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In local government, experience matters. Knowing the community matters. Knowing the people, understanding the history and, most importantly, knowing how to get things done matters. That is why I support Mayor Spencer Deno for reelection in Virginia Gardens. Deno isn\u2019t someone who discovered Virginia Gardens when it was time to run for office. He grew up there. His family has deep roots in the Village, and he has spent decades serving the community. He was elected to the Village Council in 1997, became Council President and has served as mayor since 2003. That is more than two decades of experience leading the Village, dealing with county and state government and working on the issues that directly affect the people who live there.<\/p>\n
Virginia Gardens is different. It is a small community with a big sense of identity, surrounded by some of the busiest and fastest-growing areas of Miami-Dade County. Residents want their Village to remain a place where people know their neighbors, where families feel connected and where the character of the community is protected. But keeping that character doesn\u2019t mean standing still. Roads have to be maintained. Drainage has to work. Sidewalks and infrastructure have to be improved. Parks and recreation facilities need attention. Public safety has to remain a priority. And when Miami-Dade County, the state or other government agencies make decisions that affect Virginia Gardens, the Village needs someone who understands how to make its voice heard.<\/p>\n
Deno has been in the middle of those issues for years. Look at drainage. It isn\u2019t the most glamorous subject in politics, but ask residents what happens when heavy rain hits and suddenly it becomes one of the most important issues in the Village. Virginia Gardens has pursued major drainage improvements, including projects involving the central drainage system and other areas of the community. There has also been work involving roads, sidewalks and other infrastructure. These are the projects that don\u2019t always make headlines, but they are exactly what local government is supposed to deliver. You can talk about big ideas all day long, but residents ultimately judge their local government by whether the streets, drainage, parks and basic services are working.<\/p>\n
Deno has also shown that being mayor of a small village doesn\u2019t mean staying inside Village Hall. When Virginia Gardens has had to deal with Miami-Dade County, he has gone to the County Commission and made the Village\u2019s case. During discussions involving annexation and the future of Virginia Gardens, Deno spoke directly to county officials about the financial impact on the Village and the importance of protecting the interests of its residents. That is what representation is supposed to look like. A mayor has to be willing to walk into a room filled with county officials, make the case for his community and make sure Virginia Gardens doesn\u2019t get lost in the shuffle because it is smaller than the cities surrounding it.<\/p>\n
You don\u2019t have to agree with every decision a mayor makes. That\u2019s politics. But when voters are deciding whether someone deserves another term, they should look beyond the campaign signs and slogans and look at the record. Who has actually been involved? Who understands the community? Who knows the history? Who has spent years building relationships with county and state officials? Who is going to answer the phone when there is a problem? For me, the answer is Spencer Deno. He has been part of Virginia Gardens for most of his life, and he has spent more than two decades serving as its mayor.<\/p>\n
There is also something important about having a mayor who understands that Virginia Gardens has to protect what makes it special. The Village doesn\u2019t need to become the next big development center in Miami-Dade County. It needs to remain Virginia Gardens while continuing to improve. That means protecting the quality of life residents value while making smart investments in infrastructure, drainage, recreation, public safety and the future. Deno understands that balance because he isn\u2019t looking at Virginia Gardens from the outside. He grew up there. He knows the families. He knows the neighborhoods. He knows what the Village has been and, hopefully, what it can continue to be.<\/p>\n
Experience doesn\u2019t guarantee that every decision will be perfect. Nothing does. But experience gives a mayor institutional knowledge, relationships and an understanding of how government actually works. Deno has spent years working through those issues. He has worked with the Village Council, county government and state officials. He has pursued funding and projects for Virginia Gardens and has represented the Village when important decisions were being made outside its borders. After more than two decades as mayor, there is no question that he knows the job and knows the community.<\/p>\n
Virginia Gardens voters will make their decision on November 3. This is a local election, and that\u2019s exactly how it should be viewed. Forget the national political noise for a moment and look at your own neighborhood. Look at the streets. Look at the drainage. Look at the parks. Look at the projects. Look at the leadership and the experience it takes to deal with Miami-Dade County and Tallahassee when Virginia Gardens needs something.<\/p>\n
For me, this election comes down to experience, commitment and a demonstrated connection to the Village. Spencer Deno has spent decades serving Virginia Gardens, and I believe that record deserves another term. Virginia Gardens is a special community, and it deserves leadership that understands what makes it special while continuing to work on the improvements residents need.<\/p>\n
I support Spencer Deno for mayor of Virginia Gardens.\u2013<\/p>\n
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