The Coral Gables City Commission on April 29 formally certified the results of the April 8 general municipal election and the April 22 runoff and swore in Mayor Vince Lago, Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson and newly elected Commissioner Richard Lara, the city clerk reported at the induction ceremony.

The commission adopted three resolutions accepting the city clerk's certification and declaration of results for the mayoral and two commissioner races. The mayoral result as read into the record gave Vince Lago 5,577 votes (55.47%), reelecting him to a two-year term. Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson was reported reelected to the Group 2 seat with 5,825 votes (58.24%). The Group 3 seat was decided in a runoff on April 22: Richard Lara received 4,358 votes (55.38%) and Tom Wells received 3,511 votes (44.62%), making Lara the winner and newly sworn commissioner.

The clerk read the tabulated results from the April 8 election and the April 22 runoff; the commission then moved and seconded each resolution and approved them by voice and roll-call. The commission's certification is a formal acceptance of the canvass as presented by the clerk and completes the local canvassing process; the resolutions adopted on the dais record that acceptance in the official minutes.

Richard Lara took the oath of office on the dais and pledged ''I pledge fairness, integrity and civility'' in his duties as commissioner, as he repeated portions of the oath before judges who administered it. Mayor Vince Lago, sworn in for a third term, used his remarks after the ceremony to outline several policy priorities he said he would pursue at the next commission meeting, including introducing legislation to repeal a recent salary increase and car allowances for certain officials, moving municipal elections to November to try to increase turnout, and placing a referendum on establishing an inspector general for the city.

City officials and the mayor also thanked election staff and members of the canvassing board, and Mayor Lago noted the city experienced what he described as one of the highest voter turnouts in its history and the highest turnout ever for a runoff.

The commission's certification of the clerk's report and the swearing-in of the winners concluded the induction ceremony; the mayor invited attendees to a reception following the event.

Votes at a glance: the commission adopted three resolutions certifying the clerk's certification for (1) mayor, (2) city commissioner Group 2, and (3) city commissioner Group 3 (final/runoff). Each resolution was approved on the record at the meeting by roll-call following a motion and second.

(Reporting note: vote tallies and percentages above are taken from the city clerk's reading into the record at the April 29 induction ceremony.)