Dear Miami Beach Resident, You may have recently seen a wave of marketing—Facebook ads, mass texts, and a slick website—trying to revive The Standard Hotel’s overdevelopment proposal. But here’s what they aren’t telling you. It all started with a backroom deal. Earlier this year, the Belle Isle Residents Association (BIRA)—a self-appointed, unelected group that doesn’t own any property—quietly signed a private agreement with the developers of The Standard. In that deal, BIRA contractually agreed to support a zoning law change that would allow The Standard to nearly double in size. In return, they’d receive a $1.2 million payout—but only if the City Commission approved the rezoning. This kind of pay-to-play setup isn’t just wrong—it’s corrosive. It turns neighborhood associations into unregulated lobbyists and creates financial pressure to sway elected officials. And if allowed to stand, it sets a precedent that could sweep through every neighborhood in Miami Beach, turning civic groups into pawns for private developers. The Standard’s proposed redevelopment isn’t about community benefit—it’s about profit. It includes a taller, bulkier building, ultra-luxury condos for billionaires, and increased usage in an already dense residential area. The character and charm of The Standard would be gone—replaced by a private enclave for the ultra-wealthy after 5 years of construction disruptions. And here’s the most troubling part: the vast majority of Belle Isle residents were never consulted. No vote. No public meeting. BIRA signed the deal in secret, then began speaking to residents only after they were already contractually obligated to support the project. Let’s be honest: what business does an unelected neighborhood group have cutting financial deals with developers behind closed doors? Unfortunately, this is not new for Miami Beach—a city notorious for unscrupulous and deceptive land deals. That’s why I’ve filed legislation requiring full public disclosure of “settlement agreements” and I’ll be filing more to ensure "neighborhood groups" register as lobbyists when money is involved. If you’re brokering political support in exchange for cash, you should have to follow the same lobbying laws as everyone else. I campaigned on accountability, and I’m going to close these loopholes once and for all. I’ve laid out the facts—you decide whether this kind of pay-for-play behavior is acceptable, or if it sets a dangerous precedent that could corrupt every neighborhood in our city. Ask yourself: would you be comfortable with an unelected neighborhood association quietly signing a seven-figure deal with a developer to influence a major zoning change near your home—without your input or consent? Fortunately, this proposal still has to return to the full City Commission for final approval. Right now, the project is on hold in our Land Use Committee, where it cannot move forward unless the committee chair, Commissioner Alex Fernandez, places it back on the agenda. I serve on that committee alongside Commissioner Bhatt, and I will continue to fight for transparency and public accountability every step of the way. If The Standard’s proposal was truly in the public’s interest, it wouldn’t require PACs, text message campaigns, paid ads, and payouts to unelected groups. It would stand on its own merits. Instead, this deal was built in the shadows—without your voice, your vote, or your consent. This is exactly why I ran for office. I don’t work for developers. I don’t answer to lobbyists. I serve the people of Miami Beach—and I will never stop calling this out.