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Melissa Castro proposes ‘anti-kickback’ rule in Coral Gables to ban post-approval developer deals

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Coral Gables Commissioner Melissa Castro wants to make sure no elected official in the city can quietly cash in on development projects they helped approve, even years later.

At the City Commission’s next meeting, Castro will introduce a proposed ordinance that would create strict new anti-kickback and disclosure rules for elected officials.

The change is necessary, she said, to close a glaring “loophole” in local ethics law.

“I feel like some elected officials will guarantee a developer that, yeah, they’re going to have the votes. Maybe they themselves will vote ‘no,’ but they’ll guarantee the project will pass. And then afterward, that’s where the arrangement comes up. I think there needs to be more transparency when it comes to those types of — I don’t want to say corruption, but it’s corruption,” Castro told Florida Politics

Under Castro’s proposal, up for consideration Oct. 28, City Commissioners and the Mayor would be barred from entering into any business, consulting or financial relationship with developers, contractors or vendors whose projects they voted on.

The ban would apply to their entire elected tenure and extend two years more after they leave office.

Officials would also face continuous disclosure standards requiring them to file sworn affidavits with the City Clerk any time they form a new business or financial relationship tied to a project approved by the Commission.

Developers, meanwhile, would be required to sign an “anti-kickback affidavit” swearing they haven’t — and won’t — offer any payment, favor or job to an elected official connected to a city approval.

False statements could result in revoked permits, canceled contracts and up to 5 years of disqualification from city business. Violations would be referred to the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust (COE) and could also trigger state-level penalties under Florida’s conflict-of-interest laws.

Castro is well-versed in the issue. After winning office in 2023, she sought guidance from the COE about whether her permit-expediting business could keep working for clients in Coral Gables. Its answer: Yes, but in a very limited fashion.

She opted to discontinue service in the city altogether, she said, but the experience helped her see how easy it is for conflicts to arise.

“I stopped doing business in the city of Coral Gables. But just to double down on this, I can see how somebody in my business or in the construction or contracting business — whatever the case is — could be going through the same thing,” she said. “It’s definitely something we need to look into.”

Castro’s legislation follows several high-profile instances of alleged self-dealing involving city officials and real estate interests. That includes a since-dropped case against former Miami Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla, who was accused of accepting $245,000 to vote for the construction of a sports facility, and the successful prosecution of former Miami-Dade Commissioner Joe Martinez over payments he received from a supermarket owner who stood to benefit from measures Martinez filed, but quickly rescinded, nearly a decade ago.

This week, Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago — who has an antagonistic relationship with Castro and Commissioner Ariel Fernandez — requested that Miami-Dade take action against the COE over what he described as repeat errors by one of its investigators in multiple cases, including Díaz de la Portilla’s, and the independent agency’s withholding of public records.

Last month, David Suarez accused fellow Miami Beach Commissioner Laura Dominguez of pay-for-play legislation, referencing donations she received from developers and her votes at City Hall.

A Miami Beach resident has since filed state complaints against Suarez, alleging he broke the law by using the city’s official seal and government letterhead in communicating his criticism of Dominguez.



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South Florida home sales show upbeat increases for Palm Beach and Broward counties, Miami-Dade still struggling

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December 7, 2025

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Condominium closings also increased in Palm Beach and Broward counties in October.

South Florida single-family home sales for November saw some notable improvement in the year-over-year comparisons while Miami-Dade County is still lagging in the back of the pack.

The monthly analysis of the three coastal counties from the Elliman Report in South Florida was released in the past week and it shows solid property sales in Palm Beach and Broward counties. Both of those counties showed notable upticks in signed contracts on single-family home closings last month with Broward leading the way.

There were 387 homes sold in Broward in November. That’s a 98.5% jump in closing contracts over November 2024 when there 195 houses sold. While the annual comparison is upbeat, Broward saw a slight downturn in monthly sales. There were 466 homes sold in October, accounting for an 18.52% decrease in the monthly sales.

“All property types showed a combined annual gain in new signed contracts for the third time (this year), with outsized annual increases observed in both property types” of homes and condominiums, Elliman real estate analysts concluded about Broward property sales. “New listings across all property types combined have increased annually at a rising rate for the past three months. The number of new contracts signed above the $1 million threshold has shown annual growth for the sixth time in seven months.”

Palm Beach County also witnessed an increase in annual home sales. But it was more modest than Broward with 321 single-family contracts signed in November. That’s a 27.9% hike over November 2024 when there were 251 closings. But the monthly sales were down in Palm Beach County, too. There were 347 closings in October meaning November’s sales posed a 7.49% drop on the monthly ledger.

Miami-Dade is still struggling in home sales, though, as the county has lagged behind its northern neighbors for most of the year. There were 406 home closings in Miami-Dade in November, a 30.6% decline from November 2024 when there were 585. The monthly comparison was also off for Miami-Dade as there were 487 homes sold in October, representing a 16.63% drop in sales.

Condominium sales, which have been struggling in much of South Florida this year, showed some improvement. There were 354 condos sold in Broward in November, a 41.6% jump from a year ago. Palm Beach posted 309 condo sales last month, a 33.2% increase from November 2024. Miami-Dade was the only South Florida county with a dip in condo sales with 406 closings in November, a 30.6% decline from a year ago.



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University of Florida breaks ground on College of Dentistry building facelift and overhaul

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December 7, 2025

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The original College of Dentistry building was errected half a century ago at UF.

The University of Florida (UF) College of Dentistry building is undergoing major renovations and a multi-phase overhaul that will add more than 100,000 square feet to the facility.

UF officials announced this month that the 11-story college “dental tower” is undergoing waterproofing and insulation upgrades. There is also a modernization of key spaces in the existing building and a new building addition that will tack on a new area that will cover the 100,0000 of additional space. The original building was erected 50 years ago and the new additions and upgrades are expected to be completed in five years.

“This project represents the largest investment made by the state of Florida in a medical science building at any state university,” said Mori Hosseini, UF Board of Trustees Chair in a news release. “We fought for this because we understand what it will deliver for our community – for our students, our faculty and families across Florida.”

Some of the brick exterior of the original building is being removed. Crews are “sealing” the structure with work that is designed to prevent water intrusion. When that’s complete they’ll modernize the front of the building with a panel system that blend with the new addition. Work on that element is set to begin in August.

“The transformation helps ensure that the College of Dentistry remains at the forefront of academic distinction education, research and clinical innovation for decades to come,” said c, Dean of the college in Gainesville.

When completed, the College of Dentistry will see every room modernized within the building. Technological upgrades will accompany the physical overhaul as well.

“The College of Dentistry faculty and students deserve a space that allows them to focus on the patient, and the patients deserve a building that puts them at ease,” said UF Interim President Donald Landry. “The research done here will be transformative and add to the glory of this institution.”



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Monica Matteo-Salinas, Monique Pardo Pope square off in Miami Beach Commission runoff

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11 hours ago

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December 7, 2025

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Early voting is underway in Miami Beach ahead of a Dec. 9 runoff that will decide the city’s only open Commission seat — a head-to-head contest between Monica Matteo-Salinas and Monique Pardo Pope for the Group 1 seat.

Matteo-Salinas, a Democrat and longtime City Hall aide, finished first last month with 23.2% of the vote. Pardo Pope, a Republican lawyer, advanced with 20.1%.

They outpaced four other candidates competing to succeed outgoing Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez last month, but neither captured a large enough share of the vote — more than 50% — to win outright.

The runoff has sharpened into a choice between two contrasting résumés, platforms and campaign narratives along with a late-cycle revelation about Pardo Pope that has drawn national headlines.

Voters are heading to the polls for the second time in just over a month as Miami Beach faces turbulence on multiple fronts, from state scrutiny over finances and charges that a local ordinance conflicts with Florida’s homelessness law to the removal of cultural landmarks due to their so-called “woke” significance and accusations of pay-for-play policymaking.

Matteo-Salinas, 46, has consolidated establishment support for her campaign, which centers on a promise to work on expanding trolley service, increasing the city’s affordable housing index and establishing a new “water czar” position in the city, paid by resort taxes.

She’s earned endorsements from several local pols, including Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Miami Beach Commissioners Alex Fernandez, Laura Dominguez and Tanya Bhatt; and former Miami Beach Dan Gelber.

Groups backing her bid include the Miami Beach Fraternal Order of Police, LGBTQ groups SAVE Action PAC and Equality Florida Action PAC, and the public-safety-focused neighborhood group SOBESafe.

Pardo Pope, 45, has centered her messaging on public safety, investing in mental health, backing school choice initiatives, supporting homelessness services, encouraging “smart, thoughtful development” that preserves Miami Beach’s character while addressing flooding and roadway congestion, and alleviating cost-of-living issues for longtime residents and first-time homebuyers through “fair taxation.”

Though she has touted her guardian ad litem work as evidence of her temperament and commitment to service, that part of her record has drawn renewed scrutiny in recent weeks. A review of Pardo Pope’s case records with the Miami-Dade Clerk’s Office shows her listed as a guardian ad litem on just three cases — one of which she was discharged from after trying to get the mother in the case jailed.

She’s also been the subject of negative attention for omitting that her father was the convicted, Nazi-adoring serial killer Manuel Pardo, to whom she wrote several loving social media posts.

Pardo Pope has said that she forgave him in order to move forward with her life and asked voters to judge her on her own life and work.

Her backing includes the Miami-Dade Republican Party, Miami-Dade Commissioner René García, state Rep. Alex Rizo, former Miami Beach City Attorney Jose Smith, Miami Realtors PAC, the Venezuelan American Republican Club and Teach Florida PAC, a Jewish education group.

Two of her former Group 1 opponents, Daniel Ciraldo and Omar Gimenez, are also backing her.

Matteo-Salinas raised about $133,000 and spent $82,000 by Dec. 4. Pardo Pope raised about $190,000 — of which 29% was self-given — and spent close to $170,000.

Early voting runs through Sunday at four locations citywide. Election Day is Monday, Dec. 9.



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