(The State Attorney's Office already is investigating possible violations of the Sunshine Law in relation to the vote for a new manager. This past week Gwen Margolis was interviewed under oath by prosecutors regarding her communications with Art Teele via Cynthia Curry. A private meeting between Art Teele and Bruce Kaplan is also being investigated.)
Even as Armando Vidal learns the details of his new job, some of his bosses on the commission are thinking about a new job to which they aspire, a job that will dramatically affect the county manager.
Next year Dade County voters will be asked to elect an executive county mayor, a new post that will carry far more power than any existing office. Overt campaigning has not yet begun, but at least one commissioner, Alex Penelas, is forthright about his ambitions, and he'll be watching Vidal's progress closely in the coming months.
Because Penelas so strongly promoted Vidal, the manager's performance could become a campaign issue, especially if Vidal's performance is criticized. "If Armando screws up," Penelas says, "people running against me can say, 'Hey look, here's the guy you encouraged to run for manager. You exercised pretty bad judgment in that call.'"
But Penelas has confidence in Vidal and says the new manager's style will be a refreshing change from the detached intimidation that marked his predecessor's tenure. Vidal is considered much more open, and far more friendly. "It will be a happy balance between a Sergio Periera and a Joaquin Avino," Penelas predicts. "Armando won't be the publicity hound or the political maniac that Sergio was A you know, always in the press for this or for that. But he won't be the hands-off, quiet person Joaquin was, either. I think Armando will be more active on the second and third floors [where most commissioners have their offices]. I think he will come down and visit with commissioners and aggressively pursue policies that he thinks are in the best interests of the county."
Penelas gained considerable political clout in his successful stewardship of Vidal's candidacy, especially in contrast to his bungled effort to become commission chairman in April 1993. When he lost that contest to Art Teele, he publicly blasted his fellow Hispanics on the commission for deserting him and the Hispanic community as a whole by voting for a black man. Penelas's heated references to ethnic solidarity drew ferocious criticism. "I have matured tremendously since that run for chairman," he says today. "I'm learning that sometimes it is better to be less vocal."
Not necessarily less reliant on ethnic appeal, just less vocal about it. Let others do the haranguing. Why become a target for criticism by stirring up Cuban sentiments on behalf of Armando Vidal or another candidate when others will do it anyway?
If these are the things local politicians have learned from the December 15 vote for a new county manager, then next year's race for executive mayor should be anything but dull. Among the possible contenders: Penelas, Ferre, former Miami mayor Xavier Suarez, and former staterepresentative Mike Abrams. "That's going to be a great battle," Penelas says eagerly. "I can't wait.
