By Coral Gables Gazette staff

Emotions ran high, expectedly, as the Coral Gables Commission debated the first reading of an ordinance dealing with a sore spot for the body over the past two-plus years—decorum—at its Sept. 25 meeting.

Mayor Vince Lago asked the city attorney to prepare the ordinance to rein in what he described as unacceptable behavior at public meetings by certain repeat attendees. Not surprisingly, vocal opponents characterized the move as a power grab that placed blame on residents while overlooking tensions among commissioners themselves.

According to Deputy City Attorney Stephanie Throckmorton, the ordinance did not introduce sweeping changes but added four new behavioral rules to the already existing code governing public participation. The additions include: no food or beverages in commission chambers, silencing all cell phones with calls taken outside, quiet entry and exit, and a dress requirement of shirts and shoes. A summary of the rules will be posted outside the chambers and included on printed agendas.

Modest changes, sharper enforcement

Lago emphasized that the changes were modest but necessary to restore order and protect the function of meetings. “These are simple things. It’s time we rein in conduct in commission meetings so we can run them efficiently,” he said, adding that disruptions had become routine and time limits were often ignored.

He argued that residents were increasingly using their public comment time not to address the items at hand, but to launch personal attacks. “What you just witnessed is misinformation, slander, and intimidation,” he said following an exchange with resident Maria Cruz. “This is constant. These attacks occur all the time.”

Lago said Coral Gables’ approach lagged behind other municipalities. “This does not happen in the City of Miami or Miami-Dade County,” he said, noting that other jurisdictions routinely limit speakers to two minutes and require tighter adherence to rules. “We grant everyone here three minutes,” he said. “But the days of six, seven, ten, fifteen minutes are over—on both sides of the issue.”

He also announced that cameras would now face the audience in commission chambers to document and deter disruptive behavior.

Resident rebukes dais, receives warning

Cruz, once an ally of the mayor but now one of his fiercest critics, rejected the implication that residents were the primary source of incivility. “Decorum only fits those of us on this side, not necessarily those sitting on the dais,” she said. “Respect begets respect. If you do not respect those of us who come here, then you should not be offended when somebody doesn’t respect you.”

Cruz criticized the mayor for leaving the room during an employee recognition ceremony earlier in the meeting, calling it disrespectful. “You preach not by what you say but by what you do. Actions speak louder than words,” she said. “Not everyone is willing to take the wrath and bullying insults that seem to come when you say something that isn’t the Coral Gables way.”

In response, Lago asked Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson to clarify why he had stepped away. “The mayor needed to use the restroom,” she confirmed.

Moments later, Lago issued Cruz a formal warning and declared a 15-minute recess. “Ms. Cruz, this is your first and only warning. The next one you will be removed for the entire day of the commission meeting. Fifteen minutes,” he said, adding that this would be the standard protocol for future disruptions.

Resident warns of free speech ‘chilling’

Another frequent speaker, Jackson “Rip” Holmes, said the ordinance would have a chilling effect on public expression. “This is, in my opinion, the death of free speech in Coral Gables,” he said. “Even now as I speak, I am afraid if I give my true opinion, I could be found in violation.” He added, “If you agree with the chair, you can say almost anything. If you disagree, you risk being silenced.”

Throckmorton responded that the city’s authority to remove attendees for disruptive behavior was already well established in the existing code. “The changes that are proposed in today’s ordinance don’t affect any of the existing provisions about removal, the declaration of out of order, etc. Those have been in our code for numerous years,” she said. “What’s being added today are these four specific provisions… Everything else has already been existing in our code.”

She further clarified that arrests were only possible in cases where individuals refused to comply after being asked to leave.

Castro presses for procedural clarity

After the mayor’s warning to Cruz, Commissioner Melissa Castro immediately asked, “What was an infraction?” Later, she returned to the issue: “Just to clarify—the infraction was what exactly?”

Throckmorton replied that under the city code, speakers must be recognized through the chair before speaking, and interruptions of the meeting or failure to obey the chair’s directions could result in warnings or removal.

Castro also questioned whether the ordinance protected residents from being publicly targeted by elected officials. “We need to be mindful when we are addressing one another,” she said. “We cannot address a person and not give that person an opportunity to defend themselves.”

Lago pushed back. “The last thing I need is a lesson on how to be civil when the last commission was gracious enough not to censure you for calling me a liar,” he said. He denied calling anyone a liar himself but reiterated that Cruz “misinforms,” “slanders,” and “does a lot of your dirty work for you,” a jab clearly aimed at Castro.

Castro did not retreat. “I took accountability when I said that,” she said. “But you called me incompetent and said you lost 50 brain cells listening to me. Respect goes both ways.”

Fernandez, Anderson, Lara voice differing views

Vice Mayor Anderson backed the mayor’s efforts and said behavior in commission chambers had deteriorated to an unacceptable level. “You wouldn’t dare go into a federal courtroom and behave the way some behave here—you’d be escorted out, and if you refused, you’d be arrested,” she said. She also proposed a friendly amendment to ban vaping in the chamber after a recent incident. “Some folks don’t realize that vaping is one of the things that should not be done in this chamber,” she said. The amendment was accepted for the second reading.

Commissioner Ariel Fernandez, while voting yes, warned that free speech concerns must be taken seriously. “I am the biggest proponent of First Amendment rights,” he said, recalling that his own rights had once been violated by the city. He asked whether the ordinance interfered with speech, and Throckmorton confirmed it did not: “None of it addresses any speech at all… It has to do with the manner in which you enter and exit and seat yourself in the chambers.”

Fernandez also asked whether residents had a right to rebut accusations from commissioners. Throckmorton said the chair—or a majority of commissioners—could recognize members of the public to respond, but there was no automatic right to rebuttal.

Commissioner Richard Lara, who campaigned on restoring civility, said the problem lay not in the ordinance itself but in its uneven enforcement. “To me, it feels clearly it’s an enforcement issue. We’re not wholesale amending anything… it’s a minor modification,” he said. “If collegiality leads the day… we would never need to reach into the code for enforcement.”

Unanimous vote despite division

Despite sharp exchanges and deep divisions over tone and process, the ordinance passed unanimously, with each commissioner—Lago, Anderson, Castro, Fernandez, and Lara—voting in favor.

Whether the new rules will actually reduce tensions between residents and officials remains an open question. The second reading of the ordinance, including the vaping amendment, is expected in the coming weeks.