In Miami’s District 4 election, the Herald recommends an old-school politician | Opinion

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Editorial Board City of Miami 2023 Election Recommendations

In advance of the upcoming City of Miami elections on November 7, 2023, the Editorial Board interviewed political candidates to better understand their views on various issues and how their policies will affect their constituents. The goal is to give voters a better idea of who’s the best candidate for each race. Read our recommendations for Miami below:

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In Miami’s District 4 election, the Herald recommends an old-school politician | Opinion

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In the race for Miami City Commission District 4, incumbent Manolo Reyes has remained relatively unscathed and unaffected by the drama and corruption that has bogged down the commission in recent years.

Other commissioners are facing legal issues. The mayor has been embroiled in a scandal for receiving consulting payments from a developer. But Reyes seems to stay out of it. For the Nov. 7 election, he remains the best choice for the district.

District 4 encompasses Flagami, sections of Coral Way, Silver Bluff, Shenandoah and Auburndale. Reyes was first elected in 2017 and reelected in 2019 without opposition. Reyes faces Andres “Andy” Vallina, a telecommunications business consultant and community activist who runs his own foundation.

Reyes, an economist, is an old-school politician — someone who focuses on quality-of-life issues such as fixing potholes and constituent services.

“When I was elected, the district had been neglected. I’ve been working since to improve the quality of life of the neighborhood by doing parks... and public works drainage projects,” Reyes said.

Reyes, 79, has lived in the district for nearly five decades and has focused on fixing parks and improving streets and infrastructure. His office provided a list to the Herald of 68 drainage projects that have been approved in the district since he was first elected. He’s behind upcoming apartment units for low-income tenants and an affordable-housing project for seniors. He expanded after-school programs for children and rebuilt the public Shenandoah pool into an Olympic-size attraction. He’s also created new parks, like the Swannanoa Mini Park, the Herald reported.

Reyes has been criticized at times for aligning himself with Commissioners Joe Carollo and Alex Diaz de la Portilla, who have brought dysfunction to the dais. Carollo faces a $63 million judgment after a federal jury found he used his power to retaliate against two businessmen who supported a political foe. Diaz de la Portilla was arrested in September on corruption charges and later suspended from office. The three commissioners were named in a 2021 memo written by former Police Chief Art Acevedo that accused them of exerting improper influence over the police department.

Reyes, who calls himself “incorruptible,” denied that alliance. He said “my philosophy has been that if I agree with what is being presented, that it has value, and helps the people, I would vote with it.” Indeed, Reyes is known as an independent voice. He was the sole dissenting vote on the controversial 99-year, no-bid lease between the city and Major League Soccer franchise Inter Miami for the construction of a stadium and commercial complex.

Vallina says that Reyes is not responsive enough to residents.

“If elected, I would bring a management style from the corporate world. If people email you, you respond,” Vallina said, who points to low-income elderly residents of the district who are being priced out.

Vallina, who is seeking a Miami commission seat for a third time, is a well-intentioned candidate, but Reyes is the better choice.

The Miami Herald Editorial Board recommends MANOLO REYES for Miami City Commission District 4.

This story was originally published October 27, 2023 at 6:00 AM with the headline "In Miami’s District 4 election, the Herald recommends an old-school politician | Opinion."