Hialeah Mayor Julio Robaina's Discreet Spending

By Francisco Alvarado Thu., Mar. 31 2011 at 8:00 AM

Julio Robaina believes one thing today, but the complete opposite the next.

As Julio Robaina courts voters in his quest to become Miami-Dade County mayor, he's promising to do away with the county commission's discretionary funds: a chest of taxpayer money the 13 members may dole out to whomever and for whatever they want. How noble of Hialeah's mayor -- and hypocritical.

During his six years at the helm of Miami-Dade's most Cuban-American town, Robaina and the city council have enjoyed the luxury of $158,320 a year in taxpayer-funded expense accounts for which they don't have to submit receipts. In other words, the mayor (who earns a $155,243 annual salary) and his crew get to spend that stash on anything they want.

To be sure, the expense accounts existed under Robaina's predecessor, Raul Martinez. However, the current mayor has increased the amount by $15,000 since he was elected in 2005. This fiscal year, Robaina gets $116,000 (not including gas and oil maintenance for his car, which is paid through a separate city account). That breaks down to $2,242 per week before taxes.

So this makes the third time Robaina has been caught talking out of both sides of his mouth. He fought against slot machines in Miami-Dade County, but then championed an ordinance legalizing coin-operated gaming machines in his city. And last week, he was telling people he opposed the Marlins Stadium deal when video evidence clearly shows he was one of the team's biggest boosters.

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Julio Robaina, Miami-Dade Mayor

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Too corrupt for Cubans

Robaina is scary.

Robaina was caught on video demanding the Commissioners divert over $3 BILLION from the taxpayers to the Marlins. He is a pile of crap.

Too sleazy

Hopefully the stupid Hispanic voters will see that even Robaina is too sleazy to get elected to County office. No mas.

Walter

Robaina will justify his absurd salary and expense account as a "strong mayor," making him manager and mayor of the state's fifth largest city.Your article misses the no-bid contracts Robaina awards to friends like Ralph Arza, who works or worked (not sure if he still does) for a paving company which converted Hialeah city streets to more concrete laden roads with "trees." There are also several "business" districts which were created a few years ago which certainly have made his friends who own the property some money by there up zoning.Hialeah is a beast unto itself because real news reporting isn't happening there. What a terrible shame there aren't more eyes on Hialeah. If any city begged for honest, hard hitting news reporting, it is Hialeah. If I remember my Hialeah history: Mayor Henry Milander was arrested for some kind of problems while he was mayor, and other council members and mayors have been arrested and/or forced to resign due to all sorts of scandals over the years. It would not surprise me if Robaina gets arrested some time either. He is a vulgar Hialeah dude who wears expensive clothes, yet still insults the sensibilities of anyone with an ounce of integrity and anyone with historical knowledge of the city's political landscape. The developer, mortgage broker mayor will certainly extend the UDB and make his LBA friends loads of development cash should he win the mayor's race.

May2231

All politicians are crooks!!! He didn't get a 15 or 30% pay cut.. He enjoys his employees money!

Crook?

Please. Not another crook.

Another Putz

These Mayors are way overpaid. Worse, they get amazing pensions and other benefits.Robaina seems like another creep.

Nomasmentiras58

francisco, how is his salary/benefits comparable to the former Mayor of HIaleah? How is his salray comparable to other municipalities of the same size? how is it comparable to the Mayor of Medley (check this out a city of less then 6000 and Mayor makes over $180,000, check out the new city hall they built down the hall from my hall, some call it the Taj Mahal of NDade, and how does it Compare to the village of miami lakes salary for Mayor?

Mixupj1

Sucked Hialeah dry.... Now his going for the big prize... Miami Dade...... People were stupid I. Hialeah hopefully Miami Dade won't vote this clown in...

Another crook

Robanina is looking more and more like a totally corrupt overweight sack of sh*t.

CHARTERREFORMNOW

Check out another video on this lying dirt bag:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...

Miamichico1234

Francisco Alvarado obviously works for Raul Martinez......guess he's on his pay roll as a supplementary income cause surely no one reads this CRAP or gives any credibility to his articles in the New Times!!!!!! Btw how many people read it???? LMAO

oracle15

If your commenting you read it!!

CHARTERREFORMNOW

Actually, Mayor Robaina is the heighest paid Mayor in the State of Florida, at close to $260,000.00 a year. The "expense account" distinction is one without merit, since there is no restriction on what he can use it for. Looks like he is using a lot of it for the Bently GT that he owns, and those condos on Miami Beach, where he spends most of his time, away from his beloved Hialeah. This guy is a fraud, and the more stories come out, the worse it will be for him. Talk about contradiction, do you know that all of his income, salary, expense account, executive benefits, are pensionable the way he set it up!!! That's right, he will be getting a $150,000.00 a year pension for working 6 years as Mayor! What a sleaze ball!