PolitiFact: Gimenez's remark about the Dolphins' taxes is False

The Miami Dolphins are attempting to score what would be an incredibly fast political touchdown: a one-month campaign to convince Miami-Dade County voters to sign off on a stadium construction deal.

After nearly around the clock negotiations at the stadium and county hall, fueled by frequent runs for Cuban cafecito, County Mayor Carlos Gimenez hammered out a deal with the Dolphins.

During the county meeting on April 10, 2013, when commissioners signed off on the referendum, Commissioner Sally Heyman asked if the stadium would continue to pay property taxes. During the negotiations, the Dolphins proposed turning over the stadium ownership to the county. The team had also appealed their property taxes two years in a row but then dropped the appeals.

Gimenez replied:

"Commissioner, as far as I know the Miami Dolphins are the only professional team in the state of Florida that actually pays property taxes. And, as far as I know, the Dolphins are the only NFL team in the entire nation that pays property taxes. This does not change."

At PolitiFact Florida, our ears perk up when we hear that something is the "only" one in the country. Are the Miami Dolphins the only NFL team to pay property taxes? Read the answer at PolitiFact.com 

Miami-Dade mayor stumps for Coral Gables mayoral candidate

By Howard Cohen

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez popped over to the Biltmore Hotel’s Fontana Courtyard Tuesday evening to host a fundraiser for Coral Gables commissioner Ralph Cabrera.

Cabrera, who is term-limited, is seeking the Gables mayor’s seat in a race against incumbent Jim Cason.

Gimenez and Cabrera, two old pals who once coached football together at the Coral Gables Youth Center, swapped stories amid the politics.

Gimenez said he supported Cabrera’s campaign because of their personal connection — “Ralph and I have been friends a long time” — and because he feels that fiscal accountability will be a primary goal to tackle in Coral Gables.

“We have to bring in fiscal accountability and accountability in general, and he’s the better person for the job,” Gimenez said. “Not to take away from the current mayor, but Ralph would do a better job and we’ve known each other longer.”

More here.

Miami Dolphins: We'll use county money for stadium renovations only if we get 50th or 51st Super Bowl

@PatriciaMazzei

The Miami Dolphins on Thursday committed to making a proposed special election to finance $400 million stadium renovations conditional on being awarded the 50th or 51st Super Bowl.

Dolphins CEO Mike Dee announced the team's position after returning from NFL owners meetings in Phoenix, an indication that a majority of owners support awarding the 2016 or 2017 Super Bowl to South Florida when they meet again on May 22.

"We have great confidence that South Florida will be awarded a Super Bowl on May 22," Dee told reporters at a Sun Life Stadium news conference.

When the team agreed to the referendum last month, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said he might require the NFL to award South Florida a Super Bowl as a condition for spending mainland county hotel taxes on part of the stadium renovation.

"I don't want to be eligible for anything," Gimenez said at the time. "I'd like to see the results and actually land something."

Dee characterized adding the Super Bowl condition to a referendum as a "risk" the team is prepared to take. He rejected suggestions that agreement is a sign that the time-pressed Dolphins are trying to move along ongoing negotiations with Gimenez over a potential funding deal and efforts in the Florida Legislature to approve a hotel-tax hike and an additional state subsidy.

"I don't think it's a Hail Mary," Dee said.

Dee made the announcement along with Rodney Barreto, chair of South Florida Super Bowl Committee and one of the Dolphins' most vocal backers, who said "core" Super Bowl activities will take place in downtown Miami. The last time Sun Life Stadium hosted a Super Bowl, in 2010, most official NFL activities took place in Broward.

Last week, the committee rejected an NFL request to exempt league employees from local hotel taxes in exchange for landing a Super Bowl -- unlike South Florida's rival for the 50th game, Santa Clara, Calif., where a new $1.2 billion stadium is under construction for the San Francisco 49ers.

Miami-Dade mayor asks Florida whether Dolphins can pay for special election on stadium renovations

@PatriciaMazzei

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez formally asked the Florida Division of Elections on Thursday to opine on whether a private entity -- the Miami Dolphins -- could cover the costs of a county election.

The Dolphins have agreed to a special election to ask Miami-Dade voters to raise mainland hotel taxes to partly fund a proposed $400 million renovation to Sun Life Stadium. The county elections department estimates the referendum would cost $3 million to $5 million.

When the team accepted his referendum condition, Gimenez said the county would have to bear the election expense because an existing state opinion from the 1980s prohibiting private companies from funding an election.

But in his request to Maria Mathews, head of the elections division, Gimenez also noted that state law was amended in 1992 to require parimutuels to indirectly pay for elections by depositing a sum with the county to cover the costs.

"I do not believe...that the taxpayers of Miami-Dade County should be forced to shoulder the costs (estimated between $3-5 million) of this election brought about by a request from a private party," Gimenez wrote. "I therefore intend to require the Miami Dolphins organization to pay for the costs of such an election."

Racetracks indirectly reimbursed Miami-Dade and Broward for nearly $7 million spent on a special gambling election in 2005.

Several county commissioners have said the Dolphins should pay for the election.

Obama administration to promote manufacturing and exports in Miami

U.S. Commerce Secretary John Bryson will travel to Miami on Friday to meet with Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez and local business leaders. They'll be talking about how the private and public sector can "work together to expand exports and create jobs,"the mayor's office said.

Among their destinations: Pavilion Furniture, a company that's working with the Department of Commerce’s Commercial Service to expand the reach of the product it exports. Other business leaders participating in the discussion include Mike Buzzella, President and CEO of Pavilion Furniture; Raj Rangaswamy, President of Target Engineering; and Luis Arguello, CEO of DemeTech.

Target Engineering, an engineering services firm, will be among the companies on Commerce Department trade mission to India at the end of the month. Bryson will lead that mission. 

DemeTech Corporation, which makes surgical sutures and blades, has previously joined a Commerce Department trade mission to Saudi Arabia. Arguello was among the business leaders who joined President Barack Obama in an Oval Office ceremony for the signing of the U.S. Korea trade agreement, which goes into effect this week. 

Mayor Gimenez visits the Florida Capitol

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez is in Tallahassee today to make the rounds with state lawmakers.

His first meeting of the day was with members of the Miami-Dade Delegation.

Not surprisingly, Gimenez stressed the importance of the budget.

"For Miami-Dade County, it is all about the dollars," he said. "I'm not asking for more. Just keep us where we're at."

House Majority Leader Carlos Lopez-Cantera, R-Miami, said "there may or may not be unpleasantries" for local governments, but promised to fight for Miami-Dade's fair treatment.

"I will not let Miami-Dade County be treated any differently than anyone else," he said.

Other topics of discussion included potential cuts to Jackson Memorial Hospital and the Port of Miami Deep Dredge. Gimenez urged Miami-Dade lawmakers to help get the dredge underway. The $150 million project is being held up by legal challenges from environmental groups and the community of Fisher Island.

"We need to speed this up," Gimenez said.

(Thanks to Delegation Director Alex Dominguez for the picture.)

Mayor Gimenez moves forward on promise not to layoff police, firefighters

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez promised not to layoff police officers and firefighters while he was campaigning for the mayoral job earlier this year. It looked like that promise would fall apart a couple months ago when he was threatening to send pink slips amid tense negotiations. But the county has reached agreements on contracts with both unions although it still has to make a decision about the health care contribution for police officers. PolitiFact's Carlos-O-Meter updates the mayor's progress.

Mayor Gimenez and his Rosh Hashanah prayer

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez led a prayer at a Rosh Hashanah service at Bet Shira Congregation in Pinecrest Thursday.

He arrived midway through the morning service and was led to the bima, where he was introduced by Rabbi Brian Schuldenfrei. Gimenez wore a University of Miami yarmulke, which he acknowledged, but said,  “I’ve lost a little faith in them lately.”

He noted that Schuldenfrei gave an invocation at his swearing in and wished the congregation shana tova — a happy new year.  

-- Rick Hirsch