Both Sanabria and Whiting say they want to bring civility \u2014 and shorter commission meetings \u2014 back to the City Beautiful. Commission meetings have become daylong telenovelas in recent years, with fiery disputes, flying accusations and \u201cpolitical theater\u201d the norm.<\/p>\n
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Both candidates said they\u2019re still bothered by a since-revoked salary raise<\/a> a previous City Commission gave themselves. The two also said they signed up to run for the Group V seat, in part, because they relished the thought of facing off against Fernandez, and were disappointed to learn that particular political battle won\u2019t happen. Although commissioners serve in a nonpartisan role, both candidates are registered Republicans.<\/p>\n But while they have some similarities, they offer different viewpoints on what it will take to improve life in the Gables.<\/p>\n Background<\/p>\n Sanabria fled Cuba and came to South Florida at 11 with his family. They lived in Key Biscayne. His first job was as a paperboy for the Miami Herald before his family moved to Philadelphia. A job offer, and a longing for Miami\u2019s sunny weather, drew him back after college.<\/p>\n Sanabria, who studied economics at Windham College in Vermont, went on to become a commercial real estate investor. Eventually, he bought a Gables waterfront property and has now lived in the city for over 25 years.<\/p>\n \u201cNo elected official in the Gables is supporting Gonzalo Sanabria, and the reason why is because I am an independent thinker,\u201d said Sanabria, president of Real Estate Works, Inc. \u201cI think what\u2019s best for the Gables first, not what\u2019s best for your agenda.\u201d<\/p>\n Sanabria, who previously served on the Coral Gables Waterfront Communities Homeowners\u2019 Association Board, previously ran for Group IV commissioner in 2011 and Group III commissioner in 2009. He\u2019s been involved with many organizations across South Florida, formerly serving as vice chair of the Miami-Dade Expressway Authority and on the board of Doctors Hospital and the Baptist Foundation. He was appointed by City Manager Peter Iglesias to the Gables\u2019 planning and zoning board and previously served for nearly two decades on the county\u2019s planning and zoning board.<\/p>\n Whiting, 33, was appointed by Commissioner Richard Lara to serve on the city\u2019s property advisory board and previously served on the city\u2019s communications committee.<\/p>\n Born in South Florida, the La Salle High School grad moved away to the University of Florida to study English and history before returning to get her master\u2019s of public administration at the University of Miami. Many in South Florida know her late uncle Pedro Roig<\/a>, former director of Radio and TV Mart\u00ed and a veteran of the Bay of Pigs. Her grandmother was Cuban singer Vicky Roig.<\/p>\n Whiting got her start in politics early. Meeting Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen at 17 is what first got her interested in government. Whiting also interned with the campaign of a Parliament candidate while studying abroad in London. Back in the states, she eventually found her way to intern and work for Ros-Lehtinen and has since built an extensive political resume.<\/p>\n She previously held senior positions in the executive office of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Department of Health, and with former lieutenant governor and current FIU president Jeanette Nu\u00f1ez. She also worked for Ros-Lehtinen and for Esteban \u201cSteve\u201d Bovo when he was a Miami-Dade County commissioner.<\/p>\n She first moved to the Gables in 2017 and briefly lived in D.C. and Tallahassee for work before returning to the city in 2024. She currently raises money for FIU in D.C., a program that gives students the opportunity do a semester in D.C. while participating in paid internship opportunities on Capitol Hill, and for the Adam Smith Center for Economic Freedom, a nonpartisan think tank at FIU. Mayor Vince Lago is already her colleague \u2014 he recently became a senior leadership fellow<\/a> of the Adam Smith Center.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have a friend in me, you have an advocate in me,\u201d is Whiting\u2019s message to voters. \u201cI want to be their champion. I want to do right by the people. … I\u2019m in the business of enhancing their quality of life and making their lives easier for their families and for the next generation.\u201d<\/p>\n Why are they running?<\/p>\n Sanabria describes himself as an independent, free thinker who wants to help improve the City Beautiful and stay true to its character. He said that means voting for what he believes is right for the Gables, even if that might put him at odds with others on the commission.<\/p>\n He\u2019s not afraid of conflict, he said, but wants to get rid of the \u201cmonologues\u201d and bickering that have become common on the City Commission. He\u2019s proposed a three-minute time limit for commissioners during discussions, similar to the time limit residents get for public comment, to help shorten meetings.<\/p>\n He also touts his finance skills and believes his experience can help the city navigate a future with rising costs and possibly less revenue.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve handled budgets. I\u2019ve handled revenues of $250 million already with Miami-Dade Expressway Authority,\u201d said Sanabria, adding that he also understands zoning.<\/p>\n Sanabria has criticized Fernandez\u2019s previous decisions, including voting to fire<\/a> and replace Iglesias, and later voting to raise commissioners\u2019 salaries. The current commission has since voted to roll back the salary increases and rehire Iglesias, whom Sanabria considers to be a good friend and a strong city manager.<\/p>\n Sanabria, who filed an ethics complaint against Fernandez in 2024 that was later dismissed, said he recently made amends with Fernandez but is still disappointed he won\u2019t be facing off against him.<\/p>\n Whiting said her decision to run comes from a belief that the city needs new voices on the dais that \u201cdon\u2019t abuse the public purse.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t like politicians that seek public office to enrich themselves in government, and I don\u2019t like politicians that want to be social media influencers,\u201d Whiting said. \u201cAnd I promise, my goal is to be none of that. I want to be a public servant. I want to prioritize the taxpayer.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI want to make politics boring again,\u201d she quipped.<\/p>\n Whiting believes the relationships she\u2019s built in Tallahassee can help the city navigate the ever-growing pressures coming from the state, including laws such as the Live Local Act<\/a> that have wrestled away some local power over future development projects.<\/p>\n And she wants to make sure tax dollars are being used for things like improving city infrastructure.<\/p>\n \u201cI think if we prioritize police, fire, water, sewer, waterways, infrastructure, I think we get to advance the city to what it should be, which is the City Beautiful, not the City Ugly,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n What are their platforms?<\/p>\n RTZ, Live Local and other development<\/p>\n Two looming problems for the Gables, known for its stringent building codes and love of Mediterranean-style architecture, are the Live Local Act and RTZ \u2014 rapid transit zones<\/a>.<\/p>\n Live Local is a state law, while RTZ is a county-created zoning designation along the U.S. 1 corridor near the Metrorail. Both reduce the authority the Gables has long had over new developments.<\/p>\n Those aren\u2019t the only types of developments that can become controversial.<\/p>\n Sanabria, who had harsh words about Live Local, pointed to his voting record on the city\u2019s planning and zoning board, particularly how he voted against<\/a> the controversial Crystal Residences project. The project was recently approved<\/a> by the City Commission.<\/p>\n Whiting said she would want to advocate in Tallahassee for changes to Live Local to ensure the law doesn\u2019t change the city\u2019s character.<\/p>\n \u201cI think Live Local works for certain areas, but in places like Coral Gables and Miami Beach, it could hurt the character, the look of the city,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Conflicts of interest<\/p>\n Sanabria said he\u2019s never done business in the Gables. He promises to not do business in the Gables if elected.<\/p>\n Whiting said she doesn\u2019t believe her fundraising job will impact her ability to serve the city because her donors for the Adam Smith Center are mainly from Latin American countries and her FIU fundraising is meant for students and programs. She said her job is not related to Lago\u2019s work as an Adam Smith Center fellow.<\/p>\n Her campaign has received donations from some known lobbyists and developers, including Century\u2019s Tatiana Pino, lobbyist Jorge Navarro and even Lago\u2019s brother. She said she made clear to supporters that donating will not sway her vote or decisions or impact her judgment.<\/p>\n Campaign fundraising and endorsements<\/p>\n Sanabria\u2019s political campaign has raised $28,950 so far, with many donations coming from people in the real estate sector. Some of his donors include attorney and former Gables Vice Mayor Frank Quesada, real estate developer Christopher Kallivokas, the founder and CEO of Miami-based real estate firm RER Ventures, and Jose M. Canero, vice president of real estate firm The Canero Group.<\/p>\n The most unusual donation? $500 from David Draiman, the lead singer of metal band Disturbed, who has a home in the Gables. Sanabria knows him from the neighborhood.<\/p>\n Sanabria likes to point out that no one currently sitting on the City Commission has endorsed him. Neither has his close friend Iglesias, who is stepping down as city manager at the end of the year.<\/p>\n As for Whiting, her campaign has raised $96,055 so far.<\/p>\n Whiting has also garnered a lengthy list of endorsements. A recent post on social media site X shows that Whiting has received endorsements<\/a> from local and state officials, including Lago, former Gables Mayor Mike Mena, Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson, and Miami-Dade County Commissioners Raquel Regalado and Natalie Milian Orbis, who each represent a portion of the Gables.<\/p>\n Her endorsement list also includes former bosses Ros-Lehtinen and Bovo, both of whom have donated to her campaign, and her current boss, FIU president Nu\u00f1ez.<\/p>\n She\u2019s rallied the endorsements of state reps, neighboring city mayors, school board members and Gables resident David Lawrence Jr., the chairman of the Children\u2019s Movement of Florida and former Miami Herald publisher, plus Miami Realtors and the South Florida Police Benevolent Association.<\/p>\n Revitalizing city businesses<\/p>\n Revitalizing city businesses is also top of mind.<\/p>\n For Sanabria, part of that effort means getting rid of Miracle Mile\u2019s parallel parking \u2014 it\u2019s a \u201cnuisance,\u201d he says \u2014 and bringing back angular parking to the strip. He wants the Gables that people see during Art Basel \u2014 with sculptures, art galleries and pop-ups spread out around the city \u2014 to become common year-round.<\/p>\n He wants more music, too, \u201con the streets\u201d and \u201cat the parks,\u201d and would like to explore developing a stronger partnership with the University of Miami, particularly its orchestra.<\/p>\n He believes the investment would help attract more business to Gables restaurants and shops.<\/p>\n For Whiting, the solution comes from bringing more diverse businesses to the Gables, not just restaurants and bridal shops. She wants to see more apartment complexes that are \u201clow density development\u201d rise near, not on, Miracle Mile to make it easier for people to dine and shop near home.<\/p>\n Whiting worries the rising cost of living is pricing many, including young families, out of South Florida. She wants to find ways to \u201cencourage younger people to set roots here because at the end of the day, that\u2019s the next century.\u201d<\/p>\n The city is currently exploring ways to help speed up<\/a> the permit process. If elected, Whiting wants to dive right in to figure out other ways to expedite permitting, including through the use of AI and other tech.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve met with business owners in the city that getting a permit for \u2014 to open a patio \u2014 took them four years,\u201d said Whiting, noting that her parents had to wait a year to get a permit to install a home pantry. \u201cThat stifles business. That stifles quality of life.\u201d<\/p>\n Property tax cuts<\/p>\n The candidates, who are both property owners, each support Florida\u2019s Amendment 3, though they also recognize that slashing property taxes could bring financial challenges to the city.<\/p>\n Amendment 3, touted as a big tax break for Florida property owners, would increase the property tax exemption on primary homes, but many local government officials are warning that the proposal would leave cities and counties with less money to pay for essential services.<\/p>\n For Sanabria and Whiting, that means the city needs to be smart with its money.<\/p>\n Sanabria said the city will need to make difficult decisions when deciding which expenses are absolutely necessary.<\/p>\n If the city\u2019s short on revenue, \u201cWhat are you going to do? Cut staff? Cut services?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Sanabria is not sold on the city\u2019s pricey plans to build a new garage, known as the Mobility Hub, a pet project of Lago and Iglesias, and worries businesses will be hurt during the construction process. He\u2019s questioned the city\u2019s plan to give more money to the Underline.<\/a><\/p>\n He also floated the city\u2019s sea-level rise fund as another area to look at, noting that the city puts $5 million into the fund every year. Although Sanabria said he believes in sea-level rise and climate change, he said a \u201cone time\u201d reallocation of the fund could close any funding gap left from Amendment 3 for the first year, which city officials estimate will be about $6 million, with the gap widening in future years. He describes it as just one of many options the city could look at.<\/p>\n Even if the tax relief measure passes, it\u2019s possible that real estate values go up, leading to more property tax revenue, he said.<\/p>\n \u201cSo right there is another offset. You never know. We may not need to do anything other than just sit there and wait,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n For Whiting, Amendment 3, if it passes, is \u201can opportunity to go back to the drawing board\u201d and force governments to tighten their belts and \u201cshow residents and taxpayers where exactly the dollars are going.\u201d<\/p>\n Whiting said she would be interested in looking at the \u201creturn in investment\u201d of \u201ccertain community-based organizations, maybe even some green initiatives,\u201d perhaps some art installations, and even city-sponsored events, to figure out what\u2019s worthwhile for residents and businesses.<\/p>\n What she won\u2019t touch: public safety.<\/p>\n She believes state funding will become more important in the years ahead, and that\u2019s where Whiting says she can shine.<\/p>\n Every year, the city goes to Tallahassee to ask for money it can use, typically to fund pricey and lengthy projects. This year, the city\u2019s lobbying task force secured $1.5 million in state funding<\/a> for three projects.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat one does in the commission, it does have ramifications in Tallahassee,\u201d said Whiting, referencing how the city didn\u2019t get any funding from Tallahassee the year that commissioners raised their own salaries.<\/p>\n Whiting said her experience has shown her \u201chow the sausage is made\u201d and prepared her to advocate for the Gables, noting that as a lobbyist for Miami Dade College, she helped snag $30 million for the school.<\/p>\n When can you vote, and who else is running?<\/p>\n Besides Fernandez\u2019s Group V seat, voters will also weigh in on whether they want to reelect Lago and Group IV Commissioner Melissa Castro for another term.<\/p>\n Election Day is Nov. 3. Early voting starts Oct. 19.<\/p>\n Michelle Marchante<\/a><\/p>\n Miami Herald<\/p>\n Michelle Marchante covers the pulse of healthcare in South Florida and also the City of Coral Gables. Before that, she covered the COVID-19 pandemic, hurricanes, crime, education, entertainment and other topics in South Florida for the Herald as a breaking news reporter. She recently won first place in the health reporting category in the 2025 Sunshine State Awards for her coverage of Steward Health\u2019s bankruptcy. An investigative series about the abrupt closure of a Miami heart transplant program led Michelle and her colleagues to be recognized as finalists in two 2024 Florida Sunshine State Award categories. She also won second place in the 73rd annual Green Eyeshade Awards for her consumer-focused healthcare stories and was part of the team of reporters who won a 2022 Pulitzer Prize for the Miami Herald\u2019s breaking news coverage of the Surfside building collapse. Michelle graduated with honors from Florida International University and was a 2025 National Press Foundation Covering Workplace Mental Health fellow and a 2020-2021 Poynter-Koch Media & Journalism fellow.\u00a0
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