3 vie for open Group 3 seat on Coral Gables Commission

(L-R) Richard Lara, Claudia Miro and Tom Wells. Images via the candidates.

Kirk Menendez is vacating his Group 3 seat on the Coral Gables Commission, and three candidates — Richard Lara, Claudia Miro and Tom Wells — are competing to replace him.

All list a lack of civility at City Hall and overdevelopment as major concerns.

Lara, 56, is a lawyer by training who works as Executive Vice President and General Counsel for the Spanish Broadcasting System.

He’s Mayor Vince Lago’s preferred candidate and has enjoyed funding support from him, Lago’s brother Carlos, and former Mayor Raúl Valdés-Fauli, whom Lago served under as Vice Mayor.

Since he entered the race last February, Lara raised $145,000 through his campaign account, with hundreds of checks from fellow lawyers and numerous contributions from real estate interests.

He spent more than half that sum by March 21.

Lara told Coral Gables Magazine that as a City Commissioner, he hoped to bring “transparency, integrity, accountability, and professionalism” while working to bring more consensus to City Hall. He also promises to cut taxes “while ensuring world-class city services” and ensure that “taxpayer dollars are invested into the community or given back to residents — NOT used by politicians to give themselves pay raises.”

That last bit was a knock against Menendez and Commissioners Melissa Castro and Ariel Fernandez, who voted against Lago and Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson to hike their salaries considerably in late 2023.

Lara’s community involvements include several Florida Bar committee memberships and service on the Coral Gables Anti-Crime Committee, among voluntary posts.

Miro, 49, boasts ample experience in government and politics, with past jobs including Chief of Staff to the city of Miami’s COO, Director posts with the Republican Party of Florida, a communications job with the Attorney General’s Office and numerous advisory board memberships, including Coral Gables’ Planning and Zoning Board.

For the past three years, she has worked as an executive at Miami-based micro-transit company Freebee.

Miro reported raising $34,500 and spending $19,300 by March 21. Her donors listed Miami-Dade County addresses, though most were outside of Coral Gables.

A political committee called Your Voice, Your Gables that she launched Dec. 10 reported no activity by Dec. 31, the last day from which campaign finance reporting was due. Florida’s relatively new campaign finance rules won’t require the PC’s new numbers through the end of last month until April 10, two days after Election Day.

Miro told the Miami Herald she wanted to be a “true voice” for residents and bring “informed leadership” to the dais. She said “irresponsible development,” public safety and a lack of transparency and decorum at Commission meetings are issues she hopes to address if elected. She also vows to strengthen emergency services, promote clearer financial reporting and smart budgeting, and improve city maintenance.

Wells, 62, is a corporate, tax, transactional and estate planning lawyer who also serves as Vice Chair of the Coral Gables Charter Review Committee.

He too said incivility at City Hall inspired him to run.

If elected, he plans to streamline government meetings and expand residential amenities, including the construction of permanent pickleball courts at the Biltmore Tennis Center. He also opposed a proposed 2% tax reduction that “would have cut the (city) budget by $2.65 million and been a windfall to property owners who do not reside in Coral Gables but only … a very small benefit to residents.”

Wells is running an almost exclusively self-funded campaign. He reported raising $1,000 through March 21, all his money, and $6,500 worth of in-kind spending — also overwhelmingly by him — on campaign costs.

Lara and Miro are registered Republicans, while Wells is a Democrat. Coral Gables’ elections are technically nonpartisan.