121 votes, 29 splits: How the Coral Gables City Commission is dividing
By Coral Gables Gazette staff
In the 100 days since the April 25 ceremony in which this Coral Gables City Commission was inducted, the five-member body has taken 121 recorded votes—covering topics from budgeting and zoning to charter amendments and commission appointments. The Coral Gables Gazette reviewed meeting minutes, agenda items, and official voting records provided by the city clerk to assemble a numerical snapshot of participation and activity across the dais.
Total votes cast per commissioner
Three members—Mayor Vince Lago, Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson, and Commissioner Richard Lara—each cast 121 votes, reflecting full attendance since the special meeting the mayor called on May 6. Commissioner Melissa Castro cast 111 votes, while Commissioner Ariel Fernandez cast 74. Both missed parts of the early summer calendar, which featured several marathon sessions.
Patterns of dissent
Of the 121 votes, 29 were divided. Commissioner Castro dissented 22 times, and Commissioner Fernandez dissented 18 times. Eleven measures were decided by 3–2 votes, with Castro and Fernandez in the minority. Another ten passed 4–1, with Castro dissenting seven times and Fernandez three. Four measures passed 3–1 with Castro absent, and another four passed 3–1 with Fernandez absent.
During this period, Mayor Lago, Vice Mayor Anderson, and Commissioner Lara did not cast a single dissenting vote.
Among the 3–2 votes, key items included the May 20 reappointment of Peter Iglesias as city manager—a decision Castro and Fernandez opposed, citing concerns about transparency and process. That same day, the commission approved new Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) and remote parking policies, with both dissenting commissioners warning that the changes could accelerate development in historically sensitive areas.
Other contentious measures included the reallocation of more than $7 million from Phillips Park to City Hall renovations—approved 4–1 on May 20, with Castro dissenting—and the repeal of the city’s expedited permit review process, which Castro had sponsored. That resolution passed 3–2.
Castro also cast lone “no” votes on resolutions concerning the city’s tentative millage rate and proposed charter amendments.
Sponsorship activity by member
Mayor Lago sponsored 39 items in the first 100 days—three times more than all other commissioners combined. Vice Mayor Anderson sponsored eight items. Commissioners Fernandez, Castro, and Lara sponsored three, two, and none, respectively. Sponsorship topics ranged from budget amendments to planning ordinances and procedural reforms.
Motions and seconds
Anderson led in procedural activity, making 106 motions and 18 seconds across five meetings. Fernandez followed with 15 motions and 50 seconds. Lara made six motions and seconded 40 times. Castro made eight motions and 15 seconds. Mayor Lago made two motions and seconded four.
Examples of contested items
Several votes that drew dissent related to fiscal guardrails and governance structure. A ordinance requiring a four-fifths vote to draw from general fund reserves—except in emergencies—passed 3–1 on first reading, with Fernandez dissenting and Castro absent. On second reading, it passed 3–2, with Castro joining Fernandez in opposition.
Land-use and long-range planning also spurred disagreement. On May 20, the commission approved—on first reading—the $4.75 million purchase of a vacant lot at 1031 Valencia Avenue. Fernandez dissented, citing valuation concerns. On June 10, the item returned for second reading and again passed 4–1, this time with Castro voting no.
Flashpoints and formal reprimands
The tone of the commission shifted further last month. On July 1, the commission voted 3–1 to censure Commissioner Castro for independently seeking a legal opinion from the Florida Attorney General on whether Coral Gables could move its municipal elections from April to November. Castro’s outreach, made without informing colleagues, drew formal rebuke.
Later that day, in another 3–1 vote, the commission approved a resolution calling for an investigation into Commissioner Fernandez, who was absent. The resolution referenced an anonymous online article alleging that Fernandez engaged in “phishing”—a term used in political contexts to describe deceptive tactics that impersonate government officials or systems to access sensitive information, manipulate communications, or discredit adversaries.
A baseline for evaluating engagement
These first 100 days reveal a commission largely unified in outcomes but increasingly divided in tone and process. Sponsorship patterns, procedural activity, and dissent votes offer a measurable baseline for how each commissioner is engaging with policy, governance, and the legislative process. Whether those patterns hold—or intensify—as new measures come forward remains to be seen.
This Post Has 5 Comments
Another commission that falls on deaf ears. I had an issue and I wrote all the Commissioners and Mayor. Only Castro responded and gave me positive support and a possible solution. The rest did not even acknowledge the email let alone answer me. That is unacceptable as you work for us. In 35 years I have never written anyone until now, and none of you could even respond. Told the Mayor this and his response was “sorry you feel that way”. No thank you to anyone in a leadership role in Coral Gables. What has happened to our great City?
What a mistake everyone made electing clueless Anderson. We are so angry at her about the septic tank push and the fact that some of us will lose our homes. The cost to switch is $55,000 and this clueless woman wants us to pay for it. This will surely end homeownership for some people who are seniors or heavily financed. If you want septic tanks then the City can pay for it. Do not expect all the homeowners to come up with this kind of money. Then she says if we do not do it we will have to pay $65,000. Leave us alone and work on the real problems of Coral Gables like overbuilding, traffic, congestion, crime and the budget.
As we celebrate our centennial, the first 100 days has been unlike any other Coral Gables commission. Within the first 10 days of being inducted and giving their Oath of Office to follow the Florida Constitution and our Charter and act with civility, the LAL regime illegally eliminated our vote to amend our Charter in a LAL power-grab. LAL’s tenure consists of repeated broken promises by (1) not lowering but rather increasing our property taxes, (2) not using an independent search committee to select our City Manager but rather pay Parjus a $120,000 severance to resign so LAL could appoint Iglesias who is now paid @ $450,000 per year, (3) not acting independently for residents but rather focus on Lago/Anderson’s retribution, (4) not being against overdevelopment but rather change TDRs and remote parking policy, (5) not taking action to let residents consider moving our election date but rather only support Mayor Francis Suarez’s litigation as to his own illegal election-ending, term-changing ordinance, (6) not avoiding political theater but rather censure Commissioner Castro when she merely requested the Florida Attorney General consider LAL’s illegal action to eliminate our vote, and (7) most importantly, violating and continuing to violate LAL’s Oath of Office. WE NEED MORE INFORMED VOTERS to stop real developers and PAC money from continuing to buy elections in Coral Gables. As to broken promises, it appears LAL means “Liars Always Lie.” LAL – PLEASE DO BETTER AND ACT AS FIDUCIARIES TO ALL RESIDENTS.
I want everyone to get along! Stop with the Drama! Stop with the backdooring! I love the police and the Firemen so be kind to them. Don’t be sore losers. Enough period.
Let’s do better for our city. And for God’s sake stop with the over building.
The first 100 days have been an embarrassment through and through. Lara speaks as if he’s been on the commission forever, and yet hadn’t voted in a Coral Gables election in over 20 years. Lago continues his vengeance tour, and Anderson is hell bent on saddling us with sewers, whether we need them or not, while downplaying the actual cost to residents. Watching commission meetings is crucial to understanding the dynamics of the commission along with what is actually happening in our city, but it’s downright painful to do so.
However, if more residents watched (they are televised on the city’s Channel 77, and posted on YouTube later) maybe we’d have more informed voters and we could get our city back on the right path.
Continued overdevelopment, violation of the City Charter, displays of arrogance and disparaging comments, and total disregard of residents’ opinions have been front and center as the 3 disgraceful commission members steamroll right over Coral Gables.