Will special meeting be announced?

Miami-Dade Commission Chairman Joe Martinez announced just moments ago that he was going to have a press conference Monday afternoon "to address concerns that have arisen due to the outcome of the recall election and the direction the county will take moving forward."

He is likely going to announce a date for a special meeting where the commission can decide whether to appoint replacements for the recalled mayor and commissioner until the next countywide election (in early 2010) or have a special election within the next couple of months. But most people know they are going to go for the latter. Most of the commissioners have been publicly reported to favor an election. And Martinez himself said at Wednesday's Latin American Business Association meeting (photographed here at the Westin Colonnade on Miracle Mile in downtown Coral Gables) that there was going to be an election. Not may be. Not could be. Going to be.

"We will have an election, folks," he said in his casual, emcee style, and brought the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan into the perspective. "It's going to cost us a lot of money... but if people are fighting over there for democracy and shedding their blood, a couple of million dollars is nothing. It's really nothing."

Ladra heard that he spent some of his time Friday finding out what dates the other commissioners would have available to meet for this short agenda. But he will also use the opportunity to assure residents that there is no interruption of government business or services while the position is unfilled, one of his staffers told us. And he will answer questions from anyone who is concerned about county operations.