When I decided not to run in 2012, and Jorge
Gonzalez automatically took office, I had confidence that Commissioner Gonzalez
had the best interest of the village at heart.
I did not plan to run
this year but when I take stock of what has transpired in the last 2 years, I
realize that it is time to take a stand.
Our property taxes went
up 22% last year, and are now set to rise another 13% this year. What do
we get for this 35% raise?
1.
Our streets are filthy.
2.
Our water bills went up
over 30% and raw sewage regularly flows into the streets on Treasure Island and
Harbor Island.
3.
Crime has gone up and
police patrols have gone down.
How has the money been
spent?
1.
$6 million dollars on
Vogel Park and we still can't use it.
2.
$102,000 to plan a
pedestrian plaza under the metal grate East Bridge while the village has never
cleaned the Tot Lot.
3.
$80,000 severance went
to the previous village manager who was here less than a year and yet the
village can't pay for PAL.
4.
$1,000,000 in legal fees
wasted in two personnel cases that the village was warned from the start would
lose, and the village did lose.
The Village has never
enforced:
1.
The two year old
contract to clean the sidewalks and NBI wall twice a year even though we pay
for it.
2.
The requirement for
waterfront access in exchange for over $2 million in tax abatements.
3.
The impact fees to fix
our broken sewers.
4.
The requirement that
foreclosing banks register their properties with the village and pay for their
upkeep to prevent blight.
More specifically,
Commissioner Jorge Gonzalez has never:
1.
Held a community
meeting.
2.
Addressed the parking
issue on Harbor Island except to propose a fee on Harbor Island residents.
3.
Addressed the
recreational issues for our youth and elderly
4.
Proposed a single piece
of legislation to support our businesses
But Commissioner Jorge
Gonzalez has:
1.
Been rebuked by the
Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics for accepting a Suite at the Miami Heat’s game
from a Turkish developer interested in North Bay Village.
2.
Been gifted by a still
unknown donor for an all-expense paid trip to Isparta, Turkey which he will not
discuss.
3.
Vigorously supported
repealing the requirement that commissioners report gifts over $25.
4.
Closed off the legally
required waterfront access to the public.
5.
Has stated publicly that
“if residents don't want to pay higher taxes, they should move.”
The simple fact is that
our money is disappearing while debris piles up in the streets, our sewers are
rotting, our programs are cut, and Jorge Gonzalez has offered no solutions, no
support while benefiting from his position with expensive gifts and travel from
people doing business with the village.
In the campaign to come,
you are going to hear a lot of smoke and noise, claims that taxes have not
risen, new trees have been planted at no cost to the village, and that Mario
Garcia is “negative” for proposing concrete solutions to:
·
Enforce the Street
Cleaning Contracts.
·
Bring Bay front Access
to all residents and to protect the affected condos.
·
Not accept extravagant
gifts from people wanting favors from the village.
·
Report all gifts and
bonuses given to the commissioners no matter how small.
·
Hold community workshops
to fix the parking issue.
·
Restore the Youth
Services and Elder Services.
·
Address the rotting
sewers at last.
·
Ensure our police
dollars are spent on public safety, not management issues.
Maybe it is time to be negative. It's time to
say No to continue the same old government for government's sake and take back
our village. So I am running to bring positive, resident focused change
to the village and need your support when the mud starts flying and the issues
get lost in the campaign sewage. Let's stick together to clean this
Village up.
Mario Garcia
North Bay Village deserves better! and together we can make North Bay Village better!
