Hialeah opens process to fill vacant council seat; officials already know who will get it
In just 16 minutes, the City of Hialeah decided without discussion to open qualification to fill the vacant seat left by Councilman Bryan Calvo, who he resigned to run for Miami Dade County tax collector.
But the qualification process is just a formality. The council already know who will fill the vacancy.
Calvo resigned from his council seat on May 17, with the resignation taking effect on Nov. 1, in order to qualify to run for tax collector. He was defeated by Dariel Fernandez in the Republican primary in August. On the city council, Calvo had been the sole opponent to Mayor Esteban “Steve” Bovo’s administration.
Calvo sued the mayor for “abuse of power” after calling for an investigation into the 911 emergency department, citing an increase in unanswered calls that he said was ignored by the administration. The lawsuit was dismissed by a judge, and ultimately, the issue was sidelined on the council, where the majority of members are aligned with the mayor.
Under the city charter, when a council seat becomes vacant due to resignation it must be filled by appointment, and the position must be filled by a qualified elector who meets residency requirements. The appointment must be approved by at least four council members within 30 days of the vacancy.
To comply with the rule, the city held a special meeting Monday to open the qualification process for Calvo’s seat. Interested residents have until 5 p.m. Friday to apply.
Despite the appearance of a transparent process, several council members, who requested anonymity, told the Miami Herald that they already have a “placeholder” in mind for the seat: Juan Junco, vice-chairman of the Hialeah Housing Authority. Junco is a well-established figure in Hialeah, having served as a member of the Charter Review Committee in 2019 and as commissioner for the Hialeah Housing Authority from 2018-22. He was recently reappointed to the authority through February 2026.
This marks the second vacant council seat in Hialeah during 2024. The first occurred after Gov. Ron DeSantis removed Councilwoman Angelica Pacheco from office in June following her indictment on federal healthcare fraud charges.
Melinda De La Vega, 38, was appointed as the interim council member for Pacheco’s seat. She will fill the seat until a special election in November 2025, at which point she intends to run for the council.
Sources familiar with that appointment process told the Herald that some potential candidates were discouraged from applying due to the threat of a mayoral veto. Such a veto could override the council’s decision if the selected candidate failed to secure at least four of the six votes.
To apply for the new vacancy seat, interested candidates must submit the following documents:
▪ A valid government-issued photo identification card
▪ A voter registration card
▪ A completed residency affidavit
The city council also asks that candidates to submit a letter or resume explaining why they’re a good fit for the appointment.
In 2025 four council seats, including the two that became vacant this year, as well as the mayor’s seat will be on the ballot.
