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Mayor’s
Race:
Coronation or Competition?
Incumbent May
Face at Least Three Challengers in April
“Anything’s better than what we have — it’s a completely
lopsided City Commission.”
By Cynthia
Archbold
 The
years from 2001 on could be called the “Dawn of Don,” the
era of Coral Gables Mayor Don Slesnick, who beat
then-incumbent Mayor Raul Valdes-Fauli and ran unopposed in
the following two elections.
And if
Slesnick wins the upcoming April 2007 mayoral/commission
election, it would truly be a major epoch of Don. He would
serve a full decade, thanks to a referendum passed in April
2005 (an initiative Slesnick promoted), giving Coral Gables
mayors four-year terms.
But the
mayoral election might be more than the walk-over Slesnick
may have been anticipating.
Rumors of
potential candidates are floating above smoldering public
discontent over property tax hikes and the Building and
Zoning scandal involving criminal charges of $100,000 in
theft.
The
Fraternal Order of Police, frustrated with the city over
contract negotiations, has already asked for a slate of new
candidates to endorse for the mayoral and City Commission
race.
“We have a
very good candidate,” says Coral Gables FOP President Eugene
Gibbons. “We’re just waiting for that individual to put
their name into the hat. When that happens, things will be
looking up for me. Anything’s better than what we have —
it’s a completely lopsided City Commission.” (The FOP
recently won a ruling from the Public Employee Relations
Commission, requiring the city to publicly post notice that
it broke the law during contract negotiations.)
 Friends
and supporters of City Commissioner Ralph Cabrera are urging
him to run for mayor, and he’s considering it: “Three months
ago I would have said no, but now I think it would be unwise
to rule anything out.”
Meanwhile,
George Corrigan, 79, is seriously considering another run
for the office he held for six years.
Corrigan,
the former vice president of Burdines for more than 30
years, served as mayor of the City Beautiful from 1987 to
1993, roughly mirroring George Bush the elder’s term as U.S.
President, as well as his height and aptitude for golf.
Corrigan is
beloved for lowering taxes six times while serving in
office. Some voters claim Corrigan presided over the Gables’
last true Golden Age.
Corrigan
says he’s pondering putting his name into the ring for mayor
because he is frustrated with escalating property taxes and
the slow pace of positive improvements in the city.
Robert Burr
is also threatening to join the mayoral race unless Corrigan
does. Burr, publisher of the Gables Pedestrian Guide,
wrote a guest column endorsing Corrigan in last Sunday’s
Miami Herald.
“As our
confidence in local government reaches new lows in Coral
Gables, it's refreshing to hear former Mayor George Corrigan
say he might be willing to serve another term at the helm,”
he wrote. “Bravo! I'd like to offer my unabashed support for
such a possibility in the hopes that the future of Coral
Gables might portend an era of more serious oversight of the
budget, proactive and forthright management, positive
teamwork among senior staff and employees – and a sense that
the city is being run in the most efficient and professional
manner.”
According
to the rumor mill, City Commissioner Bill Kerdyk’s friends
are also urging him to run for the mayor’s seat.
Meanwhile,
Slesnick continues to plan his campaign, unfazed by the
potential competition.
“We’re just
doing what we always do every time, and we are on target
with our fundraising,” he said. “We wanted to raise $50,000
by the end of the year. We’ve already reached that, and now
we’re headed for $60,000, and I have more than 200
contributors.”
The mayor’s
campaign kick-off party is lined up for Jan. 17, while his
potential competitors haven’t set their dates.
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