As Election Day is set for April 9 in Coral Gables, the ten candidates seeking three seats are beginning to wrap up their campaigns. This election cycle has been very interesting in the City Beautiful, staging financial controversies, high-end endorsements and debate fights. But at the end of the day, only a few candidates can be considered as helpful for liberty.
Marlin Ebbert is one of them. She is running against Democrat Ross Hancock and Vince Lago for the Group 2 Commission Seat and has been a strong voice for a more fiscally responsible local government and for more neighborhood rights.
While her platform is a diverse one that involves strong pension reforms, campaign finance reform, and a more reasonable approach toward the crime issue in Coral Gables, Marlin Ebbert can be hardly considered as a libertarian. However, in the race, she is the most interesting and appealing candidate.
Marlin Ebbert agreed to talk to the Examiner.com to answer a few questions.
Mrs. Ebbert, what is your experience within Coral Gables?
25 year resident – raised my family here – mother of 3; grandmother of 5.
Strong history of volunteerism – the Schools (PTSA president – Coral Gables Senior High), City/High School Relations Board; the Arts (on Board of new Coral Gables Art Cinema on Aragon); Preservation (24 yr member of The Villagers, Inc – group solely dedicated to Historic Preservation) Dade Heritage Trust docent at the Biltmore Hotel; Coral Gables Garden Club, The Edible Garden at the Merrick House.
What pushed you to run for the Commission?
Two of my three children live in the City – both married and 4 of my grandchildren are here and I care deeply about the future of our City and want to see it thrive both for them and for me! I am a widow and I know that I want to grow old here! Once we voted in term limits I knew that I would have a chance to run if I ever wanted to. I am a first time candidate and not a politician! But I have educated myself for years about the workings of our City and I decided that now was the time to give it a try!
One of the issues that has separated you from the other candidates is security. Instead of asking for more money and more officers in the street, you have emphasized the importance of neighborhood crime watch groups. Why do you think these private groups can be more effective and what would you do to empower them?
Yes, I am a big fan of the Neighborhood Crime Watch Program and would like to see it expanded. I’d encourage neighborhoods to organize and watch out for each other – it’s one of the best deterrents to residential crime. I have hosted at least 2 crime watch meetings at my home. On my block we keep an eye out for each other – taking in mail, removing packages and newspapers, flyers.
The police cannot be everywhere. We need to be smart and alert and use our alarms always.
Our police offer a great service which I have used – two policewomen came to my home and evaluated it from a safety standpoint – I did everything that they told me to do – I upgraded my outside lighting, added motion detectors to my alarm and fixed a lock.
I also do not like door to door solicitation – door hangers. It has bothered me every time I have left a campaign hanger at a front door – just an indication that the resident is not at home. Pizza delivery, tree cutters, campaign, and religious flyers – I would like to stop them all!
Also, I would look into studying if crime follows construction in a neighborhood, and look into returning to the 11 Police Zones that the City used to have.
Back in 2010, you called for budget cuts to start "from the top". Are you still advocating for such budget cuts?
I remember that Budget Hearing of 2010 – I was referring to an Impasse hearing that I had attended dealing with the General Employees. I felt that we had asked them (Local 769) to make concessions that we hadn't asked of the Police and Fire. I’m not sure that I understood at the time that you can only make changes when it’s time for contract negotiations. But I still maintain that contracts with the 3 unions should be equitable.
Even though you oppose a ban on leaf blowers, you still want the Commission to intervene against noise pollution. Why is it the government's role to take care of such a "micro-problem" over neighborhood associations?
The City has an existing “noise” ordinance – it should be followed. Certain hours for “party” noise in the evenings and certain hours for early morning and weekend noise. Quite frankly I hate the noise of the leaf-blowers – just not sure how we could ever regulate it.
You have the most detailed and "sacrificing" pension reform plan. What is your Defined Contribution Plan?
This is the most often talked about issue of this election. The pension liability grew from 14 million in 2001 to over $200,000,000 in 2011. This was a result of earnings not matching investment projections and of management being overly generous. During those 10 years we also had both 9/11 and the sharp downturn in the economy of 2007/2008 which greatly affected earnings.
This is a national problem – municipalities all over the country are faced with the same dilemma. It took us years to get to where we are now and it is not going to be solved overnight.
I feel that we are on the correct path. We have to wait until contracts are up for renewal to negotiate new terms. We now have a City Manager who has started on this tough path and has already negotiated with both the general employees and the police. The fire department is next. Last fall the Commission imposed higher pension contributions and reduced benefits.
As a Commissioner, I would be vigilant and hold management accountable while still trying to be fair to long-time faithful employees.
We must also consider when hiring new employees whether or not we have them enter a 401K type program.
We must consider all alternatives to turn this HUGE problem around!
Education is a big topic in this year's election. Miami-Dade has one of the largest school districts, while you want to return to "neighborhood schools". Does that include having a smaller school district?
40% of every tax dollar in Coral Gables goes to M/D Public Schools. Young parents living in the Gables today have no assurance of where their children are going to attend elementary school. I watched my own daughter applying for kindergarten for my granddaughter – it was if she was applying for college! I’d like to see us return to true neighborhood schools and will lobby the school board to do so!
I came from a school system in PA where we had 4 elementary schools (your attendance was determined by your neighborhood), two middle schools and one high school. Entering Miami/Dade Public Schools was a shock!
From water and sewage system to city planning, there are dozens of services that Coral Gables can privatize. Do you support privatization as a way to save money while keeping services intact?
I haven’t really considered this option but if we could keep the level of services up and save money too I’d be more than happy to consider it!
What other reforms would a Commissioner Ebbert support?
Our Recycling Program: I was pleased when the Gables started a home recycling program. BUT we haven’t added a single thing to our recycling bins since the program started! No cereal boxes, no cardboard, no magazines or catalogs! One of my children lived just west of Red Rd - the City of Miami does a much better job than we do!
I would definitely push to add to the materials that we recycle.
Also if we were recycling flattened cardboard boxes, our trash piles would be much neater and nicer looking.
My older daughter taught at Carver Middle School for 8 years – during that time Carver recycled white paper. We should be doing the same thing at City Hall.
I would work with the City Manager to designate the first Saturday of every month “Recycling Saturday” and have a dumpster in the City Hall parking lot for difficult items to recycle – old paint cans, electronics. I have already made contact with the company that would recycle the electronics and have already mentioned this plan to the Manager.
I would plan programs to recycle batteries, medications, old eye glasses. I am a widow – my husband died of cancer almost 10 years ago – I had bags of medications and spend weeks finding a place to take them.
I feel strongly that our citizens will comply if we make it easy to do so.
Planting: The City should be planting smarter – shade trees and native materials requiring less water – flowering shrubs, flowering trees, ground covers that don’t require irrigation.
Bring citizens into compliance who don’t follow the home irrigation rules for days and times.
Use of alternative fuels: As our fleet of garbage trucks and trash pick-up trucks need to be replaced, I would definitely support looking into buying vehicles that use alternative fuels (compressed natural gas) that are both more economical and better for the environment. Cleaner/quieter too. A totally win/win situation all the way around.
Street Safety: Go on an aggressive program of ticketing cars that are speeding through our streets and through our stop signs! Get a reputation like Pinecrest that we aren’t going to tolerate traffic violators!
A Senior Center: Over 27% of our population is over the age of 55! Where is our Senior Center?
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