The Miami Lakes council honored former Miami-Dade Commissioner Esteban Bovo Jr., for his years of public service in January and helping deliver funds and services that benefitted the town.
“To all of our residents, I think we were very very fortunate to have a commissioner the last several years who’s a workhorse, somebody who truly represented our town well,” Mayor Manny Cid said during a council meeting on Jan. 12. “He delivered for our community on various occasions.”
The council presented Bovo with a key to the town and a proclamation.
Bovo, 58, a Republican, served as a state representative for District 110 from 2008 – 2011 and on the county commission from 2011-2020, when he represented District 13 which includes Miami Lakes, Hialeah and Palm Springs North.
Bovo was term-limited last year and lost the county mayoral race to then-County Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava.
In November, town officials celebrated the completed expansion of Northwest 67th Avenue near the Windmill Gate Shopping Center.
In a public-private partnership, the $547,268 construction work was funded by The Graham Companies.
The Graham Companies participated in the Miami-Dade County Contributions-in-lieu program, which allows developers to keep road impact fees imposed by local governments on new construction projects in the town where they build, instead of having that money distributed elsewhere.
The Graham Companies received the impact fee credit for its 6600 Main Street project in town center and applied it to construction of the new traffic lane that spans from 300 feet south of Windmill Gate Road north under the Palmetto Expressway to Northwest 167th Street.
Cid said that project was an example of how the county changed the way impact fees are distributed and he credited Bovo with that change.
Cid said several years ago he reached out to Bovo in an effort to keep the money local.
“Sometimes the county put a lot of hurdles along the way, but Bovo pushed it through,” Cid said. “When you drive on 67th Avenue and there’s not traffic, that was because of the efforts of our commissioner.”
Cid also credits Bovo for sponsoring a county charter amendment in 2016 that allows municipalities to oversee gated taxing districts and lake maintenance.
Cid said he asked himself at the time, “’This makes zero sense. Why is a regional government maintaining municipal services that should be run for municipal governments?’”
Town management of those districts saved residents money, Cid said. The Royal Oaks community used its savings on a license plate reading system to prevent criminals from entering their community, he said.
Bovo, who lives in Hialeah, said he was touched that the town recognized his work on its behalf.
“It’s really a great honor, Mayor,” Bovo said. “I want to thank all of you for taking the time to do the work for the people of Miami Lakes and for honoring me this way.
“The journey has been fantastic,” he said.
Bovo said he appreciated the spirit of cooperation with past and current town councils during a time of political polarization.
“We were able to collaborate on so many things,” he said. “And it’s a great example. And I think we can point to here in Miami Lakes as a place where we all get along. … Each and every one of you have always put the community before yourselves, and that speaks loudly.”
Bovo said he will watch from the sidelines but will continue to participate in “our” political discourse.
Bovo said his dedication to Miami Lakes included risking his health for the community during its annual basketball game against the city of Doral.
“One thing you didn’t say was I even gave a meniscus for this town in a basketball game that was very painful,” Bovo said.
Recognizing former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Esteban Bovo, Jr. are on Jan. 12 are, left to right, Miami Lakes Councilman Tony Fernandez; Vice Mayor Luis Collazo; Mayor Manny Cid; Bovo; his son Alessandro Bovo; his son, Hialeah city Councilman Oscar De La Rosa; Viviana Bovo, wife of Esteban Bovo; Councilman Joshua Dieguez and Councilman Carlos Alvarez. Photo courtesy of the town.