When Miami Lakes Councilmember Manny Cid decided to run for mayor, 10 candidates initially filed papers to run for his vacant Seat 5, but only three qualified while the others failed to do so or withdrew from the race.
Luis Collazo, former chair of the Miami Lakes Elderly Affairs Committee; Esther Colon, a former town manager for Lauderdale by the Sea; and attorney Nayib Hassan are seeking the vacant seat on election day, November 8.
The three town council hopefuls submitted their candidate questionnaire to The Miami Laker, sharing their campaigning experiences and residents’ concerns they want them to address if elected to political office.
Collazo, 43, received his bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master’s in social work from Florida International University. He has 20 years of experience working in executive management in the health care profession, primarily in senior housing and long term care.
He has been married to Clarisell De Cardenas for 10 years, and they have a 20-month old son, Lucas Collazo.
Collazo is the past president of Celebration Point Condominium Association, a board member of the Celebration Point Association and former member of the Miami Lakes Public Safety Committee.
He is a board member for the Miami-Dade County’s Finance Committee and the South Florida Behavioral Health Network. He’s a former member of the Miami-Dade Mayor’s Initiative on Aging, Health Council of South Florida Policy and Advocacy Committee, and Elder Abuse Task Force. He is also an immediate past president, secretary and regional director for the Florida Assisted Living Association.
Collazo was a board member for the Disability Rights Florida and the Governor’s Task Force on Assisted Living. He has been living in Miami Lakes for the past 38 years.
“At the age of 5, my parents made the decision to move from Hialeah to Miami Lakes,” he said. “Both of my parents made many sacrifices and worked hard to move into our first home in Lake Patricia, so that my brother and I could be raised in a community with the best schools and safest neighborhoods. When my wife and I met, almost 20 years ago, there was no question in our hearts that Miami Lakes is where we would raise our family. We are proud to call Miami Lakes our home forever.”
Collazo, who has raised $26,443, said he learned to play baseball at the Miami Lakes Optimist, ride a bike in Lake Patricia, attended Miami Lakes Elementary School and graduated from Hialeah Miami Lakes High School.
“In Miami Lakes, I was taught that community was more than just where we lived,” he said “Community is about giving back and doing the right thing. I have grown within this community and now my wife and I have the opportunity to teach our son the same values this community has taught me.”
Collazo said he decided to run for political office because as a committed member of the community, “I have proven my leadership through service.”
“I have served as chairman of the town’s Elderly Affairs Committee and as president of the Celebration Point Condominium Association,” he said. “Public service is delivering on my commitment to continuing to serve my community. After many years of dedicated service, serving on the Town Council would allow me to serve every resident and ensuring a better future for Miami Lakes.”
If elected, Collazo said he would address issues such as traffic, smart development and growth, public safety, beautification, senior initiatives and efficiency.
“I am committed to small and efficient government,” he said. “I will be a tireless champion for fiscal accountability and demanding more with less.”
Collazo said he’s informing residents about his platform by speaking to them face-to-face, using social media, direct mail and advertising his platform in newspapers.
“Actively listening to our constituents allows us to learn how we can make an immediate impact to the quality of life,” he said.
Collazo said residents told him they believe that more can be done in the areas of looming development, and especially, the impact traffic will bring to the north, east and west sides. He also said residents want to ensure that “our” first responders are adequately keeping up with increasing demands for service as “we grow.”
“Additionally, residents are concerned that we may not be funding our beautification efforts as a primary service, and our residents want to ensure that our elected officials continue to fund and prioritize ongoing beautification efforts, which in turn increases our property values and makes us stand apart from our neighboring communities,” he said.
Collazo said he plans to have an open door policy if elected.
“I believe this gives elected officials the best perspective on how they can lead by listening to their constituents,” he said.
Collazo said residents should vote for him because of his track record.”
“That leadership has been recognized numerous times by the council and every mayor by way of the Volunteer of the Year Award, Senior Advocate of the Year and the Key to the Town Award,” he said.
Colon, 62, is a retired government administrator and college professor. She has lived in Miami Lakes for 23 years.
Colon said she’s a member of the Zonta Club of Miami Lakes, and she also volunteers at the Miami Lakes Women’s Health Heart Initiative, Lotus House, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, Brown Mackie College Alumni Community and Lions Heart service activities.
She said she also organizes the drive program for Miami Lakes Operation Support and Care, Miami Lakes Operation Sole (Camillus House), Free the Girls, Better Lives Book Drive (school/local public libraries) and Guiding People Straight Inc. (Miami homeless).
Colon said she moved to Miami Lakes because it’s a quaint small community “where you and your family play, pray and eat.”
She said living in Miami Lakes is neighborly, being able to walk or ride bikes to the parks, movies, concerts, restaurants, church and shop all within “our” community.”
“The Town of Miami Lakes has activities for our children, youth and elderly,” she said.
Colon, who has raised $7,391 to fund her campaign, said she’s running for political office because she made the conscious decision to give back and serve her community and the residents of Miami Lakes.
“Our current financial position, grant acquisition, traffic congestion and infrastructure, needs to be analyzed and addressed,” she said. “My depth of experience, enthusiasm and resourcefulness will deliver innovative solution to Miami Lakes to help it thrive over the next four years and beyond.”
If elected, Colon said she would like to address issues such as citizen engagement and improved communication; improved financial transparency; budget reductions when surveys indicate than less than 10 percent of residents’ interest (quantify return to residents); and more services for Miami Lakes residents and not surrounding communities.
On the campaign trail, Colon said she’s going door-to-door, sending emails and postcards, and making phone calls informing residents about her political platform.
She said residents are upset over the construction of Town Hall without their approval and construction financing, traffic congestion and approval of more residential developments and charter changes that were not approved by the majority of residents.
Colon said residents are seeking a change such as communication improvement when a complaint is filed for trees and sidewalks, and no response on safety issues; permitting process with more customer service and a few permitting fees are too high; and code enforcement to be more proactive in deteriorating neighborhoods with an anonymous system to avoid repercussion from neighbors.
Colon said she supports an open door policy if elected, available by phone, email, text messages and any other type of method of communication that works well for residents.
“I support and believe in an open door policy for all residents,” she said. “If permissible, I will have office hours because being a public servant is a job.”
Colon said residents should vote for her because of her 32 years of experience in municipal and county government, including operations and management.
“My operational and supervisory responsibilities are in the areas of accounting, finance, budget, procurement, grants, risk management, Human Resource, debt management and administration,” she said.
Colon said she earned her master’s in management at St. Thomas University, as well as a graduate certificate in public management and Human Resource management.
Hassan, 38, has been living in Miami Lakes for 19 years. He briefly moved away for two years to attend law school. “But I always knew that this was my home and this is where I wanted to raise my children,” he said.
“The better question is what is not to like about this town? The community atmosphere is great. The schools are unlike many other communities. The neighbors treat one another almost like family.”
He is married to Linet Torres and they have four children, Samantha Rubio, 19, Christian Rubio, 15, Isabella Hassan, 4, and Daniella Hassan, 3.
Hassan has been an assistant state attorney in Broward County for nearly three years and a member of the Dade County Bar Association.
He said Miami Lakes is a safe haven from outside corrupt influences where you can raise your children without worrying too much about bad influences.
“Again, Miami Lakes is not simply where we live, it is our community, our home,” he said.
Hassan, who has raised $15,065, said he’s running for a Town Council Seat because as a Miami Lakes resident for over 19 years, he strongly believes in fiscal discipline and transparency in government.
“Over the past few years, I have witnessed how the lack of resident involvement can lead to our government getting lost in the politics that can make us lose focus on what is best for Miami Lakes,” he said.
Hassan said if elected, he would insist on transparency and professionalism in conducting all Town business, and respect taxpayer dollars by avoiding the misspending of funds.
“Work faster and more efficiently to relieve traffic jams in our town,” he said. “Increase recreational programs, in our parks, for our children. Ensure our public safety, and engage residents so we always have a voice in important decisions.”
Hassan said he’s in informing residents about his platform through social media and direct mailing.
“But the most effective means of communicating is directly one on one with our residents and this way, they can inform me of what their concerns are,” he said.
He said residents are divided; some are satisfied and others are not.
“I am a firm believer that in order to maintain our quality of life and our unique town feel, any elected official needs to have an open door policy and an actual relationship with the residents that they represent. When this community commenced, there was a political activist group called Concerned Citizens of Miami Lakes, which helped bring about our local township. We need to go back to those days where elected officials and citizens were one.”
Hassan said residents should vote for him because he’s a hardworking, family man who understands that if we elect the wrong people, “we could lose our sense of community in a single election.”
“I am respectfully asking the voters of our town to give me an opportunity to serve as their voice and represent their interests and their interests alone, as a councilmember.”