Miami Springs voters to elect new Mayor, 2 City Council members Tuesday

Image via Miami Springs.

Changes are coming to Miami Springs government on Tuesday, when voters will choose between seven candidates running for Mayor and the City Council.

Races for two of the panel’s five seats were decided last month, when Group 1 Council member Jorge Santos coasted back into office and Orlando Lamas won the Group 3 seat unopposed.

But three races remain on the ballot for the 2.9-square-mile municipality of nearly 14,000 residents.

Election Day voting is at the Miami Springs Golf & Country Club from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

In November, Miami Springs voters rejected a ballot measure that would have increased the terms of elected city officials from two to four years. Miami Springs officials are limited to serving eight consecutive years.

Winners of Tuesday’s nonpartisan election will secure two-year terms.

Mayor

The race to replace Mayor Maria Puente Mitchell pits 72-year-old Democrat Bob Best against 52-year-old Republican Walter Fajet.

Best is a past Council member who has been out of office since 2013. Fajet is a sitting Council member, having served in the Group 3 seat for three consecutive terms.

That’s important information; if Best wins, he could serve as Mayor for up to eight years, while Fajet would be limited to a single two-year term under the city’s term limit rules.

A U.S. Air Force veteran, Best worked in the aerospace industry and owned a local landscaping company.

If elected, he vows to support targeted development that doesn’t significantly alter the city’s character, protect green spaces, improve local safety initiatives and improve the city’s parking situation — an issue most candidates cited as problematic.

Best told MiamiSprings.com that running for Mayor was “the next logical step” for him, politically.

“I have the experience. I worked with three or four City Managers, three Mayors,” he said. “I’ve got the leadership skills to bring forth certain experience.”

Through Feb. 21, the last date he reported campaign finance activity, Best raised $2,480, including a $1,000 check from United Teachers of Dade and a $500 self-loan.

Fajet, a charter school principal and Miami Springs resident for more than 40 years, said he wants to increase police funding, lower the city’s millage rate, halt expansion of Miami Springs’ Overlay District, address parking and secure added funding for senior services.

He told the Miami Herald the city’s most pressing issues is capitalizing on development opportunities while preserving the city’s “small-town feel, beautiful tree canopy and idyllic way of life.”

“My policy platform is rooted in a deep commitment to the City of Miami Springs and the best interest of ALL its residents,” he said in a statement.

Fajet stacked up $40,401 by March 27. His donors included Management Hospitality, the Miami Association of Realtors and the political committees of Miami-Dade County Commissioner Juan Carlos Bermudez, Miami-Dade School Board member Daniel Espino and Florida Highway Patrol trooper Joe Sanchez, who ran for Sheriff last year.

Group 2

Three candidates — Republicans Joseph Dion and Irma Matos, and Democrat MaryJo Mejia-Ramos — are competing to replace outgoing Council member Jacky Bravo.

Dion, a 44-year-old process server and small-business owner, was born and raised in Miami-Dade.

His platform prioritizes crime prevention, preserving the city while embracing “thoughtful planning and sustainable development.” He told the Miami Herald the most pressing issues in Miami Springs are the city’s high property taxes, crime on 36th Street, traffic and parks accessibility.

“I love Miami Springs and am passionate about preserving and enhancing the unique charm of our community,” he said in a statement. “My commitment is to listen, collaborate, and make informed decisions that benefit all residents. Together, we can build a stronger, safer, and more vibrant Miami Springs.”

Dion carries an endorsement from the Miami Realtors Global and raised $11,570 by March 7.

Matos, 69, has lived in Miami Springs for more than 30 years. She describes herself as an author, real estate investor, speaker, missionary and entrepreneur. For more than three decades, she ran a business budget management company.

Like Dion, this is Matos’ first time running for public office, but it isn’t her first time seeking a leadership position from her peers; she is the current President of the Wings II Townhouse Apartments Condominium Association, state records show.

Matos said she hopes, if elected, to support police and combat human trafficking, preserve Miami Springs’ character, clean up 36th Street, attract more businesses to the city and start a campaign called “Save the Children” to raise awareness about and combat human trafficking and child predation.

She told MiamiSprings.com that she believes “God has been kicked out of a lot of places by the society, and we need to bring him back because children need to learn about the golden rule.”

“If we all lived by that rule, we wouldn’t have any conflicts,” she said. “We wouldn’t have any problems. Everybody would be happy and definitely we wouldn’t have any school shootings.”

Matos reported raising $925 by March 7, most of it her money.

Mejia-Ramos, a 55-year-old retiree, was raised in Aventura and has lived in Miami Springs for the past 15 years. For 35 years, she worked at the University of Miami’s Jackson Health System.

She’s been politically engaged for years. In 2023, she mounted an unsuccessful City Council bid, but lost to Santin. She is also a member and planner of the city’s 2026 Centennial Celebration and a longtime member of the Miami Springs Women’s Club.

Her platform focuses include improving the city’s economic stability, balancing its budget, fostering commercial development on Northwest 6th Street and Abraham Track and safeguarding the city’s tree canopy.

“Our vision is to build a city government where everyone has access to the support services they need to thrive,” she said in a statement. “We believe that our Miami Springs community deserves to live in a prosperous, safe, and beautiful environment, and we are committed to working toward that goal every day.”

Through March 27, Mejia-Ramos raised $9,824, including $3,000 self-given. Her donors included the Florida Democratic Party and former state Rep. Robert Asencio, among others.

Group 4

Two years after falling 20 votes shy of defeating outgoing Group 4 Council member Victor Vázquez, 61-year-old Republican Tom Hutchings is again running for the seat.

Standing in his way is 57-year-old Fabian Perez-Crespo, who has no party affiliation.

Hutchings is the owner of a local restaurant called A Little Bit of Philly and the son of former Council member Joan Hutchings, the namesake of Hutchings Realty.

He told MiamiSprings.com he wants to preserve the city’s “small-town charm” while redeveloping some of its older areas that are in need of modernization. Reducing crime, cracking down on through-traffic speeders and working with the city’s Parks and Recreation Department to provide more after-school activities to youths are also high on Hutchings’ to-do list.

“We definitely need better representation,” he said. “I’m not a politician. I’m a concerned resident. That’s why I’m running for office.”

Hutchings reported raising $4,000, $1,500 of it self-loaned, by March 7.

Perez-Crespo was born in New York but grew up and attended public school in Miami. He is an Emmy Award-winning multimedia pro and former supervisor at the U.S. Agency for Global Media. Today, he works as a certified life coach.

He’s been active locally, serving as a member of the Miami Springs Historical Society and Miami Springs Women’s Club. He’s also a past President of the National Society of Hispanic MBAs.

If elected, he promises to protect Miami Springs from overdevelopment, strengthen the city’s business corridor, support local small businesses, cut taxes, support police, champion Parks and Rec programs, promote effective parking solutions and further rejuvenate the city’s tree canopy to “reclaim” its “Tree City USA” title.

“For 25 years, I’ve had the privilege of living here, building a life, and watching my children grow in a community that I cherish and hope to retire in,” he said. “I’m not a politician, but I understand business, government and civic responsibility, and I believe our neighbors deserve leadership that genuinely listens, shows up, and tirelessly champions what’s right.”

Perez-Crespo reported raising $5,530, including $575 from his bank account.