On November 4, Miami Lakes voters will cast ballots on two town charter amendments and a non-binding straw ballot measure that call for residents to decide whether the town should consider future annexation plans through a referendum, resume pursuing the town independent town-wide zip code and allowing councilmembers to appoint residents to the city’s committees instead of the mayor.
Vice Mayor Manny Cid and Councilmembers Frank Mingo and Tony Lama are leading the charge to the ballot initiatives that define the powers, functions and essential procedures of Miami Lakes’ government.
This year, councilmembers unanimously approved Cid’s straw ballot proposal to determine if residents want the town to continue to pursue its own zip code, Mingo’s annexation request and Lama’s change for the committee members selection process.
Since he was elected to the Town Council in 2012, one of Cid’s campaign promises was to launch an initiative for an independent zip code instead of using the City of Hialeah Postmaster.
Cid said a Miami Lakes zip code can benefit residents, especially motorists who can save money on their auto insurance.
Earlier this year, councilmembers approved Cid’s request for town staff to study several alternatives for a zip code, but Miami Lakes received an official USPS letter denying it.
The USPS said: “It is the determination of this office that the accommodations extended by the Postal Service were reasonable and any other changes would not be operationally feasible and would also be cost prohibitive to the postal service.”
The Town of Miami Lakes has three different zip codes but they are all within the Hialeah Post Office.
But Cid said though it would not be operationally feasible, maybe the town can assist with an optional plan, including Miami Lakes contracting with a delivery service approved by the USPS, in which postage revenue would be split between USPS and Miami Lakes in which the town could set up and pay for its own mail distribution system.
Such an agreement would create an independent Miami Lakes zip code, he said.
Then, Cid met with Hialeah Mayor Carlos Hernandez and U.S. Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart and discussed other alternatives for a postal code that would benefit both Miami Lakes and Hialeah.
The issue is still pending.
Cid said by approving the straw ballot proposal, residents would send a strong message that they want their own independent zip code.
“The ballot question for thousands of voters would say yes, let’s get this down and move forward,” Cid said during a phone interview. “Auto insurance is too high and the town’s own zip code would provide some relief for 31,000 residents.”
Mingo also vows to keep a campaign promise to allow residents the right to chose whether to increase the size of the 6.5 square-mile town before councilmembers vote on any annexation proposals.
Last year, Mingo won a special election to fill the vacancy for a Town Council Seat created when then-councilmember Nelson Hernandez resigned to run for mayor.
Mingo ran unopposed for the November 4 general election and won a four-year term.
He said Miami Lakes’ fact-finding mission on conceivably annexing Palm Springs North in 2012 under-then mayor Michael Pizzi essentially sealed his decision to run for elected office for the first time.
“During the special election last year, I was vocal opponent of our former mayor’s annexation plan that would have extended Miami Lakes’ boundaries as far north as Broward County,” Mingo said during an interview. “Annexation in the form that it was proposed would have split Miami Lakes as we know it. The present situation where the Town Council has the lone annexation approval authority is not good public policy.”
Mingo said residents first should decide if they want Miami Lakes to add some land through a referendum.
“This ensures that the people will have the final say over the future of Miami Lakes instead of a few ambitious politicians or special interest groups,” Mingo said.
Miami Lakes also flirted with the idea of annexation 11 years ago.
In 2003, the Town Council shot down a proposal by Pizzi, a councilmember at the time, to annex a large piece of land west of 1-75 following Hialeah’s interest to increase the size of its boundaries.
With Hialeah’s reputation of building at high density, Pizzi said it would be in the best interest for Miami Lakes to join the annexation fray because Hialeah’s plans for the land could encroach on the town’s quality of living, such as adding to the traffic gridlock and overcrowding the schools and parks.
With the land devoid of infrastructure in 2003, Miami Lakes concluded it didn’t have the money to maintain and clean up the tract, which included a landfill, and wouldn’t generate revenues for the town’s account.
Miami-Dade eventually allowed Hialeah to take over the property.
For the town’s committees, under the current town charter, councilmembers nominate residents and the mayor has the final say by appointing them to serve on the committees.
Under his powers, he can also reject any nominations.
Lama said the existing procedure is not fair to councilmembers and residents who are willing to volunteer to help make Miami Lakes the best city around.
“The charter amendment abstracts the politics of the committee selection process and ensure fairness among the council and residents,” said Lama, who is pushing for councilmembers to appoint committee members.
Since incorporation Miami Lakes created six different committees to help town officials with education, kids initiatives and events, culture, senior citizens, economic growth and military veterans.
Residents serve on the Miami Lakes Education Advisory Board, Miami Lakes Youth Activities Task Force, Cultural Affairs Committee, Elderly Affairs Committee, Economic Development Committee and Veteran Affairs Committee.
Also under the current charter, once a new mayor is elected or appointed, all committee members’ terms expire and new residents must be appointed to fill the vacancies.
Lama said a charter change would level the playing field for lawmakers and residents who are anxious to serve on the committees.
“We all should have an equal numbers of appointments,” Lama said. “The appointments would still require a vote as a whole but abstract the politics from the committees.”
If the charter is amended next month, it would represent the eighth time it has changed since incorporation in 2000.
In 2012, voters eliminated residential council seats in favor of all seven at-large seats, and in 2010, voters changed the charter to move the October town election to November for a bigger voter turnout and approved term limits for the mayor and councilmembers.
In 2006, based on the recommendation of the Miami Lakes Charter Review Committee, voters, in a mail-in ballot election, elected to eliminate run-off elections because they were too expensive and added the Citizen’s Bill of Rights to the town charter.
But voters shot down two major proposed charter changes – eliminating two council seats and allowing lawmakers to approve councilmembers’ compensation by a super-majority vote.