Five candidates – three running for mayor of Miami Lakes, and two seeking a council seat – gave voters a chance to compare their platforms during a forum organized by Miami Lakes Town Clerk Gina Inguanzo on Oct. 17 and presented by the Miami Lakes Chamber of Commerce and Miami Lakes Bar Association.
Moderator and resident Alex Penelas, a former mayor of Miami-Dade County, led discussions about property damage from blasts during limestone mining; public safety; taxes and the municipal budget.
Candidates for Seat 1 are Angelo Cuadra Garcia, 63, a supervisor for a road and bridge construction company, and business owner Mario O. Pinera Jr., 45.
Councilman Josh Dieguez, 35, Vice Mayor Tony Fernandez, 39, and business owner Yuniett Gonzalez, 55, all want to be the next mayor.
On blasting, the five candidates agreed that a solution needs to be found and that efforts to get state legislators’ attention must continue.
“Our residents are being unfairly taxed by the destruction of their homes to subsidize somebody else getting cheap limestone aggregate,” Fernandez said.
Pinera called the situation “David vs Goliath ... It’s unconstitutional that we can’t fight for our own property or our own values,” Pinera said.
Miami Lakes has one of the lowest crime rates in the county, and contracts with it for police and fire protection. A sheriff will be elected on Nov. 5. Penelas asked whether the town should form its own police and fire departments.
“… if necessary if it makes sense, once I’m here as a leader and I see and assess it makes sense for the town I would be open to creating and doing anything possible in order to bring it to the town,” Gonzalez said.
Garcia would keep services as they are.
“... it’s been working fine for 24 years why get a new police department?” he said.
Pinera said the agencies “do an amazing job” and didn’t recommend a change.
Fernandez wants to improve the existing police contract; Dieguez agrees and wants to have a study.
“We know it’s going to be very expensive and probably not going to be worth it for us, but until we get hard numbers, we’re kind of just spit balling here,” Dieguez said.
Asked about the budget and millage rate, Dieguez voted to keep it flat for the 2024-2025 fiscal year while Fernandez tried to find ways lower the rate further.
“[The residents] they’re telling me that they’re safe, especially during the holiday season and that the pocket parks are maintained, our main parks are maintained,” Dieguez said.
Fernandez blamed a $1.625 million settlement to be paid to former Mayor Michael Pizzi over three years -- for his legal bills in a federal criminal case for which he was found not guilty -- for not being able to roll back the town’s tax rate.
“That left us with no carry forward last year and a $500,000 hole to begin this fiscal year,” Fernandez said. “Had it not been for that, we would have been able to do the rollback again this year.”
Gonzalez said she had looked at the budget but had not made a significant assessment. She “would always be against cutting services, because services is something we all need here in town.”
Pinera was against the rollback rate, citing inflation and the cost of living. Garcia didn’t say which rate he supported.
To see the forum on YouTube go to: https://bit.ly/3YBgNOu.
In the photo: Council Seat 1 candidate Angelo Caudra Garcia; Mayoral candidate Councilman Josh Dieguez; Council Seat 1 candidate Mario O. Pinera, Jr.; Tico Casamayor, president of public relations, Miami Lakes Chamber of Commerce; Moderator Alex Penelas; Miami Lakes Town Clerk Gina Inguanzo; Mirelis Castilla, president, Miami Lakes Bar Association and Yuniett Gonzalez and Vice Mayor Tony Fernandez, both candidates for mayor. Photo by Matthew Casamayor.