Juvenile altercation embarrasses Miami. Wasn’t this supposed to be a ‘new’ commission? | Opinion

There is political theater and there’s political circus. After Thursday’s commission meeting, the city of Miami can claim to have both.

The hopes that the election of two new commissioners last year would bring some semblance of good governance to a City Hall plagued by scandals were quickly dashed when a brawl almost erupted.

The confrontation between commissioners Joe Carollo and Miguel Gabela shouldn’t even have been the biggest news of the meeting. The ousting, but not firing, of City Attorney Vicky Mendez should have dominated headlines. Mendez, who’s accused in a lawsuit along with her husband of preying on vulnerable people to flip their homes for profit, was told to leave her job — in five months, after she becomes eligible to collect her taxpayer-funded pension. What a sweetheart deal.

The commission faced calls to fire Mendez after WLRN reported how her husband’s company used a county program to buy homes on the cheap from people the courts declared incapacitated, and resell them for top dollar. The commission on Thursday voted 3-2 to renew Mendez’s contract for just five months instead of one year. That could be viewed as a de-facto termination, but it looks like a cop-out. If the commission doesn’t want her on the job anymore, then why allow her to stay for almost another half year?

Mendez, too, had words with filmmaker and activist Billy Corben. She called him a “vile little man” after he labeled her a “mob lawyer” and called for her firing during public comments. But that skirmish was easily overshadowed by Carollo and Gabela — one of the new commissioners elected in November. They proved that the days of dysfunction at City Hall are far from over.

Carollo embarked on his usual rants from the dais, blaming Mendez’s ouster on the “8th Street Boys and Mr. Gabela.” The “8th Street Boys” reference appears to be about the two Little Havana businessmen who successfully sued Carollo for political retaliation, a case Mendez defended spending millions of city dollars to fight in court. A judge in December ordered part of Carollo’s city salary and benefits be garnished to pay the $63.5 million judgment against him.

Gabela interrupted Carollo several times, saying, “You are a liar.” When Carollo called Gabela “a little man,” Gabela rose from his seat and headed for Carollo but was restrained by a staff member before he could reach his rival. Commission Chair Christine King should have kept her chamber under control before it escalated into such spectacle.

Miami Dysfunction

Carollo, as the Herald Editorial Board has said many times, is a main source of trouble in Miami and he has a reputation for bullying city officials into submission. Gabela, an auto parts dealer, ran on an anti-corruption platform when he defeated one-time Carollo ally and former Commissioner Alex Diaz de la Portilla, who was arrested for bribery, among other charges, in September.

During last year’s election, Gabela’s combative demeanor was evident during an outburst when he was being interviewed by the Editorial Board. He’s showing quickly he might not have the thick skin and temperament to push for improvements in the lion’s den of Miami politics.

That’s a shame because Miami desperately needs new voices — not commissioners who can’t manage the tension and incivility that has poisoned City Hall.

Miami’s best hope is a complete revamp of its legislative body. Thursday’s circus further supports the need to expand the small five-member commission, so easily hijacked by mercurial officeholders, to seven or nine seats. The Editorial Board suggested this reform in our Miami Dysfunction series last year. Another issue is low voter engagement. That’s why it is time to change the timing of off-year city elections to coincide with presidential and midterm elections.

What happened on Thursday further cements Miami’s status as a non-serious city. Citizens must demand real, longterm change and no longer accept politicians who embarrass the people who live here.

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This story was originally published January 12, 2024 at 4:43 PM.