Mayors prioritize public safety, sustainability, transportation goals
CommunityWire.Miami reached out to local South Dade mayors, from Miami to Homestead, to get a sampling of some of the promises elected officials are planning to deliver this year in their respective communities. Mayors are calling for safer, more vibrant and environmentally conscious communities.
By Caitlin Coote
President Joe Biden will outline national goals and challenges during his State of the Union address on March 7, but South Dade mayors say they also have ambitious to-do lists for 2024.
Unlike the State of the Union address, which comes with expansive media fanfare, the annual project goals of smaller and mid-size cities generally get hashed out and approved by local commissions and city councils before the municipal fiscal year begins in October – and often without much public notice.
And while the president will focus on big-ticket issues such as the economy, immigration and military funding to help Ukraine and Israel, and humanitarian aid to Gaza, local leaders focus on closer-to-home issues ranging from public safety to potholes and public parks.
“And so what we try to do is keep the taxes manageable, understanding that cost of living continues to go up,” Hialeah Mayor Estaban Bovo said.
Mayors say that new initiatives often come to fruition over a period of time, not necessarily within the year they were started.
“Big projects like building a water system or a sanitary sewer system take decades to complete,” said Pinecrest Mayor Joseph Corradino. “What we do is continue to look for measurable goals in place for each of those things and try to move the ball and get a first down every year, knowing that we’ve got to go 100 yards and it may take 10 years to get to the goal line.”
Reducing Homelessness
On homelessness, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez underscored his belief in the moral obligation to assist those in need and emphasized the broader societal impact of homelessness.
“I also think people want people to live in dignity,” Mayor Suarez said on affordable and dignified living conditions for all residents. “When people live in dignity then they’re not doing things that are hurtful to themselves or to others.”
Public safety
Coral Gables Mayor Vince Lago, along with other city leaders, is emphasizing public safety in 2024. The “City Beautiful” will add 15 new police officers and 15 firefighters over a three-year time frame, he said.
“I think adding the additional police officers sends a strong message that we support the police; that we’re a city that abides by law and order,” Lago said.
Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner, who was elected in November, plans to enhance public safety and increase police presence during spring break this month.
“I love so many things about our city, but one thing I love is our residents want to see our police officers,” Meiner said during a virtual Town Hall meeting on Jan. 30.
Meiner has recently implemented a strategy – “Breaking up With Spring Break” – in Miami Beach by setting curfews, shutting down city-owned parking lots and garages and strictly enforcing noise and open container laws.
“We’re trying to make it, in some ways, as difficult to be here, to really shut down the party.” Meiner said.
Palmetto Bay Mayor Karyn Cunningham said four new officers have joined the police force and that 47% of the village budget is devoted to public safety.
“It doesn’t matter if you’ve got great parks if you’re not safe when you’re sleeping in your house at night or you can’t walk from point A to point B,” Cunningham said.
Infrastructure improvements
Sewage and water pipe installation projects are underway in Hialeah, Pinecrest, Key Biscayne, and South Miami.
Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo said he is committed to enhancing the water and sewer systems in his city. While these improvements may not be immediately apparent, they play a crucial role in facilitating the city’s development, he said.
“That’s what allows us to bring in more businesses,” Bovo said. “And without that investment on the private end, then taxes here would spiral out of control, and we would fall short of the things that we need to do as a government.”
In Pinecrest, Mayor Joseph M. Corradino plans to transition residential properties from septic tanks to sewer systems and acquire park land for neighborhood parks.
“Big projects like building a water system or a sanitary sewer system take decades to complete,” Corradino said. “So, every year, we are trying to advance initiatives one step further.”
Mayor Joe Rasco of Key Biscayne said a primary goal for 2024 is to improve the village’s stormwater system to mitigate street flooding.
“To achieve this, we have initiated the design phase and selected a pilot area for implementation,” Rasco said. The mayor selected the Key Biscayne K-8 Center as their testing site. “The chosen area, centered around the school, is a logical starting point given the frequent flooding that affects our public school students and the surrounding neighborhood.”
The village has contracted an engineering firm to create an extensive model to plan out the best way to install the pipes and pumps. The planning process will take about a year.
In South Miami, Mayor Javier Fernandez said the city secured state legislative money to move forward with a plan to convert the city’s septic system into the sewer system.
“In terms of significant projects that the council has been working through is beginning to execute a 2017 plan to convert our septic system into sewers,” Fernandez said. “The conversion will preserve water quality in the city, as well as improve the quality of our bay and create a more sustainable system.”
Tackling traffic
Steering their communities toward a future marked by improved mobility and enhanced public transportation, the mayors of Doral and Homestead share a similar vision for their cities.
Doral Mayor Christi Fraga is focused on enhancing public transportation.
“When you ask residents in Doral what’s the number one concern that they have in our city, or what do they feel could be improved and focused on more. It’s transportation,” Fraga said.
At the beginning of 2024, the city of Doral started a pilot program to help senior citizens move around the city for free. Fraga also wants to focus on improving crosswalks and bicycle routes.
In Homestead, Mayor Steven D. Losner is trying to decrease traffic by improving surface roads.
“That will be a huge relief in our teeth-grinding traffic neighborhoods and just to get around the community,” Losner said.
The city is in the process of working with the county to obtain $15 million to $18 million of anticipated road impact fees and redirect them back to Homestead.
–Isabella Popadiuk contributed to this report.
Click on each city to read more about what these 10 South Miami-Dade mayors are trying to achieve in 2024.
Saurez wants to focus on the ‘3 H’s’ in 2024
City: Miami
Mayor: Francis Suarez, 46
Population: 449,514
Length In Office: Suarez was first elected in 2017 for a four-year term and re-elected in 2021.
Primary Goal For 2024: Suarez outlined his priorities, dubbing them the three ‘H’s.’
“Affordable housing, crime, homelessness and improving quality of life Mayor Suarez said that his plan focuses on the three H’s: homelessness, housing, and homicides.
Quote: “Polarization is not good for democracy overall…you have to have a certain amount of pragmatism and understand that if you want to get things done, you have to listen, and sometimes, some level of compromise.”
Primary Accomplishment 2023: Last year, homicides were at a record low of 31, the lowest since 1947 when there were only 32 homicides, Suarez said, adding that he aims to continue furthering this trend.
Quote: “Those are real people whose lives are impacted. And it goes to the sort of macro concept of a city as a safe place where people can feel safe. So that’s one.”
–Cyro Asseo De Choch
Tackling pension debt, boosting public safety, expanding green spaces
City: Coral Gables
Population: 48,375
Mayor: Vince Lago, 46
How Long In Office: Lago was first elected to a four-year term in April 2021 and re-elected in 2023.
Primary Goals For 2024: Financial responsibility, safety and environmental sustainability, including paying down the pension debt, increasing the number of firefighters and police officers and increasing green spaces.
Quote: “The things that are important to me are continuing to pay down our pension debt. I’m a big believer that you can never have enough police. And we’re increasing that by 15 positions for the police officers and 15 for the firefighters over a three-year time frame. Number 3 is something that is near and dear to my heart … and that is increasing the amount of open space and parks we have in the city. We’re doing pocket parks throughout the city and that certainly has bore a lot of fruit because we bought over 10 pieces of property.”
Primary Accomplishment 2023:
Last year, Mayo Lago’s administration reduced speed limits, implemented security initiatives and created a fund to battle sea level rise.
Quote: “We reduced speed limits and the installation of further traffic calming devices within the neighborhoods. We have 51,000 residents, but over 700,000 people drive through our city every day. We also started security initiatives like CCTV cameras, but also for the first time, using a drone just to catch criminals. We have put away $4 million a year for sea level rise in a fund, and the next 25 years the goal is to have $100 million to be able to address sea level rise if it comes or doesn’t come.”
–Caitlin Coote
Improve the efficiency of the government
City: West Miami
Population: 6,910 (2023)
Mayor: Eric Diaz-Padron, 28
How Long In Office: Diaz-Padron was elected in April 2022 to a four-year term
Primary Goal for 2024: Mayor Diaz-Padron has two primary objectives. The first is to further improve the efficiency of the government. West Miami has experienced the largest tax reduction in the state of Florida over the past two years, Diaz-Padron said, and that is largely due to the city’s efficiency. The second objective is to expand recreation areas to provide more and higher-quality open areas, including public art, tennis courts, basketball and mini soccer “futbolito” in addition to new fitness centers, to foster a community that is active and healthy.
Quote: “Federal government funding has been exceptionally beneficial and supportive for West Miami.”
Primary Accomplishments 2023: The “transformational budget” that funded many diverse projects, from trees and public art to speed reduction.
Quote: “Despite having 11% in property access the year before, which was more than any other municipality in the state, it was a significant accomplishment that the city improved its appearance, functionality, and safety through the addition of police apparatus and personnel.”
— Olivia Reyzabal Roig
Mayor’s 2024 priorities – Public Safety
City: Village of Palmetto Bay
Population: 24,327 (2021)
Mayor: Karyn Cunningham, 60.
How long in office: Cunningham was elected in November 2018 for a four-year term and re-elected in November 2022.
Primary goal for 2024: Public safety. The village has hired four new police officers.
Quote: “Flood insurance premiums are there, they’ve skyrocketed. For seniors and many residents, that makes owning a home in the Village of Palmetto Bay almost unaffordable because of the increases in premiums.”
Primary Accomplishments 2023:
Getting the village budget back on track.
Quote: “So we have a very, very balanced budget now. From that we’ve got resources. So when you’ve got money, just like if it’s your home, right, if you’ve got a couple hundred extra at the end of the week, you feel good about it.’
–Belen Duran
New communication tower coming to Hialeah
City: Hialeah
Population: 220,490 (2021)
Mayor: Esteban Bovo, 61
How Long In Office: Bovo was elected in November 2021 for a four-term
Primary Goals for 2024: Making sure the underground water pipes work correctly in order to bring new businesses to Hialeah.
Quote: “Well, they’re all important. No, no doubt about it. And I don’t think you could, you know, say one is more than another. But if you force me, I would say it’s really the one that you don’t see; it’s the underground water pipes that we build, and invest in water and sewer, because that’s what allows us to bring in more development. That’s what allows us to bring in more businesses. And without that investment on the private end, then taxes here would spiral out of control, and we would fall short of the things that we need to do as a government.”
Primary Accomplishments 2023: Investing in police and fire, new 911 communication tower Quote: “So what have we done over the last year, we’ve invested in police and fire, police and fire equipment. We’ve invested in the 911 operation, to continue the improvements. A brand new communication tower will help our first responders be able to facilitate and do the things that they need to do. And that’s public safety and security.”
–Vanessa Bonilla
New park goes up on village’s north end
City: Pinecrest
Population: 18,388 (2020)
Mayor: Joseph M. Corradino, 56
How Long In Office: Corradino was elected mayor in 2016 to a four-year term and re-`elected in 2020.
Primary Goals for 2024: Enhancing community well-being. Corradino aims to transition residential properties from septic tanks to sewer systems. The design phase for Matzner Park, located on the corner of Kendall Drive between 67th Avenue and 65th Court, is nearly completed. Construction is expected to begin this year.
Quote: “Ribbon cuttings only come after years of achieving smaller goals to reach this point. So, every year, we try to advance initiatives one step further.”
Primary Accomplishment 2023: Last year, Pinecrest successfully secured $20 million in funding to bury electrical lines underground, a crucial step in bolstering the community’s resilience during hurricanes, Corradino said. The city successfully changed the zoning code to allow for transit-oriented development near transit lines. The village also took proactive measures to manage the peacock population.
Quote: “We’re actually having our peacocks trapped and then neutered and put back into the community so that the peacocks don’t proliferate and become a nuisance.”
–Mariaregina Mendoza
South Miami rethinks Sunset Place redevelopment
City: South Miami
Population: 11,779 (2021)
Mayor: Javier Fernandez, 48
How long in office: Fernandez was elected in November 2022 to a two-year term.
Primary Goals for 2024: Fernandez’s focus is the Sunset Place Redevelopment Project. Also, the city invested $6 million into South Miami Park for a new turf soccer pitch, bathrooms, concession facilities and lighting.
Quote: “Owners have expressed interest in reconnecting Sunset Place with the downtown street grid, but we will know more details later this year when they bring back the site plan, which will be the nuts and bolts of what they are going to build. We are excited that we can move forward with a zoning envelope for the future redevelopment of Sunset Place, which is an asset that’s been languishing in South Miami for a long time, and is a driver for a commercial center.”
2023 Accomplishments: Along with the progress made for Sunset Place and South Miami Park, the city moved forward on its 2017 plan to convert city septic tanks into the sewer system. The conversion will help preserve water quality and keep the bay clean. The city is using some state legislative funding and local tax revenue for the project.
Quote: “The conversion will preserve water quality in the city, as well as improve the quality of our bay and create a more sustainable system.”
–Steven Calcutt
Key Biscayne addresses coastal vulnerability
City: Key Biscayne
Population: 14,435 (2022)
Mayor: Joe I. Rasco, 69
How Long In Office: Rasco was first elected in 1998 to a four-year term. He was re-elected in November 2022.
Primary Goals for 2024: Flooding. Initial focus is on the Key Biscayne K-8 Center area.
Quote: “To achieve this, we have initiated the design phase and selected a pilot area for implementation. The chosen area, centered around the school, is a logical starting point given the frequent flooding that affects our public-school students and the surrounding neighborhood.”
Primary Accomplishments 2023: Last year, Rasco took measures to protect the key from rainfall and storm surge.
Quote: “ Number one, we came to an agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers to do a study, and it will be environmentally and economically very good for us because they will look at our beachside, our shoreline, and also they are focusing on what we call the back of the bay.”
–Tatenda Mukurazhizha
Mayor wants to ease ‘teeth-grinding traffic neighborhoods’
Name of City: Homestead
Population: 80,528 (2021)
Mayor: Steven D. Losner, 63
How long in office: Losner was first elected in 2019 and re-elected in 2021 to two-year terms. In October, he was elected to a four-year term.
Primary Goal: Losner is trying to decrease traffic by improving surface roads. Homestead has seen a lot of construction lately, and these new structures pay impact fees, but they all go to Miami-Dade County, Losner said. The city is working with the county to obtain $15 million to $18 million of anticipated road impact fees and redirect them to Homestead.adad
Quote: “That will be a huge relief in our teeth-grinding traffic neighborhoods and just to get around the community. So we are very optimistic and excited about that opportunity. You know, geographically, we’re very narrow here, limited by the bay and the Everglades with very few, north-south corridors locally.”
Primary accomplishments 2023: The city’s “crown jewel,” as Losner calls it, is the newly renovated Losner Park, originally built in the late 1990s. The park re-opened about a year ago following a two-year renovation. The city expanded it to three times its original size. It now serves as a gathering spot for residents for concerts and festivals.
Quote: “This past Saturday night we had a big event in recognition of Black History Month by several different performers. I think there were at least a couple of thousand folks there for the concert. All of the food trucks were black-owned businesses. We had a huge holiday event there this past December. We even had an ice-skating rink.”
–Sabrina Catalan
Trolley service will expand in Doral
City: Doral
Population: 76,983 (2022)
Mayor: Christi Fraga, 37
How Long In Office: Fraga was elected in December 2022 in a special election to complete the remaining two years of Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez’s term. Bermudez resigned to run for a county commission seat. Fraga’s term ends in 2024.
Primary Goal for 2024: Fraga is focused on enhancing public transportation. According to the fiscal year budget, Doral’s trolley service will be expanded with new routes and trolleys. Fraga also wants to focus on improving crosswalks and bicycle routes.
Quote: “When you ask residents in Doral what’s the number one concern that they have in our city or what do they feel could be improved and focused on more, it’s transportation.”
Primary Accomplishments 2023: Fraga’s administration prioritized the reconstruction of Doral Central Park. Renovations include the construction of an aquatic venue with a competition pool. The administration aims to have the park fully operational and ready for use by the end of 2024. Fraga also increased the size of the police force and targeted high-profile crimes.
Quote: “We put 30 new police officers in our department and invested, you know, 40% of our budget into public safety and policing. Those were a major accomplishment of last year.”
