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Official Statement regarding the Garden of Our Lord / Crystal Residences proceedings.The allegations surrounding sworn t...
08/31/2026

Official Statement regarding the Garden of Our Lord / Crystal Residences proceedings.

The allegations surrounding sworn testimony presented during this quasi-judicial proceeding raise serious concerns about the integrity of the process used to make consequential development decisions in our city.

Coral Gables residents deserve decisions grounded in legitimate evidence, truthful testimony, transparency, and the law.

I voted NO on this project, and I believe these allegations warrant a full and impartial investigation.

The integrity of our government is non-negotiable. Corruption of the public process has no place in Coral Gables.

Join me tomorrow for office hours! Please feel free to contact (305)569-1824 to schedule an appointment. I look forward ...
08/31/2026

Join me tomorrow for office hours! Please feel free to contact (305)569-1824 to schedule an appointment. I look forward to meeting with you!

08/28/2026

The $10,000 contribution to the Mayor’s PAC came 12 days before this project first appeared before the Commission on first reading. Now, months later, Crystal Residences returned for its final vote.

But by then, there was another serious issue: evidence had surfaced raising allegations of perjury and fraud involving testimony presented in connection with this project.

I did not believe we should simply proceed to a final vote as though none of that mattered. In my view, the proceedings should have been stopped or deferred until those allegations and their potential impact on the record were fully addressed.

And then there is the project itself: a zoning change, more than double the allowed height, demolition of the Garden of Our Lord, and the transformation of a property with historic significance.

Some votes approve buildings. Others define a city.

I voted NO.

Coral Gables is not for sale.

08/27/2026

“Don’t tell me I come unprepared.”

You can disagree with me. You can challenge my position. But don’t question the work I put into serving Coral Gables.

I read the agenda. I study the items. I ask questions. I spend countless hours representing our residents and I do it while running a business and raising two children.

I will always prioritize this city and the responsibility residents entrusted me with.

Disagreement is part of public service. Disrespect doesn’t have to be.

And when my work ethic is questioned, I will respond.

08/27/2026

Thank you to WPLG Local 10 and investigative reporter Christina Vazquez for covering this serious issue and bringing it to the public’s attention.

Evidence was presented before the Coral Gables Commission raising serious questions about individuals who testified under oath in support of this development using addresses where they allegedly do not live.

Attorney David Winker asked us to defer the vote so these allegations could be investigated.

We should have stopped. We should have investigated.

Instead, the majority moved forward with the development. I voted NO.

My concern remains simple: if testimony used to build the public record may have been false, what else in that record needs to be questioned?

You cannot take an oath before your government, provide false information, and expect elected officials to simply look the other way.

This is bigger than one development. It is about the integrity of our public process and the trust residents place in their government.

That integrity is not negotiable.

🎥 News coverage: WPLG Local 10 / Christina Vazquez

What we witnessed at Tuesday’s Commission meeting demands answers.Evidence was presented raising serious questions about...
08/26/2026

What we witnessed at Tuesday’s Commission meeting demands answers.

Evidence was presented raising serious questions about whether individuals appeared before the City Commission, took an oath, identified themselves as Coral Gables residents, and provided addresses where they may not actually live.

I was in disbelief watching the presentation.

Regardless of where anyone stands on a development project, the integrity of our public process must come first. Residents should be able to trust that testimony given before their government is truthful and that public participation is genuine.

As I stated from the dais:

“That is not public participation. That is a direct attack on the integrity of this process.”

Before we make consequential decisions that affect our neighborhoods, the record must be clean, credible and truthful.

These allegations deserve to be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated. Our residents deserve nothing less.

Read the full article from Political Cortadito.

08/26/2026

I was repeatedly interrupted while trying to give residents a voice. So yes, I stood my ground.

A resident contacted my office with concerns about the Biltmore Way Streetscape project and whether those most directly affected had been given an opportunity to review the final design before construction moved forward.

I listened to those concerns. I put them in writing in a memo to the Commission and City administration. And when the item came before us, I brought those questions to the dais so they could be answered publicly.

Instead of being allowed to finish, I was repeatedly interrupted and redirected with advice about how I should have handled the matter.

That’s when I said:

“I’m not your daughter, and I’m not your employee.”

That wasn’t about creating conflict. It was about being allowed to do my job.

When residents contact my office about something being built directly in front of their homes, they deserve to be informed. They deserve to be involved. And most importantly, they deserve to be heard.

My responsibility on that dais is to make sure their voices reach the public record, even when doing so is uncomfortable.

Residents should never have to fight to be heard by their own City government. Their elected representatives shouldn’t have to either.

The selection of our next City Manager is one of the most important decisions we make as a Commission, and The Miami Her...
08/25/2026

The selection of our next City Manager is one of the most important decisions we make as a Commission, and The Miami Herald is now reporting on the discussion surrounding that decision.

I want our community to understand my perspective and, just as importantly, to be part of the conversation.

I have tremendous respect for Joe Gómez. He is an experienced and dedicated public servant who has served our city well, and my position should not be interpreted as being against Joe. It is about making sure we follow the best possible process for Coral Gables.

The circumstances before us today are different. We have time. Time to conduct a national search, consider highly qualified candidates, give Joe the opportunity to participate in that process, and ultimately determine together who is best positioned to lead our city into its next chapter.

That is why, before this decision, I wrote a memo to my colleagues on the Commission outlining my concerns and advocating for a transparent, thoughtful and competitive selection process.

As I said from the dais:

“If a national search was good enough to campaign on, it should be good enough to govern by. Promises matter. Process matters. But most importantly, consistency matters.”

This conversation should not divide us. Whether you agree or disagree with my position, I believe residents deserve to understand the process, hear the different perspectives, and have confidence in how such an important decision is made.

I encourage you to read The Miami Herald’s coverage, read my memo, and share your thoughts. What kind of process do you believe Coral Gables should use when choosing its next City Manager?

The selection of our next City Manager is one of the most important decisions we will make for the future of Coral Gable...
08/24/2026

The selection of our next City Manager is one of the most important decisions we will make for the future of Coral Gables.

With time to conduct a thoughtful process, I believe we should use it. A national search does not exclude Joe Gómez. He can apply, interview, and compete alongside other qualified candidates. If he is the best person for the job, the process can demonstrate that.

What matters is that residents have confidence in how we arrive at that decision.

As Political Cortadito writes in its coverage: “Let residents see the process. Compare experience. Ask questions. Then make the decision.”

This is not about any one candidate. It is about transparency, due diligence, and making sure Coral Gables chooses the very best person to lead our city administration.

I encourage residents to read the full article and stay informed ahead of tomorrow’s Commission meeting.

As this project returns to the Coral Gables Commission for second reading, the concerns surrounding its scale, compatibi...
08/24/2026

As this project returns to the Coral Gables Commission for second reading, the concerns surrounding its scale, compatibility, and potential impact on the surrounding neighborhood remain important.

At the July meeting, I raised serious concerns about removing existing neighborhood protections to accommodate a nine-story development in a low-rise residential area.

As with every matter that comes before me, I will carefully consider the evidence, testimony, and applicable criteria presented at the upcoming hearing before making a final decision.

Responsible development requires thoughtful review, respect for our neighborhoods, and decisions grounded in the facts and the law.

Thank you to The Real Deal for covering this important issue.

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Coral Gables, FL

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