By Coral Gables Gazette staff

The City of Coral Gables’ legal battle with the Coral Gables War Memorial Youth Center took a new turn early in 2026 with the departure of longtime association president and former city commissioner Kirk Menendez from his leadership role.

Menendez confirmed that he did not seek reelection as president when the association’s board of directors met Monday, January 12, to elect new officers. A former city commissioner and decades-long youth center coach, Menendez had served as board member since 1992, and president since 2010 – making him the longest-serving president in the association’s history.

“It’s time for someone else to take over,” Menendez said. “It’s good to have new faces and new ideas.”

Menendez said he will remain on the board but wanted to step aside to allow others to lead. “Everybody on the board has a great deal of community knowledge and civic experience,” he said. “I feel comfortable and confident that there are many people who can lead the association going forward.”

At the meeting, the board elected a new slate of officers, naming Darby Plummer as president, Tim Gomez as vice president, Thor Bruce as treasurer, and Jane Muir as secretary.

Asked whether his decision to step down was connected to the association’s ongoing dispute with the city, Menendez declined to draw a link, reiterating that his departure reflected a desire for leadership rotation rather than mentioning outside pressure.

Menendez has been a frequent target of Mayor Vince Lago, who began questioning the association’s governance and Menendez’s role shortly after Lago and two political allies gained control of the City Commission following the 2025 spring elections. Menendez challenged Lago for mayor in that election and lost.

Since then, Lago has raised concerns about the association’s authority over city-owned land, particularly regarding a reverter clause attached to the youth center property, and has repeatedly sought access to association records.

Despite the leadership change, the city’s legal posture does not appear likely to shift. City Attorney Cristina Suárez did not respond to questions from the Gazette regarding whether Menendez stepping down or the election of new officers could affect the city’s decision to pursue a lawsuit seeking documents from the association.

Background of the dispute

The leadership transition comes 10 days after the city’s deadline for the Youth Center Association to produce records the city contends should be public. In late December, special counsel hired by the city notified the association that the City Commission had authorized litigation following months of unsuccessful negotiations. The city demanded records it says are necessary to assess the association’s governance, finances, and operations.

The association, through attorney Jane Muir, has maintained that it is a private nonprofit organization and therefore not subject to Florida’s Public Records Law. While acknowledging that some documents have been voluntarily provided, the association argues it is under no legal obligation to disclose internal financial records, correspondence, or governance materials.

The dispute has also revived debate over the youth center’s deed restriction. When the property was transferred to the city in the 1950s, a reverter clause was included that would return ownership to the association if the site ceased operating as a youth center. The reverter clause already withstood a challenge by the city in the 1960s, when the city planned to build a school on the site, but was thwarted by the youth center association.

Mayor Lago has described the clause as a “cloud on title,” while supporters of the association argue it has protected the property from repurposing for decades.

New board reflects long community ties

Incoming president Darby Plummer is a Coral Gables native with lifelong ties to the youth center, where she participated as a child and later served as a referee and coach. She also served for a decade on the city’s Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, including as chair, and held PTA leadership roles at local schools.

Vice President Tim Gomez, also raised in Coral Gables, comes from a family deeply connected to the youth center and brings extensive public-sector experience.

Treasurer Thor Bruce, a finance professor emeritus at the University of Miami, has long been active in the Coral Gables community and is the parent of former youth center athletes.

Secretary Jane Muir is a Coral Gables attorney and managing partner of J. Muir & Associates, P.A., which provides legal counsel to businesses and nonprofit organizations.

As the city moves forward with legal action, the association enters a new chapter under new leadership, even as the broader conflict between City Hall and the youth center remains unresolved.