In case you missed this email from Councilman Steve Cody:

"Merwitzer's Huge Scoop of Hypocrisy" 

"Friends, 

Over the past two weeks, the Village has witnessed one huge act of hypocrisy — one with an extra side of chutzpah.

During the 2024 campaign, Mark Merwitzer's campaign manager was Jose Luis Castillo.

Want to guess what other jobs Castillo has held?  

Castillo was (and still might be) the registered lobbyist for Luxcom, the developer that bought the old FPL generating site for $33 million. It sits where SW 152nd Street meets Biscayne Bay.

In 2022, Castillo handled the campaigns for Gene Flinn for Mayor and Marsha Matson and Pam Gorman for Village Council. Plus, Castillo oversaw Luxcom's washing about $500,000 into the campaign through various PACs.

Castillo once stood nose-to-nose with Village Manager Nick Marano and boasted that, after the November 2022 election, Luxcom would "own" the Village Council.

The result was that Karyn Cunningham and Patrick Fiore were reelected in landslidesover Flinn and Gorman.  Matson was reelected, but by surprising narrow margin considering that her opponent had as much personality as a corpse.

Luxcom didn't end up owning the Village Council. And Luxcom got nothing for the money it spent. That must have put Castillo on the outs with Luxcom, right?  

It doesn't look that way!

There's a Second Act to the Luxcom drama. Merwitzer is starring as the shill for Luxcom and Castillo.  

If you click on the blue text above the headline you can download a public record that Mark Merwitzer, in his erstwhile role as Vice Mayor, has been circulating, but just doesn't want you to see.  

Luxcom sued the Village they claiming they want to build a luxury not-for-profit resort hospital. You can see it below and by going to Luxcom's website here            

Out of the blue, Merwitzer wants to give Luxcom the vested right to build 121 houses on 1/5th acre lots. That represents about a half-billion dollars in real estate sales.
 
Luxcom would get the right to operate a commercial marina and boat storage for their residents. (Unless you have $2.5 million to buy one of the 121 houses, you aren't stepping foot in the "Yacht Club" or launching your boat there.)
 
And the developer would get the right to dig canals through limestone and soil contaminated by heavy metals and carcinogens. And all of that would flow out into Biscayne Bay that is near ecological collapse. 
 
Merwitzer wants the Village to pay Luxcom millions via waivers of impact fees.
 
That would cheat our residents out of upgrades to our parks, roads, police protection and other infrastructure features needed to serve the new population that Luxcom would bring in. 
 
Merwitzer seems certain that Luxcom will donate a 5 acre parcel of mangrove scrub land to the Village. (Does he know this because he struck a backroom deal with Castillo and Luxcom?)
 
Mangrove shoreline is environmentally protected, so the land couldn't be developed. Merwitzer would insist the land be called a park. (But if you'd want to visit it, you'd have to park far off-site and hike in — just to look out over an obstructed view and get eaten by mosquitoes.)
 
Merwitzer went door-to door to get resident to come out against the settlement of the Burger King property litigation. He hasn't told his neighbors about his plans for Luxcom. 
 
Merwitzer is a hypocrite because he doesn't want you to read what he wants to give away to Luxcom. He and Marsh Matson have been in tizzy trying to figure out how to prevent me from sharing this with you.  
 
Matson and Merwitzer failed.
 
Now you have a copy of the super secret grift — I mean gift — Mark Merwitzer wants us all to give Luxcom."

Steve Cody
Council Member, District 2
Tel: 786-570-0363
SCody@PalmettoBay-FL.gov