By Coral Gables Gazette staff

With the mail-in ballot referendum less than a week away from closing, political messaging in Coral Gables has intensified with some of it, according to Mayor Vince Lago, crossing into deceptive and potentially illegal territory.

Near the end of the latest longer-than-a-regular-worksday Coral Gables Commission meeting on April 14, Lago introduced what he described as a voter protection resolution aimed at curbing anonymous or misleading political communications targeting city residents.

The mayor did not seek a vote on the item, saying he wanted colleagues to review the proposal before bringing it back for formal consideration. Still, he used the moment to accuse political opponents on the dais, directly and indirectly, of engaging in practices that may violate state law.

Lago opened the discussion by referencing a text message he initially attributed to Commissioner Melissa Castro, prompting an immediate and repeated denial from Castro.

“That wasn’t my text message,” Castro said. “I have no association with it. Do not blame me for things that are not mine.”

Lago later revised his claim, suggesting the message came from “another organization” supporting Castro and linked it to political blog activity. He framed the broader issue as part of a pattern of anonymous outreach designed to influence voters ahead of the referendum.

Allegations of deceptive polling

Central to Lago’s concerns were emails, polls, and text messages allegedly sent to residents by an entity called “Analytics 305.” According to the mayor, the group is not registered in Florida and failed to include legally required disclaimers identifying the sponsor of the communications.

“These surveys are misleading, subversive, and threaten our democracy,” Lago said, describing messages that directed users to external survey platforms without clear disclosure of who was collecting the data. He also argued that such communications could circumvent Florida’s public records laws if sent to official city email addresses, since responses might not be captured within government systems.

Lago further claimed that forensic analysis showed similarities between Analytics 305 and a previously identified group, People Count USA, which had been linked to controversial political surveys in past election cycles. He said complaints have been filed with multiple authorities, including the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office and federal agencies.

Call for support from colleagues

The mayor asked fellow commissioners to co-sponsor a resolution condemning anonymous political messaging and to support a broader legislative effort requiring full disclosure for any entity targeting Coral Gables voters.

“I would like all my colleagues to support me on this and be a part of this piece of legislation,” Lago said.

Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson voiced support, saying such tactics contribute to public distrust in government. “These types of activities cause people to distrust government,” Anderson said. “We need to take every action necessary to ensure they don’t go unchecked.”

Commissioner Richard Lara also backed the proposal and offered to co-sponsor it. “No fair-minded, democracy-loving individual could be against it,” Lara said, adding that the alleged conduct “has no place in our democratic process.”

City Attorney Cristina Suarez advised that the item return at a future meeting after further review, noting it had just been introduced.

Fernandez raises concerns, draws response

Commissioner Ariel Fernandez said he was open to supporting the measure but wanted to examine it more closely and potentially expand its scope. “I would like to see if we can include text message polling that has been done this election and last election,” Fernandez said.

Lago welcomed the suggestion but used the moment to draw a connection between Fernandez and prior controversies involving political surveys.

“You’re very familiar with what People Count USA is – you know it like the back of your hand,” Lago said, a remark that appeared to reference past allegations against Fernandez, who did not respond directly to that comment during the exchange.

Heated exchange closes discussion

The discussion concluded with renewed tension between Lago and Castro over campaign-related communications. Lago alleged that materials distributed without proper disclaimers violate the law, while Castro maintained that all of her political messaging clearly identifies her as the source.

“Any documents that I’ve given out say at the bottom that the political advertisement (is endorsed) personally by me. So anything that is done by me even if it’s in my personal capacity I am stating it very bluntly,” she said. 

The mayor countered that some materials circulating in the community lacked required disclaimers and warned that such practices could undermine the integrity of the election.

The proposed resolution is expected to return for formal consideration at a future commission meeting, where commissioners will decide whether to adopt new measures aimed at regulating political communications in the city.

Prior allegations resurface

The exchange comes against the backdrop of earlier controversy involving Fernandez. In the summer of 2025, the commission voted 3–1 to initiate a police review into allegations that he had been involved in so-called “phishing” or deceptive political surveys in prior years – claims outlined in an anonymous blog post.

Fernandez has denied wrongdoing and previously said he welcomed the investigation, calling it politically motivated and expressing confidence it would clear his name.

That prior episode and the mayor’s repeated references to it continued what has become the norm at Coral Gables commission meetings that are mired in political posturing and bickering.