. “The issue is not about efficiency or funding. This is about raw power.” Pardo warned that municipalities and counties might feel compelled to comply out of fear of losing state funding. While acknowledging areas for improvement in city operations, he doubted that state officials unfamiliar with Coral Gables’ specific needs could effectively address them. “I don’t feel comfortable with people in Tallahassee telling us what to do,” he said, citing the importance of the Home Rule Powers Act.
Pardo’s opponent, Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson, declined to comment, stating via text, “(To say I’m) extremely busy is understated. I do not have time to talk now.”
Laureano Cancio, also a candidate in the Group II race, criticized the governor’s initiative. “The governor’s approach is to attack low-paid government workers while giving a pass to greedy businesspeople. A DOGE effort is not what we need in Coral Gables. We need new representatives willing to bring real change,” he said.
Tom Wells, a Group III Commission candidate, noted that DOGE efforts focus on cities in financial distress, which he argued does not apply to Coral Gables. “Although we have economic issues, Coral Gables is not close to financial distress,” he said. Citing the city’s strong credit rating and a debt service ratio below 8% of total expenses, Wells acknowledged instances of waste but opposed outside intervention. “I do not think we should allow any unelected official to make decisions about which parts of our local government to defund,” he said.
Commissioner Kirk Menendez, who is challenging Mayor Vince Lago, expressed a more open stance. “Oversight is a necessary tool to ensure taxpayer dollars are used effectively. However, Coral Gables already has strong financial management,” he said. Menendez proposed creating a Blue Ribbon committee to conduct independent audits and improve efficiency.
Michael Abbott, a newcomer in the mayoral race, was the most supportive of DOGE. He welcomed state oversight and proposed a city-run investigative office to oversee waste, abuse, and conflicts of interest. This function, he suggested, would operate independently but report findings to the commission and the public. He acknowledged that implementing such a plan might require amending the city charter.
Mayor Lago and commission candidates Claudia Miro and Richard Lara did not respond to requests for comment.
Statewide, reactions to DOGE have varied. Some cities have welcomed the initiative, while others view it as an overreach into local governance.
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Well, the debate is over. I will not support anyone who failed to respond.
Michael Abbott flys “Trump” flags in his yard, and has been arrested for, basically, being a dick to his neighbors and police. Even though it is not criminal to be a dick, he shouldn’t have been a dick and he should know that Coral Gables is not Hialeah. He doesn’t understand that you can beat the rap, but you can’t beat the ride. He is not fit to be mayor. That would just result in DeSantis and Trump taking residence in City Hall. Please tell this clown “No” on April 8.
Oh My.
I have an active Civil Rights Violation Lawsuit for criminal behavior demonstrated by the Coral Gables Police Department. On February 8, 2024, I filed a civil rights lawsuit against Coral Gables Police Department (CGPD) and two police officers for a 2020 reported noise complaint—a civil matter (my playing music before noise ordinance took effect that night). The incident left me a bloody and battered mess on March 24, 2020, the night my home was invaded, without warrant or reason, and I was viciously beaten by officers from the CGPD Crime Syndicate, requiring an emergency visit to Jackson Memorial Hospital where I received sutures and was arrested on trumped-up allegations.
The CGPD obtained a warrant to confiscate my GoPro camera and memory card footage and then caused the memory card to go “missing.” Leading the Court to believe that they had obtained my GoPro without a memory card in it. We recently received the proverbial nail in the coffin piece of evidence that the CGPD Crime Syndicate, in fact, downloaded the memory card footage. They downloaded my evidence against them and made both go “missing.”
Halfway through a Stand Your Ground Hearing, the case was abandoned—i.e., nolle prossed—by state prosecutors. The arrest affidavit allegations have been completely debunked, proven false.
To date, Police Chief Edward Hudak has refused to have the CGPD conduct a formal investigation into this incident. Furthermore, he has denied my repeated requests that an outside law enforcement agency investigate the CGPD, the former manager, Peter Iglecias, and proxies: Manuel Fernandez (good friend of Chief Hudak) and Michael & Christina Tojdowski (Nephew and Niece of Peter Iglecias). The Tojdowski’s are my neighbors. To date, I’ve been asking for an investigation for three and half years.
I am not going at this Mayoral Candidacy with a chip on my shoulder. Rather, my attempt is to stop this from happening to others. Important to note, I do not believe that all CGPD Officers are part of this Crime Syndicate within the Coral Gables Police Department. Approximately 2 minutes into the dispatch audio, you can hear me being beaten in my laundry room. For this tape and the Stand Your Ground Hearing transcript audios, please see website: http://www.SOSGables.com.
I have an unwavering commitment for civil rights and the pursuit of happiness. To protect those rights, I have a Civil Rights Violation Lawsuit in Federal Court, and I am running for Mayor.