‘Gables Insider’ blogger faces ‘inside candidate’ in Coral Gables Commission election

Ariel Fernandez is a popular watchdog blogger who built a large online following by chronicling Coral Gables City Hall for the last four years. Now he wants a seat on the dais.

But he faces a challenging election on April 11 against opponent Alex Bucelo, a 29-year-old lawyer with establishment support. Bucelo previously ran for City Commission in 2021 and lost to Commissioner Kirk Menendez.

Menendez, as well as Commissioner Rhonda Anderson and outgoing Vice Mayor Mike Mena, have endorsed Bucelo. So did Mayor Vince Lago, a former client of Fernandez’s consulting firm, The American Strategies Group, according to campaign finance records from Lago’s 2021 campaign. Several former mayors, including Raúl Valdés-Fauli, Don Slesnick and Jim Cason are also backing Bucelo.

Slesnick said residents view Bucelo as more of an “inside candidate.” During the past two years, the attorney has joined the Mayor’s Advisory Council, the Coral Gables Museum Board of Directors and the Planning and Zoning Board. Bucelo has also been on the city’s Code Enforcement Board since 2018.

But Bucelo says characterizing him as an inside candidate is incorrect.

“To me, I couldn’t disagree more,” he said. “I’m blessed to have their endorsements, but it doesn’t mean I’m their candidate.”

Since 2019, Fernandez, 41, has covered City Hall from the outside looking in. He’s been critical of various issues, such as the city’s spending and its Executive Benefits Package, and he has at times squabbled with city officials, including the city manager. Residents who support Fernandez cite his work as the publisher of “Gables Insider,” an online blog that covers City Commission meetings on a granular level.

“The City Commission for a number of years has been out of touch with resident concerns on many issues, including over-development, traffic and city services,” David Winker, a lawyer in Coral Gables, said in an email. “Residents feel that Ariel, through his work at Gables Insider, is definitely in touch with resident concerns about lack of transparency.”

Fernandez has the potential to bring a “dissenting voice” to the five-member City Commission, Winker said.

He’s also landed the endorsement of the Gables Neighbors United PAC, which is connected to the Coral Gables Neighbors Association.

“We find that Ariel is the only one that’s truly telling people what’s happening in Coral Gables from City Hall,” said Sue Kawalerski, president of the PAC. “He understands that his mission will be to actually help the residents.”

Fernandez’s prior political experience includes over a decade working for former U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen when she was in Congress, as a senior congressional aide and campaign coordinator, among other positions.

The two candidates are competing in the City Commission Group V race to replace Mena, who is stepping down after six years. It’s one of two open commission seats, with four candidates competing in the other race for the Commission Group IV seat.

Concerns about over-development are key in the election. But some residents say it’s also been fraught with mud-slinging and rampant attack mailers that are not only uncharacteristic of the City Beautiful, but are also distracting from critical issues.

“I hate to say this, but the race kind of depends on who was more turned off by the candidate rather than who was turned on by the candidate,” said Slesnick, the former mayor. “It’s a hot potato-type of campaign, and that’s not normal here.”

‘An oasis in the middle of massive, massive development’

Fernandez, who has pledged that he won’t accept a single campaign contribution from developers, has raised over $28,400 so far, according to campaign finance reports.

Bucelo has raised about five times that amount, with over $143,200 in campaign contributions, including over $53,000 from contributors whose listed occupation is in real estate, construction, general contracting and architecture. He said their contributions won’t affect his independence on the commission, and that he won’t necessarily be developer-friendly.

“Quite the contrary,” said Bucelo. He pointed out that while he was on the Planning and Zoning board, he voted against the controversial Ponce Park Residences project where developers initially proposed a 179-foot-tall tower. He said dozens of residents showed opposition to the project, and that the city should prioritize resident benefit and input when approving projects.

Bucelo criticized “out-of-scale development” in Coral Gables, but said the current City Commission is not at fault.

“I think the current commission has done a very good job at preventing over-development,” he said. “There are some projects that have slipped through that I would have voted against. I’m not here to talk about them or prior commissions. I think they’ve all done a good job.”

Fernandez said campaign contributions from developers to city commissioners are to blame.

“Residents are not a priority,” he said. “Developers have become the priority over the last few years, and that’s because developers are funding most political campaigns.”

He also criticized the city’s labyrinthine permitting process.

“A developer can walk into City Hall and get permits approved rather quickly,” Fernandez said. “But I’ve heard from residents who have been for two years waiting to get an approval on a kitchen renovation. So that’s a major concern.”

As of January, there are over 25 projects that have been commission-approved or have been permitted or are under construction in Coral Gables, according to the city’s website. Those projects include the 242-room The Plaza hotel; a 26,000-square-foot building with 263 residential units; and a seven-story parking garage with 450 parking spaces.

“Coral Gables residents consider Coral Gables an oasis in the middle of massive, massive development,” said Kawalerski of the Gables Neighbors United PAC. “Residents do not want to see development that is out-of-scale and out of character with the City Beautiful.”

Kawalerski said the City Commission has grown increasingly dismissive of residents who challenge them or voice concerns.

“They’re not heard, they’re mocked, they’re told to sit down,” Kawalerski said. “It’s like the old regime.”

Annexation

The mayor has announced plans to re-initiate the annexation process for Little Gables, High Pines and Ponce Davis.

Residents from Coral Gables and Little Gables have expressed mixed opinions on that issue during City Commission meetings. Both the city and county fire unions have argued that the Coral Gables Fire Department does not have enough staffing to take on additional areas as would happen if annexation occurred.

Fernandez said it should be up to voters — in Coral Gables, as well as the relevant enclaves — to determine whether or not they are annexed. “Personally, I can see the arguments on both sides,” he said, adding that he’s concerned about the ability of police and fire personnel to cover the additional areas.

Bucelo said he supports “resident input” on the matter, but not necessarily a vote. He is in favor of annexation, partly because Police Chief Ed Hudak has expressed support for it.

Campaign mailers

Attack mailers have seized on Fernandez’s previous employment as deputy district director for David Rivera from 2011 to 2013. Rivera, a former Miami congressman, was arrested last year on federal criminal charges, including failing to register as a foreign agent for Venezuela, the Miami Herald previously reported.

One mailer, which was paid for by the Getting Things Done PAC, accuses Fernandez, who is a registered Republican, of being a “socialist.” It includes a photo of Fernandez alongside a photo of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Fernandez said it is unfair to try to connect him to the accusations against his former employer.

“My opponent is trying to imply that, because I once worked for a democratically elected official handling constituent services, I am responsible for his personal finances and business dealings years after we both left Congress,” he said in an email. “The two have no connection. No individual can be held responsible for the personal business dealings of another.”

Bucelo denied any involvement with the attack mailers, and said he does not co-sign their message.

Commission IV race

Four candidates are competing in the Commission Group IV race: Ivette Arango O’Doski, Melissa Castro, Sean McGrover and Jackson Rip Holmes.

The seat was previously held by Commissioner Jorge Fors, who resigned last year to run for County Commission, losing to Donald Trump-endorsed candidate Kevin Cabrera. In December the City Commission appointed Cason, the former mayor, as commissioner in the interim.

O’Doski has greatly outraised her opponents, with over $134,000 in campaign contributions. She is a lawyer and interior designer who runs an independent government relations firm, and is a registered lobbyist for the Greater Miami & The Beaches Hotel Association and the Miami-Dade Beacon Council. O’Doski also has Lago’s endorsement.

Castro, who runs a company that offers permitting services for contractors, has raised $12,550 and has received an endorsement from the Gables Neighbors United PAC.

Mortgage broker Sean McGrover has raised $5,500. Holmes, a small business owner and perennial candidate, has raised about $2,300.