HIALEAH, Fla. — Jackie Garcia-Roves, Hialeah’s interim mayor for about five months, is among the five candidates running for Hialeah mayor on Nov. 4.
In August, the county claimed Hialeah had yet to pay for nearly $18 million owed for wholesale sewer services, and a proposal to hand over a plant as payment was not acceptable.
Garcia-Roves, a mother of three, said the city was fighting the county to lower the water and sewer services costs in Hialeah, and she asked the state for an audit.
“I am not coming with fake promises, I am coming with work that I am doing,” Garcia-Roves, 43, said.
The other four candidates are Bernardino “Benny” Rodriguez, Bryan Calvo, Jesus Tundidor, and Marc Salvat. They all agree the residents’ water bills are too high.
Tundidor, 34, who has experience as a councilman, said the solution to lowering utility costs is to close the city’s operation.
“Let’s sell our infrastructure to Miami-Dade County. Let’s become part of the county’s regional water and sewer system, and then, therefore, costs will drop aproximately 30%,” Tundidor said.
Calvo, 27, an attorney admitted to the Florida Bar in 2023, said he doesn’t think elected officials should be paid a pension. The Miami Herald recently reported that his family home received a 2019–2024 senior tax exemption, and the Property Appraiser ruled it ineligible.
“This is a budget that is $500 million. This is 1,252 employees ... You need someone that’s prepared and has the professional experience and academic qualifications,” said Calvo, a former city councilman and Harvard University graduate.
Salvat, 32, the registered agent for LOVO Investments since 2019, said he was born and raised in Hialeah, described himself as a real estate investor, and said his strength is that he is not a politician.
“I am not focused on the next election. I am focused on the next generation,” Salvat said.
Rodriguez, 79, a contractor and pilot, has been the registered agent for more than two dozen Florida companies, including Flamingo Sports Bar and Grill, Miami Trans Plus, Baby Ideal, and Rodri Corporation.
“I will lead by example,” Rodriguez said, adding that he wants to use his knowledge in construction to help bring more affordable housing to the city’s residents and donate his city pension for a scholarship if elected.
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