Following the abrupt departure of Miami-Dade County Expressway (MDX) Authority board member Gonzalo Sanabria, Florida Governor Rick Scott appointed Miami Lakes resident Javier Vazquez to the committee and tapped him to help lower costs for Floridians and fight toll fee increases.
According to published reports, Sanabria resigned over the “mistreatment” of Mike Fernandez, the former finance chairman of Scott’s reelection campaign.
Scott denied any maltreatment, saying Sanabria was informed he would not be reappointed to the transportation board because he supported raising toll fees and subsequently resigned.
Vazquez, an attorney, joins the 13-member board of directors, who are professional experts in a broad cross-section of transportation and business, as well as experienced in civic duties and environmental issues, and a commitment to the state and Miami-Dade to help make lives easier for commuters.
But some drivers are crying foul over toll fee hikes to help pay for forthcoming capital improvement projects.
MDX, which operates five toll highways in Miami-Dade, claimed the agency needs about $800 million for future work projects and the previous board voted to raise the per mile toll rate on the Dolphins Expressway and Airport Expressway by 50 percent.
Some residents called the toll fee hikes outrageous because it places an already financial burdened on commuters of Miami-Dade County.
Moreover, MDX will install its Open Road Tolling system that would allow the agency to capture toll revenue from the 45 percent of commuters that presently do not pay to use the highways.
State Representative Jeanette M. Nunez, (R-Miami), a vocal critic of the toll increase that was approved last year, praised the Governor’s decision to pick someone who will focus on the task at hand.
“I applaud Governor Rick Scott’s decision to appoint someone to the board who will be focused not only on the important work needed to be done at MDX, but who will also be vigilant on behalf of the commuters, residents and visitors of Miami-Dade County,” said Nunez.
She has been shepherding legislation during the current session to address what she considers to be egregious toll increases that will become effective July 1, 2014, and a lack of accountability at MDX.
Many of the members of the Miami-Dade Legislative Delegation have co-sponsored the bill, House Bill 353.
Vazquez, 50, is an attorney with Berger Singerman LLP. He currently serves as a board member for the Children’s Cancer Caring Center and on the real estate committee for the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce.
He received his bachelor’s degree from Florida International University and his law degree from the University of Miami. He will serve on the MDX board through April 6, 2017.