Meet The 4 Candidates Vying For Miami Beach Commission Seat
MIAMI (CBSMiami) - Election Day is almost here and those vying for a spot on the Miami Beach Commission are getting their final days of campaigning in.
One of the four candidates running for Group 1 will replace term-limited Commissioner Micky Steinberg.
"One of my biggest issues is sea-level rise and the threat that poses to our city and our region," says Raquel Pacheco.
She was born in Africa and has lived all over the world but she's called Miami Beach home for more than 20 years now.
"I really appreciate the openness and diversity that our city has and it's really important to maintain that," she says.
Pacheco is a Connecticut Army National Guard Veteran, a small business owner and a mom.
"The other major thing I'm concerned with is our building safety after what happened in surfside," she says. Like many, she's also concerned with the violent crimes happening on South Beach.
"I'm a firm believer that we need to open up the street to traffic. What we have now is a situation that creates a block party atmosphere. It's very difficult to police."
Adrian Gonzalez is also campaigning for a safer and cleaner beach.
"We are understaffed. We have the money to pay them. We have money to recruit them but we have to change the culture and invite them back to Miami Beach to want to be officers," he explains.
The father and local business owner wants to bring a voice to the residents of Miami Beach.
"I'm not an attorney, I'm not a professor, I'm not a politician. I'm just a regular guy who grew up on a beach that he happens to love."
He wants to promote and protect the Hospitality Industry.
"It's time to come inside and shake things up and be a loud local voice of someone who's lived here his whole life."
Kristin Rosen Gonzalez prides herself on being an independent voice.
"The two most important things in local government are keeping a city clean and safe and right now Miami Beach streets are dirty and filthy and unsafe in some areas," she says.
In September Gonzalez was criticized for calling herself "the most high-profile Hispanic Democrat in the City of Miami Beach." There was one major problem with that... she's not Hispanic.
"You know what I'm allowed to identify however I want," she claimed.
When CBS4's Ashley Dyer asked her why she played up her last name, she apologized but said it's irrelevant to the race and her plans, should she be elected as Commissioner.
"I've lived the majority of my life in a Spanish-speaking environment. A lot of my political campaigns and constituents are Hispanic," says Rosen Gonzalez.
The Miami Dade College professor says we need to start enforcing the laws already in place.
"We need to send a strong message that if you come to Miami Beach and you break our laws, we are going to arrest you, we are going to prosecute you and we're going to put you in jail."
Lastly, Blake Young.
"The environment, the bay, the beach water – I'm a huge advocate for," says Young.
And he means it. To reduce his carbon footprint, Blake doesn't own a car, only a bike.
"We must spend our money more responsibly on the beach.. lots of waste and I'd like to do something about that," he says.
Young is also focused on reducing the amount of crime happening on South Beach.
"The main reason for the commission is safety and security. That's number one on the beach everybody has those complaints. I'm going to be advocating for 100 or 150 more police," he says.
The Commissioner candidates are vying for your vote and encouraging everyone to head out to the polls if you want to see change.
