VOTE411 Voter Guide

I am running for a full term on the County Commission, after being appointed by my colleagues in November 2025, because my personal mission to tackle the issues in my community is not done just yet. I am a firm believer in leaving our community better than we found it, and since I have been working towards that. I have always prided myself on bringing the previous skills and experience I gathered in previous positions to the one I serve at the moment; so at this point in my life and career as a public servant for over three decades, I feel like I am at my best and most knowledgeable, putting the vast experience to work for my constituents. Working across party lines and tackling problems at their core are two of the skills that I have gathered in my years of public service, and the Miami-Dade City Commission needs a leader who is committed to bringing people together to confront the challenges of our community. I am known as a bridge builder and finding common ground because that is how we get things done. Since my appointment to the County Commission, the residents of District 5 have trusted my leadership and service as I worked on funding for parks, public spaces, and quality-of-life improvements; these changes and investments are not minimal–they are felt all around the community.

Three of the most important issues facing District 5 are housing affordability, public safety, and environmental resilience and neighborhood infrastructure. Housing affordability remains one of the greatest challenges for working families across Miami-Dade County. Teachers, first responders, and longtime residents are all struggling to keep up with rising housing costs. We need to pursue housing solutions that work for all members of the community by expanding housing, protecting local voices, and preserving the affordable housing we already have. Second, keeping our communities safe is essential. By ensuring our police officers, firefighters, and first responders have the resources they need, we can ensure they are prepared to respond quickly and effectively to any emergency. At the same time, we must continue to invest in crime prevention, including youth programs & mental health tools. This also includes working on our public infrastructure as we expand the funds allocated towards improving lighting in our streets and public parks. Finally resiliency is already affecting our community and has been doing so for a long time. We need to continue to invest in neighborhood infrastructure to mitigate stormwater flooding and in projects that can help protect and preserve our coastlines. By preparing now, we will save taxpayer money in the long run while protecting our homes and communities. These are all challenges I have worked and will continue to address as your commissioner.

My entire adult life has been about service, first in the Marines, and then as a community volunteer since retiring in 2016. The culmination of community service (I think) is volunteering to run for elected office and serving as an elected official. Also, someone needs to be on the Commission that . . .

a) will truly advocate for legislation that prioritizes equity, compassion, inclusion, and dignity. b) will build and amplify the grassroots coalitions across all the districts to pressure commissioners that choose to be against said legislation c) is not beholden to moneyed interests d) will regularly document their experiences as commissioner and share them with voters so they have a better understanding of how their government works (or doesn't work). e) will use the above to create new institutional knowledge that can be shared with young, future commission candidates across the county.

Also, I have spent 23 years in the Marines honing my leadership, organizational, and communications skills. I spent five years earning a PhD in International Relations honing my research, analytical, and critical thinking skills. I have received legislative experiecne as an aide in the Florida State House and experience conducting voter outreach and engagement as a regional field organizer, committee chair, and leader of multiple political organizations. I will bring all these skills to the job as Miami-Dade District 5 Commissioner.

I feel there are more than three, but for the sake of the question . . . a) High Cost of Living & lack of affordable housing: I will introduce legislation to create a task force to analyze the county’s true financial posture and give recommendations for expanding the County's revenue base to pay for what residents need; also introduce legislation to establish an independent, County-owned municipal public bank to help finance neighborhood improvements, affordable housing construction, small business development, and give economic assistance to residents. b) Climate Resilience & Flood Protection: I wil introduce legislation to create a county Climate Resiliency Board that will give community input on flood mitigation, tree protections, and clean-up of our Bay; also help finance home weatherization programs to help our residents conserve electricity, reduce emissions, and make their homes more resilient to climate disaster c) Lack of Transparency & too much special interest influence: Host (at minimum) monthly town halls between me and constituents; disseminate weekly email updates to constituents to share my navigation of the county government and help them gain better understanding of how count government works (or doesn’t work).

Our county government has become disconnected from the people. Decisions are made before items are discussed at meetings and the residents who come to speak are treated like an annoyance. There were five candidates who showed an interest in the District 5 seat after Eileen Higgins was elected to become the City of Miami Mayor, and for the third time the County Commission took away the residents' right to vote and instead appointed someone who was serving in the state House of Representatives. I recently retired from my career in law enforcement and have the time and the resources to run for office. I could not sit by and watch anymore. Miami-Dade County spends money like a drunken sailor. No bid contracts are rampant. Commissioners are spending public funds to cover trucks and cars with their pictures, and meanwhile basic services suffer. While I was on the Miami City Commission we balanced 11 budgets and took the city from a $68 million deficit (out of a budget of around $500 million) to a surplus. My experience in turning around a bloated government will be beneficial as the county addresses tough financial questions from its overspending to the likely drop in tax revenue if the proposed property tax reform is accepted by the voters.

1) Affordability. In Miami-Dade our cost of living is hit hard by high property taxes and the skyrocketing cost of insurance. Condominium owners are also being hit with the cost of the "condo reforms" which are causing condo fees and assessments to skyrocket and in some cases are resulting in buildings having no choice but to sell to developers. These costs trickle down to residential and commercial tenants as well, impacting our entire economy. Where the county can act directly to reduce these expenses it should. Where it cannot, it should act on behalf of the residents to seek state or federal assistance or legislation that will improve the situation. 2) Transportation and Traffic. We are allowing buildings to be built with inadequate parking in areas without adequate walkability or public transportation, adding traffic to the streets. Our residents have been paying a half penny tax to fund expanded rail service for over 20 years. We have one tiny spur to the airport to show for it. It is time for us to take public transportation much more seriously. We want to be a world class city. Every world class city has decent public transportation. 3) Out of control government spending driven by no bid contracts and elected officials who care more about serving their corporate sponsors than the public. There is an easy solution. Elect people who are driven by service, not greed. My promise is to the people, not special interests, which is why I have not sought endorsements.