For Seat Five:
Luis Collazo said he decided to run for political office because as a committed member of this 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. 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 efficient government.
“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, who has raised $27,068, 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 town. 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 our from our neighboring communities,” he said.
Esther Colon, who has raised $7,391 for 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 solutions 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; and more services for Miami Lakes residents and not surrounding communities.
She said residents are upset over the construction of town hall without their approval, 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 in communication improvement when a complaint is filed for tree and sidewalk problems with no response on safety issues; a permitting process with more customer service; and code enforcement to be more proactive in deteriorating neighborhoods with an anonymous system to avoid repercussion from neighbors.
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.
Nayib 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. If elected, Hassan said 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.”
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.”