Despite threats of a lawsuit that may be filed by Miami Lakes to block Miami-Dade’s efforts to open-up two bridges west of the town to additional traffic, County Commission Chairman Esteban Bovo Jr., will be the guest speaker at the Miami Lakes Chamber of Commerce monthly membership meeting.
The event is scheduled for Wednesday, September 13 at 11:30 a.m. at Don Shula’s Hotel, where Miami Lakes Council members and residents may be on hand to discuss a disputed FDOT study which suggested placing I-75 interchanges at N.W. 170 Street and N.W. 154 Street by 2022 would not have a major impact on the town’s congested roadways.
Residents vehemently opposed the study, indicating the expansion of traffic would possibly bring gridlock to a complete standstill.
Bovo sponsored legislation in February to open up the bridge at 170 Street to improve traffic flow for residents living in burgeoning developments in Hialeah, and for the Mega Mall outside of Miami Lakes.
County Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz requested opening up 154 Street, which prompted the lawsuit since Hialeah and Miami Lakes have an interlocal agreement to keep the road closed.
During his Miami Lakes Chamber luncheon appearance, Bovo will be presenting the county’s SMART Plan. He will be accompanied by Aileen Boucle, executive director of the Couny’s Transportation Planning Organization.
Bovo was first elected to the County Commission in 2011 in a special election to represent District 13, which includes Hialeah, Miami Lakes, Palm Springs North and several other unincorporated neighborhoods.
Bovo began his career in public service when he was appointed to file a midterm vacancy on the Hialeah City Council in 1998.
Subsequently re-elected twice, Bovo was elected to serve as the council’s president, where he earned the respect and admiration of his colleges and developed a reputation as a consensus builder.
In 2008, Bovo was elected to the Florida Legislature representing House District 110, and was re-elected without opposition in 2010.
Bovo’s hard earned reputation as a consensus builder was recognized by his peers when he was elected Chairman of the legislature’s Hispanic Caucus, and again when he was appointed Chairman of the House Committee on Business Regulation.
On the Miami-Dade County Commission, Bovo currently serves as chairman of the Board’s Transportation and Mobility Committee, and is a member of the Unincorporated Municipal Services Committee and the Strategic Planning and Government Operations Committee.
As the past chairman of the Board’s Finance Committee, Bovo earned a reputation as a fiscal hawk and has championed various legislative proposals designed to make county government more transparent and efficient.
Born in New York, Bovo was a member of Brigade 2506, a U.S. supported military unit that saw combat during the Bay of Pigs invasion.
Bovo earned his B.A. degree in political science from Florida International University.