The mayor of Miami Lakes is Joshua Dieguez, who took office after winning a runoff election on November 26, 2024.1Florida Department of State. Miami Lakes Run-Off Election He presides over the seven-member Town Council and serves as the ceremonial head of a master-planned community of roughly 32,000 residents in Miami-Dade County. Miami Lakes runs on a council-manager system, so elected officials set policy while a professional Town Manager handles day-to-day operations.2Town of Miami Lakes. Our Government
Who Joshua Dieguez Is
Dieguez served on the Town Council from 2018 through 2024 before running for the top job. On the council he focused on fiscal accountability and responsible use of taxpayer funds.3Town of Miami Lakes. Mayor In the 2024 mayoral runoff he defeated Tony Fernandez with about 56 percent of the vote.1Florida Department of State. Miami Lakes Run-Off Election
He replaced Manny Cid, who had held the office for two consecutive terms after a 2016 runoff win and a 2020 reelection.4Miami-Dade County Elections. Official Run-Off Election Ballot Miami Lakes November 29 2016 The Town Charter caps the mayor at two consecutive terms, which made Cid ineligible to run again in 2024 and opened the field.5Town of Miami Lakes. Town of Miami Lakes Town Charter
What the Mayor Does
Under Section 2.2 of the Town Charter, the mayor presides over all Town Council meetings, keeps order during debate, and votes on every legislative matter the council takes up. The mayor can call special meetings and signs ordinances and contracts on behalf of the town.6Town of Miami Lakes. Town Council – Section: Council Overview
The mayor also nominates the Town Manager and Town Attorney, though both nominations require full council approval. During declared emergencies and at ceremonial functions, the mayor acts as the head of town government. Running departments and implementing the budget is the Town Manager’s job, as the chief administrative officer under the council-manager model.2Town of Miami Lakes. Our Government
What the Miami Lakes mayor does not have is veto power. The mayor is first among equals on the council rather than a strong executive who can block legislation. Disagreement with a proposed ordinance has to be registered the same way any other council member registers it: with a no vote.
Term, Salary, and Benefits
The mayor is elected at-large to a four-year term, meaning every registered voter in town casts a ballot for the seat. If no candidate clears 50 percent, the top two finishers meet in a runoff 21 calendar days later, which is how the 2024 race was decided.7Town of Miami Lakes. Election Information No one can serve more than two consecutive terms. A partial term of less than two years does not count against that limit; a partial term of two years or more does.5Town of Miami Lakes. Town of Miami Lakes Town Charter
The base salary was set at $18,000 per year under a 2018 ordinance, paid biweekly, with an annual adjustment tied to the Consumer Price Index for the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area. The mayor also receives a $600 monthly car allowance and individual health insurance at no personal cost through the town employee plan. Dependents can be added, but the mayor pays for that coverage personally.8Town of Miami Lakes. Ordinance No. 18-218 The compensation reflects a part-time role; the Town Manager, not the mayor, runs the operational side of government.
If the Seat Becomes Vacant or the Mayor Is Recalled
If the mayor’s seat opens mid-term, the vice mayor fills it for the remainder of the vice mayor’s own term. If more time remains on the mayoral term after that, a special election is held to finish it out.
Florida law also lets voters remove a sitting mayor through recall. The grounds are specific: malfeasance, misfeasance, neglect of duty, drunkenness, incompetence, permanent inability to perform the job, or conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude. Any registered voter in town can sign a recall petition, which must state the grounds in 200 words or fewer. For a municipality the size of Miami Lakes, with well over 10,000 registered electors, the petition needs at least 1,000 valid signatures to force a recall election.9Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 100.361 – Municipal Recall