Herald Staff

Hialeah Mayor Raul Martinez's real estate dealings have long intrigued federal investigators. They are now an issue in the November City Council and mayoral races.
Investigators are probing whether Martinez, owner of Martex Realty, reaped financial gain through his administration of city zoning matters, sources say. It's a question that has haunted Martinez since the middle of the decade.

But several candidates -- including mayoral challenger Nilo Juri and Martinez allies like Councilwoman Natacha Millan -- say the question would not exist if Martinez stuck strictly to what he was paid $75,755 a year to do: be a full-time administrator.

Even Martinez says his opinion on the subject has changed. He denies any wrongdoing in his public and private transactions. But he told The Miami Herald editorial board last week he now agrees his outside work could help foster the "perception" of a conflict.

Still, he said, he might not be ready to give up outside employment. What if he loses re-election? He said he has given a decade of his life to public service.

"Do I start at 40 with zero?" he asked.