Thanks Christina for taking the time to do this. I speak on behalf of several of my Little Gables neighbors who support annexation for various reasons. 1. Removes the enclave that has been created and goes against County rules (Little Gables is surrounded by CG on three sides and sticks out like a sore thumb) 2. Increased quality of police and fire. County fire station is over 2 miles away and the police station is about 8 miles away. Just think of response times, which have been recorded in numerous instances to be lacking. 3. The tax increases for my home is estimated to be around $750 if annexation happens. My membership alone at the country club costs me about $900 more for not being a resident, so that math alone is a no-brainer. That doesn't even include Youth Center after school, summer camps, Venetian pool, etc. 4. AirBnB's are proliferating in LG, this is taking away the fabric of the neighborhood and I'd much rather have neighbors instead of visitors. This is a single family neighborhood for the most part 5. Future development along LG's corridors (SW 8th Street and LeJeune primarily) can be developed at 250 units per acre under the new state law, Live Local Act. This has the potential to create out of scale development surrounding LG AND CG. Under CG rules, the allowed density for these projects would be much lower 6. More tree canopy would be welcome as in CG.
I could go on and on and it is so hard for me to believe that people in my neighborhood are against this. I can only hope that CG residents can see the benefit of at the very least exploring the idea because at the end of the day, this is a straw vote and there is still a long process ahead for annexation to become a reality.
I understand both sides of this discussion. To be honest, as a Coral Gables resident, I do not think that annexation will have much of an adverse effect on the services I receive or the city's finances over the long term. I do recognize that having some say in development of the commercial property in Little Gables is a benefit to the city and to the area in general, but as it stands right now, if someone were to come in with a live local project there is little that Coral Gables could do to stop it. That said, because of the established limits in the city's zoning code, I believe that live local would result in a lower height and less dense project in Little Gables if the city were to annex, as opposed to if it were to remain under county jurisdiction.
I do not understand the effort to kill the process with the straw ballot. There is an established process that all stakeholders must follow. If our elected officials, who we elected to represent us and who claim that they are listening, feel that residents oppose annexation, why not just abandon the process? All it takes is a resolution. The straw ballot has been introduced at a late stage in the process. Why not just let the process play out? As to Little Gables, If the majority of residents oppose annexation they will vote it down. Thus far, the community has met the initial 20% requirement, why disenfranchise those that who signed the petition? This is undemocratic.
You might say that the straw ballot is a form of listening. It may very well be, to a certain extent. However, I see an element of abdication of responsibility by our commission. When I vote this week, I will vote "YES," solely because I think the codified process should be followed.
Think it’s important to make people aware of the truth of the matter. By annexing Little Gables we also stop the overdevelopment on 8th street and surrounding areas. Looks like the Firefighters union, Billy Cohen and the three amigos have put their propaganda machine to work because I’ve conversed with residents that didn’t realize the benefit and only thought about the potential cost over the next few years.
Thank you. Aesop for providing residents with great, easy to read news!
All Of these facts and this evidence is why I will be voting yes on annexation. Thank you for explaining it so clearly and concisely and providing so much data.
I disagree. As a North Gables resident, I can predict that our services will be diluted and then we will hear that now they have to cover a bigger area. This will inevitably result in additional budget requests even before taxes are collected. While some LG properties are nice, a lot are very poorly kept with many many code violations, such as chain link fences, car repair shops operating in the front yard, illegal structures for storage etc. We all know that our culture will not support compliance… So my vote will be NO TO ANNEXATION!
Christina , wondering how your residents are going to be able to adjust to all the City of Coral Gables restrictions and code enforcement issues after a life time of relax city of Miami policies , in my opinion is going to make a lot of people very upset, especially in this bad economy because a lot of you have in your property things that are considered illegal and not allowed by the city of Coral and they will have to spend a lot of money to correct that, like fences , walls , annexations, landscaping and many other issues , I say this very respectfully, I mean no offense , I am just wondering.
Hi Carl, like Luciana said there will be a process in which Coral Gables develops a plan and implementation guidelines for homeowners with existing "illegal or other otherwise non approved" items on their home. The city of Coral Gables did the same thing when you guys annexed King's Bay into Coral Gables. By the way- there are metal roofs in Coral Gables and I know the city is looking to whether they allow them or not. I think if you drive through Little Gables there may be half a dozen or less metal roofs. As far as the other homeowners under fixed incomes, there are several state wide grant opportunities to assist with the payment of updating their roofs, windows and doors. Coral Gables can also be a much more active agent for Little Gables residents in applying for additional state resources as opposed to the current County who just has way bigger fish to fry then our little neighborhood.
Curly, I am assuming you have never had an emergency before because all of mine have taken over 2 hours for the police to respond to. I can understand why though... County police are located in Doral. We are at the mercy of traffic and other "more important" incidents before the police and fire come to our neighborhood. The only time our streets are ever patrolled is when the County Fire and Police Union boss tells them a vote is about to happen so they magically appear out of nowhere. That is unacceptable and unprofessional for our first responders to treat us as such. The only way to get faster response times were if they built a station closer to us, but we know with the county budget process, there are no funds available. So should we just wait 1-2 hours while someone breaks into our homes when we could instead rely on Coral Gables PD who are less than a mile away from our area? Not to mention, Coral Gables PD has golf carts and police cars patrolling North Gables all day everyday, I see them every time I drive up and down Cortez.
Carl, the homes would be considered a legal nonconformity and would not be required to come up to code as long as they are legally permitted. This is a misconception that exists for many. Once annexed, CG can choose to create a special overlay to deal with things like metal roofs (such as my home) or other features that do not conform with existing CG regulations. It's something that CG can deal with. If each owner looks at their tax impact, the difference may be minimal and in return there are additional services received for such an increase. In my case it is a no brainer since I use a lot of CG services already. But also, in the case of folks on fixed-income, they need to analyze that there will be faster response times for rescue and police, additional senior services at the Adult Community Center, and possibly other things that can mitigate the tax impact.
I know there was an effort in the past for metal roofs. I don't know what happened to that and can see pros/cons for making a case but it's not impossible. But with all due respect, that shouldn't be a reason to be against annexation.
Hi Carl, Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I agree with your points regarding the challenges that Little Gables residents might face in adjusting to the City of Coral Gables’ stricter restrictions and code enforcement. The differences from the more relaxed unincorporated Miami-Dade County policies are significant, and the economic impact could be challenging, particularly for those on fixed incomes in our small, quiet, and humble community.
Fortunately, Little Gables has never been a high-crime area or target, and we’ve received excellent support from Miami-Dade County District 6 officials and staff, who have been quick to address concerns. Additionally, we have Miami-Dade County Police Department units assigned to our area, which helps maintain the safety and security that our residents value.
It’s crucial that we consider all these factors to ensure that any transition is as smooth as possible for the best interest of everyone in our Little Gables community.
After speaking with many Little Gables residents and urging me to vote “NO” on the annexation, I did just that, voted NO!!! This is a no brainer and urge all my neighbors to
Cindy, what are some of the reasons you decided to vote no? Much as Christina has offered insightful reasons for supporting annexation, could you provide some reasons as to why residents should vote no?
Hi Nicolas, I empathize with the residents of Little Gables and their concerns. I spoke with many of them and they urged me to vote no, which I did. This OP-ED paints a rosy picture, but we all know deep down, the rose has thorns. 😉
Thank you Cindy. However, I am really looking for specific reasons. It's easy to simply say "no," but residents should be able to make informed and educated decisions about this issue, and all issues for that matter. We have been provided thoughtful and valid reasons for supporting annexation. Can you or anyone that opposes this issue present the reasons for voting no?
Hi Nicolas, I’d like to kindly chime in. As a Little Gables resident for over 50 years (counting my family’s time here as well, since I haven’t quite reached that milestone myself ☺️), the reasons against annexation are simple and have proven themselves over time.
Government layering, as we’ve seen, always comes with a hefty price—one that, unfortunately, all of us would have to pay, and it will cost us in other ways and over time. It’s not worth the trade-off. Our community is small, quiet, and humble, and any additional governance is likely to disrupt this balance in multiple ways—financially, physically, and even emotionally.
Furthermore, the frequent changes in elected officials—every four years—bring shifts in interests and priorities. These changes often don’t align with the best interests of Little Gables community, but instead serve broader agendas that may not benefit our community. Convincing Coral Gables residents to annex Little Gables won’t benefit them either, as they aren’t residents of the lower socioeconomic status or the most dangerous communities in Miami—quite the opposite, in fact. Especially when the intended agenda is focused on larger, unfavorable corporate-scale developments, given our location on the main corridor (Le Jeune Rd)—the heart of the county—leading to our major international airport, expressways, and access points to Coral Gables and other trending hotspots of Miami.
Our community has thrived with its current level of autonomy, and it’s crucial to consider the long-term impacts that annexation will bring to the Little Gables community. For the residents, It’s a clear NO for annexation. Appreciate your interest
Curly our elected officials representing us with Miami Dade County serve 4 year terms so that argument is null.
The financial impact for us in Coral Gables is maybe a few extra hundred dollars (if that) per year. Our taxes are capped at a maximum 3% increase.
A few hundred dollars a year will get you Coral Gables resident prices at the golf, tennis and Youth Center (not to mention other places), you will have police and fire within a 2-4 minute radius from your house, and will have consistent patrolling of our streets.
Not to mention, a municipality that is a mere 10 minutes away from our house that governs us as opposed to going downtown to a jurisdiction that oversees all of Miami Dade County. I can only see benefits and advantages here...
Hi Christina, Thank you for sharing your perspective. I’d like to break down the points you’ve raised to provide some clarity and avoid any confusion.
Term Length of Elected Officials:
While it’s true that both Miami-Dade County and Coral Gables officials serve four-year terms, the issue isn’t just about term length. It’s about the frequent shifts in priorities and interests that come with changes in leadership. Coral Gables, with its different socioeconomic dynamics and priorities, may not always align with the needs of the Little Gables community. The concern here is about the stability and continuity of policies that truly reflect our unique community’s needs, not just the term duration. I’ll reiterate that government layering is neither favorable nor beneficial (e.g., top-heavy governance).
Financial Impact:
You mentioned that the financial impact might be a few extra hundred dollars per year, with taxes capped at a 3% increase. However, this increase is just the tip of the iceberg. The real concern lies in the potential for additional costs associated with meeting Coral Gables’ stricter code enforcement and regulations. For many Little Gables residents, particularly those on fixed incomes, these costs could be significant and ongoing. Beyond taxes, we’re talking about potential expenses for property modifications, compliance with new regulations, and other unforeseen costs that could arise from the transition and ongoing upkeep.
Benefits of Coral Gables Amenities:
While the perks like resident discounts at the golf course, tennis courts, and Youth Center are attractive, they don’t outweigh the potential drawbacks. Not all residents will make use of these facilities, and the benefits may not justify the overall financial burden, especially for those who don’t participate in these activities. As for my family and me, we enjoy the Coral Gables amenities but value more the freedom to spend our money when and where we choose. It’s a contradictory situation: you’d be paying a discounted price for Coral Gables amenities because the difference is covered by the additional taxes imposed annually. It’s similar to education taxes, where most of our money goes, regardless of whether you have school-age children, choose to homeschool, or send them to private school—homeowners must pay these taxes with no discount or prorated rates. I’d rather have my money on my side and spend it as I please.
Curly, this issue isn't new. As far as I can recall, it has been relevant to Coral Gables elections since at least 2019. I'm not sure that the claim regarding frequent changes of elected officials is all that relevant. The County Commissioners are staggered in a similar fashion to Coral Gables Commissioners. Shifts in interests and priorities occur at the County level as well, perhaps at an even broader level, and Little Gables is currently subject to that entirely. Wouldn't it be easier to have access to an even more localized elected representative within the Coral Gables Commission to assist you with issues facing your neighborhood?
That’s correct—it’s far from new, and it goes back much further than 2019, likely to the mid/late 20th century, and yet, Little Gables remains an unincorporated Miami-Dade County neighborhood for a reason. The idea of having a “more localized elected representative” is understandable, but in reality, you don’t need additional governing layers to address neighborhood issues. Instead, it’s about redirecting all the energy, enthusiasm, and work towards engaging with our current local elected representatives of Miami-Dade County who already understand our community and can effectively advocate for our needs.
Respectfully, I’d be more than glad to join and assist with any issues facing our Little Gables neighborhood.
Annexation of Little Gables will negatively affect all residents (Gables & Little Gables). For the Gables' residents it will potentially lower the prestige of Coral Gables since the little gables will be grandfathered in. The houses in little gables are not up to gables’ code and might never be. Numerous LG residents will lose the ability to upkeep their homes because of the increases in cost of living that comes with Coral Gables. It could lead to residents foreclosing and losing their homes. Many Little Gables residents do not want to be annexed into Coral Gables. 20% was needed for the petition results to continue with annexation and they received 21% which isn't significant.
Please vote no on annexation. The main benefactors will be the developers and politicians. Little gables is a wonderful & safe neighborhood.
Sara, can you elaborate on how developers and politicians will be the benefactors of annexation? SB 102 is more of a threat to this community now, under the jurisdiction of the County, than it would be under the jurisdiction of the City of Coral Gables. The enclave can easily face the threat of a developer wishing to impose the Live Local Act on Little Gables as it currently exists. If you are worried about the prestige of living in Coral Gables, then we should also be worried about a large development towering over the historic homes of the North Gables. This is the reality this neighborhood faces NOW, not when it's annexed.
Also, the fascinating part about elections is that one vote can determine the outcome. 21% is significant, not only because they achieved the requisite 20%, but also because they got an additional 1%.
Mayor Lago has a real estate business & he will benefit the most. I am sure there are other questionable conflicts of interests he & others aren’t being transparent about. Coral Gables is going through major overdevelopment. They built a huge hotel & retail area around 1 house that refused to sell. The poor man can’t even get emergency services at his home. I understand that no matter what there are threats & that the neighbors need to unite to stop the potentials of zoning changes. However, if they got 21% yes, could you say 79% were no? My main concern is having fellow neighbors, most who have lived in the neighborhood for over 15 plus years, lose their home. We already pay taxes & our entitled to services.
Luciana, you are banking on something that is probably not gonna happen. Apparently you don’t know how the City of Coral Gables operates. It is very unlikely they will bend their strict rules and compromise their glamorous image for this , CG is one of the wealthiest cities in the country, I don’t think they need the extra money.
I worked for a municipality for a long time and I know how the process works when it comes to zoning, regulations, building permitting and nonconformities so yes, I'm banking on it and know perfectly well how a municipality operates. I have a legally permitted metal roof, that is considered a nonconformity and according to CG regulations, legal nonconformities are allowed to exist. See CG Article 13 of the Zoning Code.
Thanks Christina for taking the time to do this. I speak on behalf of several of my Little Gables neighbors who support annexation for various reasons. 1. Removes the enclave that has been created and goes against County rules (Little Gables is surrounded by CG on three sides and sticks out like a sore thumb) 2. Increased quality of police and fire. County fire station is over 2 miles away and the police station is about 8 miles away. Just think of response times, which have been recorded in numerous instances to be lacking. 3. The tax increases for my home is estimated to be around $750 if annexation happens. My membership alone at the country club costs me about $900 more for not being a resident, so that math alone is a no-brainer. That doesn't even include Youth Center after school, summer camps, Venetian pool, etc. 4. AirBnB's are proliferating in LG, this is taking away the fabric of the neighborhood and I'd much rather have neighbors instead of visitors. This is a single family neighborhood for the most part 5. Future development along LG's corridors (SW 8th Street and LeJeune primarily) can be developed at 250 units per acre under the new state law, Live Local Act. This has the potential to create out of scale development surrounding LG AND CG. Under CG rules, the allowed density for these projects would be much lower 6. More tree canopy would be welcome as in CG.
I could go on and on and it is so hard for me to believe that people in my neighborhood are against this. I can only hope that CG residents can see the benefit of at the very least exploring the idea because at the end of the day, this is a straw vote and there is still a long process ahead for annexation to become a reality.
I understand both sides of this discussion. To be honest, as a Coral Gables resident, I do not think that annexation will have much of an adverse effect on the services I receive or the city's finances over the long term. I do recognize that having some say in development of the commercial property in Little Gables is a benefit to the city and to the area in general, but as it stands right now, if someone were to come in with a live local project there is little that Coral Gables could do to stop it. That said, because of the established limits in the city's zoning code, I believe that live local would result in a lower height and less dense project in Little Gables if the city were to annex, as opposed to if it were to remain under county jurisdiction.
I do not understand the effort to kill the process with the straw ballot. There is an established process that all stakeholders must follow. If our elected officials, who we elected to represent us and who claim that they are listening, feel that residents oppose annexation, why not just abandon the process? All it takes is a resolution. The straw ballot has been introduced at a late stage in the process. Why not just let the process play out? As to Little Gables, If the majority of residents oppose annexation they will vote it down. Thus far, the community has met the initial 20% requirement, why disenfranchise those that who signed the petition? This is undemocratic.
You might say that the straw ballot is a form of listening. It may very well be, to a certain extent. However, I see an element of abdication of responsibility by our commission. When I vote this week, I will vote "YES," solely because I think the codified process should be followed.
Awesome article, Christina!
Think it’s important to make people aware of the truth of the matter. By annexing Little Gables we also stop the overdevelopment on 8th street and surrounding areas. Looks like the Firefighters union, Billy Cohen and the three amigos have put their propaganda machine to work because I’ve conversed with residents that didn’t realize the benefit and only thought about the potential cost over the next few years.
Thank you. Aesop for providing residents with great, easy to read news!
All Of these facts and this evidence is why I will be voting yes on annexation. Thank you for explaining it so clearly and concisely and providing so much data.
This is thoughtfully written and the supporting evidence for increased safety and economic impact are clear. Voting YES to annexation.
If anyone actually believes that any “Grandfather Clause” will hold up….you are delusional.
Laws change. (Think Roe v Wade.)
Elected officials change.
Who in Little Gables will be profiting from annexation?
Hmmmmmm…
Realtors?
People who bought homes here on the assumption we would be annexed?
People who publicly claim they live in Coral Gables…but don’t?
I disagree. As a North Gables resident, I can predict that our services will be diluted and then we will hear that now they have to cover a bigger area. This will inevitably result in additional budget requests even before taxes are collected. While some LG properties are nice, a lot are very poorly kept with many many code violations, such as chain link fences, car repair shops operating in the front yard, illegal structures for storage etc. We all know that our culture will not support compliance… So my vote will be NO TO ANNEXATION!
Christina , wondering how your residents are going to be able to adjust to all the City of Coral Gables restrictions and code enforcement issues after a life time of relax city of Miami policies , in my opinion is going to make a lot of people very upset, especially in this bad economy because a lot of you have in your property things that are considered illegal and not allowed by the city of Coral and they will have to spend a lot of money to correct that, like fences , walls , annexations, landscaping and many other issues , I say this very respectfully, I mean no offense , I am just wondering.
Hi Carl, like Luciana said there will be a process in which Coral Gables develops a plan and implementation guidelines for homeowners with existing "illegal or other otherwise non approved" items on their home. The city of Coral Gables did the same thing when you guys annexed King's Bay into Coral Gables. By the way- there are metal roofs in Coral Gables and I know the city is looking to whether they allow them or not. I think if you drive through Little Gables there may be half a dozen or less metal roofs. As far as the other homeowners under fixed incomes, there are several state wide grant opportunities to assist with the payment of updating their roofs, windows and doors. Coral Gables can also be a much more active agent for Little Gables residents in applying for additional state resources as opposed to the current County who just has way bigger fish to fry then our little neighborhood.
Curly, I am assuming you have never had an emergency before because all of mine have taken over 2 hours for the police to respond to. I can understand why though... County police are located in Doral. We are at the mercy of traffic and other "more important" incidents before the police and fire come to our neighborhood. The only time our streets are ever patrolled is when the County Fire and Police Union boss tells them a vote is about to happen so they magically appear out of nowhere. That is unacceptable and unprofessional for our first responders to treat us as such. The only way to get faster response times were if they built a station closer to us, but we know with the county budget process, there are no funds available. So should we just wait 1-2 hours while someone breaks into our homes when we could instead rely on Coral Gables PD who are less than a mile away from our area? Not to mention, Coral Gables PD has golf carts and police cars patrolling North Gables all day everyday, I see them every time I drive up and down Cortez.
Carl, the homes would be considered a legal nonconformity and would not be required to come up to code as long as they are legally permitted. This is a misconception that exists for many. Once annexed, CG can choose to create a special overlay to deal with things like metal roofs (such as my home) or other features that do not conform with existing CG regulations. It's something that CG can deal with. If each owner looks at their tax impact, the difference may be minimal and in return there are additional services received for such an increase. In my case it is a no brainer since I use a lot of CG services already. But also, in the case of folks on fixed-income, they need to analyze that there will be faster response times for rescue and police, additional senior services at the Adult Community Center, and possibly other things that can mitigate the tax impact.
And these legal nonconformities will be unfair to the rest of CG residents. I would love to have a nice metal roof and a storage “casita”
Metal roofs are permitted in Coral Gables. It was approved by the commission at the October 11, 2022 meeting, it was item number F-4.
I know there was an effort in the past for metal roofs. I don't know what happened to that and can see pros/cons for making a case but it's not impossible. But with all due respect, that shouldn't be a reason to be against annexation.
Hi Carl, Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I agree with your points regarding the challenges that Little Gables residents might face in adjusting to the City of Coral Gables’ stricter restrictions and code enforcement. The differences from the more relaxed unincorporated Miami-Dade County policies are significant, and the economic impact could be challenging, particularly for those on fixed incomes in our small, quiet, and humble community.
Fortunately, Little Gables has never been a high-crime area or target, and we’ve received excellent support from Miami-Dade County District 6 officials and staff, who have been quick to address concerns. Additionally, we have Miami-Dade County Police Department units assigned to our area, which helps maintain the safety and security that our residents value.
It’s crucial that we consider all these factors to ensure that any transition is as smooth as possible for the best interest of everyone in our Little Gables community.
After speaking with many Little Gables residents and urging me to vote “NO” on the annexation, I did just that, voted NO!!! This is a no brainer and urge all my neighbors to
VOTE NO for Little Gables Annexation!!!
🗳️🗳️🗳️
Cindy, what are some of the reasons you decided to vote no? Much as Christina has offered insightful reasons for supporting annexation, could you provide some reasons as to why residents should vote no?
Hi Nicolas, I empathize with the residents of Little Gables and their concerns. I spoke with many of them and they urged me to vote no, which I did. This OP-ED paints a rosy picture, but we all know deep down, the rose has thorns. 😉
Thank you Cindy. However, I am really looking for specific reasons. It's easy to simply say "no," but residents should be able to make informed and educated decisions about this issue, and all issues for that matter. We have been provided thoughtful and valid reasons for supporting annexation. Can you or anyone that opposes this issue present the reasons for voting no?
Hi Nicolas, I’d like to kindly chime in. As a Little Gables resident for over 50 years (counting my family’s time here as well, since I haven’t quite reached that milestone myself ☺️), the reasons against annexation are simple and have proven themselves over time.
Government layering, as we’ve seen, always comes with a hefty price—one that, unfortunately, all of us would have to pay, and it will cost us in other ways and over time. It’s not worth the trade-off. Our community is small, quiet, and humble, and any additional governance is likely to disrupt this balance in multiple ways—financially, physically, and even emotionally.
Furthermore, the frequent changes in elected officials—every four years—bring shifts in interests and priorities. These changes often don’t align with the best interests of Little Gables community, but instead serve broader agendas that may not benefit our community. Convincing Coral Gables residents to annex Little Gables won’t benefit them either, as they aren’t residents of the lower socioeconomic status or the most dangerous communities in Miami—quite the opposite, in fact. Especially when the intended agenda is focused on larger, unfavorable corporate-scale developments, given our location on the main corridor (Le Jeune Rd)—the heart of the county—leading to our major international airport, expressways, and access points to Coral Gables and other trending hotspots of Miami.
Our community has thrived with its current level of autonomy, and it’s crucial to consider the long-term impacts that annexation will bring to the Little Gables community. For the residents, It’s a clear NO for annexation. Appreciate your interest
Curly our elected officials representing us with Miami Dade County serve 4 year terms so that argument is null.
The financial impact for us in Coral Gables is maybe a few extra hundred dollars (if that) per year. Our taxes are capped at a maximum 3% increase.
A few hundred dollars a year will get you Coral Gables resident prices at the golf, tennis and Youth Center (not to mention other places), you will have police and fire within a 2-4 minute radius from your house, and will have consistent patrolling of our streets.
Not to mention, a municipality that is a mere 10 minutes away from our house that governs us as opposed to going downtown to a jurisdiction that oversees all of Miami Dade County. I can only see benefits and advantages here...
Hi Christina, Thank you for sharing your perspective. I’d like to break down the points you’ve raised to provide some clarity and avoid any confusion.
Term Length of Elected Officials:
While it’s true that both Miami-Dade County and Coral Gables officials serve four-year terms, the issue isn’t just about term length. It’s about the frequent shifts in priorities and interests that come with changes in leadership. Coral Gables, with its different socioeconomic dynamics and priorities, may not always align with the needs of the Little Gables community. The concern here is about the stability and continuity of policies that truly reflect our unique community’s needs, not just the term duration. I’ll reiterate that government layering is neither favorable nor beneficial (e.g., top-heavy governance).
Financial Impact:
You mentioned that the financial impact might be a few extra hundred dollars per year, with taxes capped at a 3% increase. However, this increase is just the tip of the iceberg. The real concern lies in the potential for additional costs associated with meeting Coral Gables’ stricter code enforcement and regulations. For many Little Gables residents, particularly those on fixed incomes, these costs could be significant and ongoing. Beyond taxes, we’re talking about potential expenses for property modifications, compliance with new regulations, and other unforeseen costs that could arise from the transition and ongoing upkeep.
Benefits of Coral Gables Amenities:
While the perks like resident discounts at the golf course, tennis courts, and Youth Center are attractive, they don’t outweigh the potential drawbacks. Not all residents will make use of these facilities, and the benefits may not justify the overall financial burden, especially for those who don’t participate in these activities. As for my family and me, we enjoy the Coral Gables amenities but value more the freedom to spend our money when and where we choose. It’s a contradictory situation: you’d be paying a discounted price for Coral Gables amenities because the difference is covered by the additional taxes imposed annually. It’s similar to education taxes, where most of our money goes, regardless of whether you have school-age children, choose to homeschool, or send them to private school—homeowners must pay these taxes with no discount or prorated rates. I’d rather have my money on my side and spend it as I please.
Curly, this issue isn't new. As far as I can recall, it has been relevant to Coral Gables elections since at least 2019. I'm not sure that the claim regarding frequent changes of elected officials is all that relevant. The County Commissioners are staggered in a similar fashion to Coral Gables Commissioners. Shifts in interests and priorities occur at the County level as well, perhaps at an even broader level, and Little Gables is currently subject to that entirely. Wouldn't it be easier to have access to an even more localized elected representative within the Coral Gables Commission to assist you with issues facing your neighborhood?
That’s correct—it’s far from new, and it goes back much further than 2019, likely to the mid/late 20th century, and yet, Little Gables remains an unincorporated Miami-Dade County neighborhood for a reason. The idea of having a “more localized elected representative” is understandable, but in reality, you don’t need additional governing layers to address neighborhood issues. Instead, it’s about redirecting all the energy, enthusiasm, and work towards engaging with our current local elected representatives of Miami-Dade County who already understand our community and can effectively advocate for our needs.
Respectfully, I’d be more than glad to join and assist with any issues facing our Little Gables neighborhood.
Annexation of Little Gables will negatively affect all residents (Gables & Little Gables). For the Gables' residents it will potentially lower the prestige of Coral Gables since the little gables will be grandfathered in. The houses in little gables are not up to gables’ code and might never be. Numerous LG residents will lose the ability to upkeep their homes because of the increases in cost of living that comes with Coral Gables. It could lead to residents foreclosing and losing their homes. Many Little Gables residents do not want to be annexed into Coral Gables. 20% was needed for the petition results to continue with annexation and they received 21% which isn't significant.
Please vote no on annexation. The main benefactors will be the developers and politicians. Little gables is a wonderful & safe neighborhood.
Sara, can you elaborate on how developers and politicians will be the benefactors of annexation? SB 102 is more of a threat to this community now, under the jurisdiction of the County, than it would be under the jurisdiction of the City of Coral Gables. The enclave can easily face the threat of a developer wishing to impose the Live Local Act on Little Gables as it currently exists. If you are worried about the prestige of living in Coral Gables, then we should also be worried about a large development towering over the historic homes of the North Gables. This is the reality this neighborhood faces NOW, not when it's annexed.
Also, the fascinating part about elections is that one vote can determine the outcome. 21% is significant, not only because they achieved the requisite 20%, but also because they got an additional 1%.
Mayor Lago has a real estate business & he will benefit the most. I am sure there are other questionable conflicts of interests he & others aren’t being transparent about. Coral Gables is going through major overdevelopment. They built a huge hotel & retail area around 1 house that refused to sell. The poor man can’t even get emergency services at his home. I understand that no matter what there are threats & that the neighbors need to unite to stop the potentials of zoning changes. However, if they got 21% yes, could you say 79% were no? My main concern is having fellow neighbors, most who have lived in the neighborhood for over 15 plus years, lose their home. We already pay taxes & our entitled to services.
Orlando Capote PART 2 of 2
The Plaza Coral Gables
2811 Ponce de Leon Blvd.
https://youtu.be/URTvgg3WBf0?si=BzQcqm---iy5EgDO
Have you all heard about Coral Gables resident, Orlando Capote? He just wanted to live in his home, but developer’s had a different plan for him.
PART 1 of 2
https://youtu.be/CKrUKX3t7tE?si=J5lKjOOaqVrYuPjJ
Luciana, you are banking on something that is probably not gonna happen. Apparently you don’t know how the City of Coral Gables operates. It is very unlikely they will bend their strict rules and compromise their glamorous image for this , CG is one of the wealthiest cities in the country, I don’t think they need the extra money.
I worked for a municipality for a long time and I know how the process works when it comes to zoning, regulations, building permitting and nonconformities so yes, I'm banking on it and know perfectly well how a municipality operates. I have a legally permitted metal roof, that is considered a nonconformity and according to CG regulations, legal nonconformities are allowed to exist. See CG Article 13 of the Zoning Code.