Interim Mayor Jacqueline Garcia-Roves speaks during a city budget council meeting at Hialeah City Hall on Monday, September 15, 2025, in Hialeah, Fla.
D.A. Varela
dvarela@miamiherald.com
The Hialeah City Council narrowly approved on Tuesday night a one-time $200 relief payment for homesteaded property owners — a measure that will cost the city an estimated $6.4 million.
To fund the $200 payments to 32,100 eligible homestead property owners, Hialeah will see a reduction of $4.6 million from the genera fund and will delay around 18 city projects totaling $3.8 million. These include improvements to street lighting, park replacements, the installation of CCTV cameras in city parks, playground resurfacing, impact window replacements, air conditioning replacements, computer upgrades, building improvements and the replacement or purchase of city vehicles, among others. The plan also includes a $500,000 reduction in the city’s contingency fund, $328,000 in savings from eliminating positions and delaying new hires, and the use of $1.8 million from the city’s general fund reserves.
Councilman Carl Zogby, who initially supported an early version of the relief proposal, spoke strongly against the final measure, which was approved by a 4-2 vote Tuesday.
“The city will slow down, delay projects, and it won’t be worth it,” he said. “This is not a victory. Two hundred dollars, less than $16 a month, is not going to change residents’ lives in any meaningful way. The exchange for this is that our services will suffer.”
Zogby added: “Any true Hialeah resident would rather have better services than a one-time $200 rebate. It sets a terrible precedent and doesn’t significantly change or improve anyone’s life. It’s insignificant. I believe this should be tabled indefinitely—until the politics are out of it and the elections are over—so it can be looked at in a way that makes sense.”
This election year, Hialeah council meetings have been among the most confrontational in recent memory. The council, currently operating with only six of its seven members, includes three running for council seats, one seeking the mayor’s office, and the interim mayor also vying for the job. With the council seats and the mayoral office up for election, political tensions have turned recent meetings into public displays of competing ambitions and shifting alliances.
Three of the four council members who supported the relief are currently running for office. Melinda De La Vega, appointed last year to replace Angelica Pacheco, who was removed amid a healthcare fraud investigation, is seeking election to Seat 6. Council President Luis Rodriguez, who recently filed for bankruptcy, is running for reelection to Seat 7. Councilman Jesus Tundidor, another supporter, is running for mayor. The fourth vote in favor came from Councilwoman Monica Perez, who was reelected in 2023.
Hialeah Council member Jesus Tundidor leads interim council member Juan Francisco Junco to his seat during a meeting at Hialeah City Hall on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Hialeah, Fla. D.A. Varela dvarela@miamiherald.com
The two opposing votes came from Zogby, reelected unopposed in this election cycle, and Juan Junco, who was appointed after former Council member Bryan Calvo resigned to run for Miami-Dade tax collector. Calvo is now also running for Hialeah’s mayoral seat. Both Junco and De la Vega are competing for the same seat in the upcoming election. Hialeah does not have voting districts; all council members are elected at large.
Interim Mayor Jacqueline Garcia-Roves said she was pleased with the approval of the relief for homeowners, adding that residents need the financial help. Garcia-Roves dismissed Zogby’s criticism, saying, “Maybe he has money, but many residents really do need this relief.”
Residents are expected to receive their relief checks within 60 days after the final vote on the ordinance, scheduled for Oct. 28.
Tundidor defended the measure, citing rising costs faced by residents.
“This year, FPL increased rates by 11%, insurance keeps going up, and so have water and sewer fees,” he said. “This is the time relief is needed. I’d rather give Hialeah residents some kind of help than give them nothing at all.”
Hialeah Council member Melinda De La Vega speaks during a city council meeting D.A. Varela dvarela@miamiherald.com
De La Vega said she was satisfied with the outcome, even though the approved amount was lower than the $250 she had originally proposed.
“Residents are struggling with rising prices,” she said. “This relief helps, and it won’t impact public safety or fire response services.”
This story was originally published October 15, 2025 at 1:00 PM.
el Nuevo Herald
Verónica Egui Brito ha profundizado en temas sociales apremiantes y de derechos humanos. Cubre noticias dentro de la vibrante ciudad de Hialeah y sus alrededores para el Nuevo Herald y el Miami Herald. Se unió al Herald en 2022. Verónica Egui Brito has delved into pressing social, and human rights issues. She covers news within the vibrant city of Hialeah, and its surrounding areas for el Nuevo Herald, and the Miami Herald. Joined the Herald in 2022.