Two returning council members and one new elected official were sworn in Monday at Miami Lakes town hall.
Carlos O. Alvarez, Josh Dieguez and Ray Garcia, whose friends, families and supporters filled the council chambers for the ceremony, took their oaths and made brief speeches.
They thanked their supporters and loved ones, and all said they looked forward to working on behalf of voters during their terms.
“I want to reach out to all the residents that did not vote for me as well,” Garcia, 49, a health insurance licensed agent, said. “… My goal for the next four years is to be by your side and do whatever it takes to improve your quality of life here in the town.”
Dieguez, 33, an attorney who won a second term on Election Day, thanked some of his clients who were in the audience.
He reviewed some of the challenges the council has faced: A pandemic, a tight budget and a contentious bridge dispute. But he was optimistic about the next four years and opportunities for growth “in the right direction. What the residents have told us is they want us to continue focusing on bread-and-butter issues that affect their day-to-day quality of life,” Dieguez said.
Alvarez, 45, said his predecessors on the dais were his mentors and noted the other elected officials from the region.
“When you see this brotherhood and this sisterhood of other leaders from other communities all coming together, right, for one common cause, which is to serve people and to help others and to improve our towns and to improve our cities,” he said.
Once installed, the trio joined the four other council members – Marilyn Ruano; Luis Collazo; Tony Fernandez and Mayor Manny Cid -- to choose Alvarez, a public charter high school principal, to be vice mayor.
Ruano and Dieguez voted for each other while Collazo voted for Ruano. The rest of the council chose Alvarez, who voted for himself.
A social media and telephone campaign by several town residents to have Ruano installed as vice mayor was not followed by the council, who are responsible for choosing the vice mayor.
Many former elected officials returned to town hall for the ceremony. They included former Mayor Wayne Slayton, who led the Pledge of Allegiance; former vice mayors Nelson Rodriguez, Ceasar Mestre, Frank Mingo and Tony Lama and former council member Nelson Hernandez.
Other office holders from South Florida in attendance were Fla. Rep. Tom Fabricio, R-Miami Lakes; Hialeah Council members Jesus Tundidor and Carl Zogby; Sweetwater Commissioners Reinaldo Rey, Jr. and Ian Vallecillo and Miami-Dade County School Board member Daniel Espino, recently appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Jessica Bonilla of Mater Lakes Academy sang “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
The event was organized by Town Clerk Gina Inguanzo, who is also supervisor of elections in Miami Lakes.