Former Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado’s bid to become the next Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser is largely bankrolled by prominent developers and commercial property owners, an analysis by The Real Deal has found.
They’ve lined up for the Republican politician, even though his Democratic opponent, Marisol Zenteno, has been a state licensed property appraiser for two decades, including working the past eight years in the very office both candidates are seeking.
“I have financial support from various developers,” Regalado told TRD. “They understand the importance of this position. But all politicians get money from developers.”
Between his own campaign and Proven Leadership for Miami, a separate political action committee supporting his run for property appraiser, Regalado has raised roughly $208,000. Nearly three-quarters of the funds are from real estate professionals, land use lawyers and builders, campaign finance records show.
The biggest donors appear in campaign finance reports filed by Proven Leadership, which does not have to abide by limits on how much individuals and companies can contribute.
Miami-based Melo Group, led by Carlos and Martin Melo, and Julio del Rey, the owner of a chain of motels that rent rooms at hourly and daily rates, each contributed $20,000 to the PAC in February and March, respectively.
Coconut Grove-based Related Group, led by Jorge Pérez, a longtime donor to Democratic candidates for higher office, kicked in the second largest contribution to Proven Leadership. A Related entity gave $10,000 to the committee in July.
An entity tied to Dacra, the development firm led by Craig Robins that co-owns a majority of commercial properties in the Miami Design District, was among a trio of donors that gave $5,000 each to the PAC.
The Melos, del Rey and Pérez did not respond to requests for comment. Robins said he’s supporting Regalado based on his past performance as Miami mayor from 2009 to 2017. As for Zenteno, he doesn’t know anything about her, Robins added.
“For years, Tomas has made enormous contributions to the community,” Robins told TRD. “He can easily be the property appraiser. Being mayor is much more complicated. I have a lot of confidence in him.”
Zenteno’s second attempt at property appraiser
Even though she lacks Regalado’s name recognition and a six-figure campaign warchest, Zenteno is not a political neophyte. In the current election, she’s raised $97,000 with very small donations from individuals in the real estate industry, but no one of note.
Zenteno also snagged an endorsement from the Miami Association of Realtors’ PAC this month, as well as from the Kendall Federation of Homeowner Associations, which represents dozens of homeowners associations in southwest Miami-Dade.
In 2020, in her first run for public office, Zenteno lost to her current boss, Miami-Dade Property Appraiser Pedro Garcia, by only six percentage points. After serving 16 years, Garcia decided not to run for reelection early last year. Zenteno, who works as an income evaluation specialist in the property appraiser’s office, hit the campaign trail last September, giving her more time to engage with voters, she told TRD.
“This is a really important race because so many people care about housing values and high property taxes,” she said. “Voters are really engaged, and they like that I am a professional appraiser and that I have been working for the appraiser’s office.”
Deep-pocketed developers and commercial property owners have flocked to Regalado because he’s an entrenched member of the Miami-Dade political ecosystem, Zenteno said. But unlike her opponent, she said she brings hands-on work experience that is more valuable than political connections, she added.
“They should vote for someone who understands the intricacies of the real estate market,” Zenteno said. “Valuations for new developments are very complicated. Whether you are looking at cap rates or the way condo docs and covenants are written, you need someone who can understand all of that and is ready on day one.”
Her pitch convinced the political committee for the Miami Association of Realtors that she was more qualified than Regalado, during a recent forum screening candidates for property appraiser, as well as the Republican and Democratic contenders for Miami-Dade sheriff, elections supervisor, tax collector and county clerk, Zenteno said.
“Having years of experience in real estate valuations counts for something,” she said. “The [realtors’ association] understands the office should be led by a professional appraiser.”
A competitive race despite Regalado’s advantages
In previous election cycles, Regalado’s politico experience and his fundraising haul would have given him a significant advantage over Zenteno. But as a result of a 2018 state amendment approved by an overwhelming majority of Florida voters, the property appraiser and county clerk positions became partisan elections effective this year.
The measure also mandated that all 67 Florida counties have a sheriff, an elections supervisor and a tax collector as elected positions, beginning with the 2024 election. In Miami-Dade, the county mayor, Daniella Levine Cava, currently is the de facto sheriff who appoints a police department director. The elections supervisor and tax collector also report to the mayor.
Zenteno is benefitting from running as part of a Democratic slate headlined by former elected officials such as former state representative J.C. Planas who is running for elections supervisor, and ex-state senator Annette Taddeo who is running for county clerk. The Miami-Dade and Florida Democratic Party executive committees are also providing indirect support to the Miami-Dade candidates for countywide offices on the Nov. 5 ballot.
While Republicans have narrowed the gap of registered voters in Miami-Dade, the county’s electorate tilts to the Democratic Party, especially in presidential election years.
“A lot of the get-out-the-vote effort has involved partnering with other candidates,” Zenteno said. “There was also a boost in voter enthusiasm when the vice president [Kamala Harris] became the presidential nominee.”
While he didn’t win over the realtor’s association, Regalado landed endorsements from the Builders Association of South Florida and the Latin Builders Association, the two largest groups representing developers, general contractors and commercial property owners in Miami-Dade.
As mayor, he and the Miami city manager were responsible for presenting the city budget and proposing the annual millage rate, which is used to determine how much each property owner will pay in taxes every year, Regalado said. Those functions gave him the knowledge necessary to run the property appraiser’s office, he said.
And as a Republican, he will have easier access to the GOP-controlled Florida Legislature, which can change laws that provide property owners with tax relief, Regalado said. He noted that Miami State Rep. Daniel Perez, the incoming speaker of the Florida House, has endorsed him.
“There are many regulations and laws that are unjust and that can be changed,” Regalado said. “I have the ability to communicate with Tallahassee. I will use the property appraiser’s office as a bully pulpit and to advocate for property tax relief.”