Jesse Scheckner
Realtor Juan Carlos “J.C.” Fernandez and lawyer Steven Herzberg will soon join the five-member Miami Lakes Town Council after no one filed to run against them.
Fernandez will succeed accountant Marilyn Ruano in Seat 3. Herzberg will take Seat 5, which clinical social worker Luis Collazo has held since 2016.
Both won four-year terms by default at the end of the town’s election qualifying period at noon Wednesday.
Fernandez, who serves on the town’s Planning and Zoning Board and previously sat on its Neighborhood Improvement Committee, said he’s excited to continue working on improving Miami Lakes.
He said he’ll focus on addressing right-of-way issues and enhancing aesthetic aspects of the nearly 24-year-old municipality.
“I love serving the town, and I have no other political aspirations. I think it’ll end here at the Council,” he told Florida Politics. “But I’m extremely excited, and I’m looking forward to this chapter and to see if we can move Miami Lakes forward.”
Herzberg said his campaign focused on transparency, effective government and fiscal conservatism.
Addressing nearby rock quarry blast mining that residents complain is damaging their homes is also a priority. Herzberg is a past secretary of the town’s Blasting Advisory Board, which met with Rep. Tom Fabricio in February for a House Regulatory Reform Subcommittee workshop on the issue.
Stronger strides toward that end appear likely. Miami Lakes Council members Bryan Morera, who was elected April 30, and Ray García are also former Blasting Advisory Board members. So was safety technician Angelo Garcia, who is seeking another seat on the panel.
“One of my biggest goals for the next four years is to get residents more involved. I want to make Town Hall a more inviting place,” Herzberg told Florida Politics.
“People say that if the Town Hall is empty, you’re doing a good job. I disagree. Their involvement helps us make better decisions. I want people to trust us. We’re all here volunteering, and everyone on the Town Council now is doing it for the right reasons. We want to make Miami Lakes a better place.”
Through the end of June, Fernandez reported raising $7,150 and spending $3,400, while Herzberg raised $20,675 and spent $3,306, Miami Lakes records show.
Miami Lakes Mayor Manny Cid congratulated Fernandez and Herzberg for their victories in a Wednesday statement on X.
“Our residents are very fortunate to have two ethical individuals of high character as Council members,” he said. “The future of our community is in good hands!”
Garcia, who ran unsuccessfully in 2022, faces auto parts company executive Mario Pinera Jr. in a race to succeed Vice Mayor and Seat 1 Council member Tony Fernandez.
Fernandez is seeking to succeed Cid. He has three opponents: Council member Josh Dieguez, musician Derek Cintron and financial consulting executive Yuniett Gonzalez.
Cid is leaving office to run for Miami-Dade County Mayor.
Town voters will elect a new Mayor and Seat 1 Council member Nov. 5. The newly formed Council will decide whether to appoint someone to replace Dieguez in Seat 4 or hold a Special Election so voters can choose his successor.
