Miami Lakes Councilmember Manny Cid, who initially filed papers to run for reelection for his at-large seat, has changed his mind and is now running for mayor.
The announcement came last week, when Cid released a statement indicating he mulled running for mayor long before he launched his reelection bid for his council seat, but his support base for mayor grew stronger, which essentially sealed his decision.
“After much prayer, serious thought and deliberation with family and friends about the future of our beautiful town, I have decided to announce my candidacy for Mayor of the Town of Miami Lakes,” Cid said in a statement.
“I don’t fail to realize that this election is bigger than me and that’s because we need to establish that the next generation of Miami Lakers inherit a better community. A community that respects all residents and their personal viewpoints and where a fair and efficient government trumps power and money.”
Cid, Vice President of Always At Your Side Adult Day Care, said he was moved to Miami Lakes when he was eight years old and decided to stay in the town and raise his own family here.
He and his wife, Melissa, have two small children.
“My cherished memories as a child growing up in Miami Lakes, and now as a homeowner, business owner, husband, and parent of two children being raised here have made preserving our Town very much a personal priority,” Cid said. “Those experiences and the hundreds of similar stories in our Town is what compelled me to run to ensure that we maintain those very same dreams and desires.”
Cid, the town’s previous vice mayor, joins fellow Councilmember Ceasar Mestre and former mayor Wayne Slaton who are seeking the mayoral seat in November.
Mayor Michael Pizzi has yet to decide whether he is running for reelection.
A recipient of the Florida League of Cities 2015 Home Rule Hero Award, Cid said he knows the campaign trail for mayor is an arduous task but he is up to the challenge. So far, Cid has raised $8,660, most of which came during his reelection bid for his council seat.
So far, Cid has raised $8,660, most of which came during his reelection bid for his council seat.
Councilmember Nelson Rodriguez, a Coral Gables firefighter, and Councilmember Tony Lama, director of Cloud Solutions, a technology consulting company, have filed their papers to keep their political jobs for four more years but have yet to draw any challengers.
Political newcomer Rosalina Nunez filed papers to run for Cid’s council 5 seat in the 2016 election.
The town’s election qualifying period opens in July and ends in the first week of August.