The City of Miami is having a Special Election on Monday, February 27, 2023 to fill the vacant District 2 Commissioner seat. District 2 includes Coconut Grove and parts of Key Biscayne, Brickell, Downtown, and Edgewater. This district has the largest percentage of young voters in the City, with 33% of voters under age 35. There are 17,000 of us who can use our vote to make a difference in Miami!
Note: All Vote by Mail requests submitted before last year’s General Election in November expired on December 31, 2022. If you plan to vote by mail moving forward, you will need to request the ballot! Requests for vote by mail ballots made now will be valid until December 31, 2024. Request your ballot here.
We asked all 13 candidates for City Commissioner where they stand on the issues impacting young people in District 2. Check out their responses below.
Javier Gonzalez, Eddy V. Leal, and Kathy Parks Suarez did not respond to our questionnaire.
Why are you running for office?
Sabina Covo  | First and foremost I am running for three reasons and they are called Pedro, Pablo, and Carmen. I am the anti-corruption and transparency candidate. I will fight every day to improve the quality of living in our district and city. I have spent years holding the powerful accountable and now I want to be a public servant to you in government. |
Michael Goggins  | I have questions regarding how our city is operating. What is being done about traffic congestion, improving safety for bicyclists, mico mobility and pedestrians? What is the basis for the seemingly irrational cost of rent and living in Miami? I want to be the people’s commissioner. The pervasive influence of special interests has to be curtailed. |
Lior Halabi | Growing up in a politically active culture and serving in the Israeli Parliament, I learned the power of leadership and bringing diverse communities together. My passion for art, culture, and marketing drive me to create social change and bring unity to Miami. |
Max Martínez | Finishing runner-up for Mayor in 2021, I’ve shown the initiative to act with urgency & integrity. To be elected to lead the district I grew up in & now reside in during such a crucial moment would be an honor. City Hall needs a new face, a fearless & studious leader who listens, & wants the responsibility of coming up with solutions for the future. |
Lorenzo Palomares  | The city commission has become a circus, forgetting the values of the City, its fathers. Today, the commission and its mayor are selling bits and pieces to the city, changing the Character of the city, redistricting without a referendum, or even consulting the people. |
June Savage | This is my way to honor the world we live in and I have been planning this for over 2 yrs |
Christi Tasker | My District is experiencing a mass influx of Russian & Chinese funds, all while run by Frances Suarez’s horrible decisions such as investing city money in things like FTX, & giving away city land. I will be motioning for: an audit of the City budget, an audit of the City Police Dept, and limiting our police playing security for politicians. |
James Torres  | The residents of the City of Miami are anxious for their leaders to tackle the critical issues that matter to our families. I look forward to bringing a new perspective and fresh ideas by committing my extensive experience in the private and public sectors to improving the lives of our residents. |
Mario Vuksanovic | I am running because I want to help make life better for the people of district 2 especially the homeless. I want to help the homeless turn their lives around and become productive citizens. I would like to build a tunnel from Brickell Avenue to downtown and bring relief to our traffic congestion. I will protect the west grove. |
Martin Zilber  | My parents instilled in me a sense of service that it was the highest privilege to serve others. I brought this to the bench and having left the bench I want to continue that service. |
How will you increase civic participation in your district and stay accountable to constituents?
| Sabina Covo | I pledge to hold monthly townhalls across the district during my time in office. I will also have open door Fridays in my office where anyone can attend without an appointment. |
| Michael Goggins | I recognize my responsibility and duty to be available to you to hear your concerns and advocate for you. I am willing to commit to an entire day each month to spend as much time as needed to meet and discuss concerns. Productive meetings are those that when the last question is asked and nobody has anything else to say the meeting has ended. |
| Lior Halabi | I will actively engage with the community through town hall meetings and a transparent communication plan using digital platforms, where residents can voice their concerns and I can provide updates on my progress. To stay accountable, I will regularly report on my progress and take constituent feedback in those digital platforms. |
| Max Martínez | Being elected the first grassroots City of Miami Commissioner would set a new precedent in local & civic participation. I’ve made it my responsibility to take action for the generations ahead of us & if I can build that movement successfully, I’m committed to creating an environment where people feel heard & have their concerns addressed. |
| Lorenzo Palomares | By being the solution candidate, not more of the same, will draft legislation to divorce the City from Citizen Insurance by creation a City own mutual fund, reducing housing costs by 30% and generation $750,000 in franchise fees. Creating a west grove development agency to develop business and affordable housing. |
| June Savage | I will hold Town Hall meetings which will include police and FDOT (depends items) |
| Christi Tasker | First I will set up neighborhood & employee watch programs to help me best manage & communicate needs per neighborhood & city employees; this will ensure what’s on paper matches real life. I’ll host neighborhood watch meetings bi-monthly. Monthly, I’ll host an in-person town hall where we’ll report on what’s going on with each neighborhood. |
| James Torres | By making them part of the process… It is very evident looking at how the public comment portion of our commission meetings, that they don’t care. To them, we aren’t necessary. Every month, we will meet with neighbors and their HOA’s. On day one, I will create a steering committee made of HOA presidents that will help guid the policy decisions. |
| Mario Vuksanovic | I would have more town hall meetings and be there in person to speak to the community about whatever issues are important to them. When there is an issue that divides people, I would have experts from both sides of the issue and discover together with the district 2 residents what the best solution is. Communication is key. |
| Martin Zilber | Relying upon my skills as mediator my goal is to build consensus and compromise between opposing parties. The role of a commissioner is to build consensus and find compromise amongst the Commissioners to move the City forward as a whole while representing your constituents for their individual issues. |
What would be your approach to addressing skyrocketing rents, substandard housing, and increased houselessness?
| Sabina Covo | I will work to implement public private partnerships and further the incentives for affordable housing development. I will take a neighborhood based approach when determine whether to increase density and always consider impact on the existing residents and environment in order to promote responsible development. |
| Michael Goggins | Reduce new development projects that are rental only apartments owned by large corporations. Fewer properties are available for sale to owner occupied full time residents. Many condos are purchased as short term rentals and bought and sold as businesses instead of what most would consider realistic values. We need more owner occupied properties. |
| Lior Halabi | As a young immigrant, I understand struggles. I believe in creating affordable housing options, implementing rent control measures, and partnering with local organizations to provide resources and support to those in need. These solutions will ensure all residents have access to safe and stable housing. |
| Max Martínez | D2 has appx. 42k apartments & 17k homes, & I would fight for stronger regulations to protect our current renters from unfair rent hikes & ensure every resident has access to livable conditions. Houselessness has been a problem for years & we need to work with organizations (MSM/MCARE) that already have local success stories of solving it humanely. |
| Lorenzo Palomares | Create our own insurance self fund and not send the money to Tallahassee, generating 35% savings in housing costs while creating $750,000 in franchise fee to the city. The fund will be a mutual fund owned by the policy holders. |
| June Savage | I will continue to search for cost efficient ways example micro-units / work with the State and National govt agencies to get funding offered to us. |
| Christi Tasker | Put limitations on the number of condos developers can buy within one HOA and provide whistleblower protection for owners that expose HOA/Developer corruption. Require developers that abolish cost-effective homes to fund grants, a temporary placement program, or build contingent on building well-designed affordable housing in other locations. |
| James Torres | Developers of market rate and luxury units must be part of the solution. What they pay now is a joke, and then it is just recycled back to them. We need REAL community benefit agreements. We need to move to only reward those who build based on the city’s AMI, and wave fees and fast track the permitting process for real affordable housing. |
| Mario Vuksanovic | There are many empty buildings that can be converted into affordable housing. We could do that fast. Some of these buildings can used for more homeless shelters. Temporary financial help for those with low income for their rent and assist them in finding better paying jobs. |
| Martin Zilber | More than 60,000 new residents have migrated to Miami from the Northeast and West. We need to use the Miami Forever Bond Dollars toward workforce and affordable housing. We can couple that with CRA dollars to leverage home ownership in Condo buildings and Partner with the Development Community for Down payer assistance. |
As the center of sea-level rise and sunny day flooding, what scalable solutions will you implement in your district?
| Sabina Covo | I will consult with experts to find the optimal solution that helps preserve the environment but still mitigates the negative effects of flooding on our residents and businesses. This includes fighting to find programs like the Bay Back program that utilize natural barriers and promote mitigation techniques that don’t over depend on walls. |
| Michael Goggins | Improve maintenance and the following solutions to reduce flooding: – Increase funding and frequency for litter collection and street sweeping – Increase funding and frequency for catch-basin cleaning instead of every 5 years – Installation of storm drain filters and upgrade stormwater infrastructure – Enact single-use plastic reduction on city property |
| Lior Halabi | I will prioritize implementing resiliency measures, such as green infrastructure and upgrading our pumping systems, to mitigate the effects of sea-level rise and sunny day flooding. I will also work closely with experts and organizations in the field to develop long-term, sustainable solutions to protect our community and environment. |
| Max Martínez | The most vulnerable coastline in the world, D2 has been the 1st to feel the effects of the crisis. Declared an emergency in ’19, we need urgency. The climate resiliency team is doing all it can to be proactive in prevention, but needs more $ & people. Each coast has a unique solution (seawall/mangroves/etc.) that requires investment to see through. |
| Lorenzo Palomares | The solution is clear apply the impact fees where they must go and install 4-6 force mains in the Brickell area. Simple pumping is not the solution. We need to guarantee that the City will not misuse impact fees, and address the impact of development to the environment, lifestyle and traffic. |
| June Savage | Natural cost efficient solutions. Gradient inclines with rocks sand and mangroves. Planting trees that work for us. I am studying what Key Biscayne is implementing and seeing how we in the City can use it. |
| Christi Tasker | Hold developers that litter our bay and breach aquifers accountable with fines. Replace the dilapidated seawalls. Host panels for consultants such as geotechnical engineers, scientists & biologists to recommend and provide solutions with public attendance. Communicate findings in short highlight clips & motion for referendum votes for the solution. |
| James Torres | a. Secure funding for floodwalls in key areas to protect our neighborhoods from storm surges. b. Upgrade current drainage systems. c. Modernize the City’s aging infrastructure. d. Ensure the proper infrastructure is in place before approving future development. |
| Mario Vuksanovic | I would welcome town hall meetings and have everyone way in and include experts so that we can be as educated as possible about this issue. Then we will make the best and informed decisions. |
| Martin Zilber | Essentially as to Coastal Flooding in some parts you can build sea walls, the disadvantage to sea walls is that once breached they can have the opposite effect and serve as retention. I will support the use of the Forever Bond Dollars to be matched with County, State and Federal dollars to leverage and fund these projects. |