Seven apply for empty Hialeah council seat. One faced ethics probe as a city employee

There’s been a political stir in Hialeah over how to proceed with filling Councilwoman Angelica Pacheco’s vacant seat after Gov. DeSantis suspended her following her arrest on healthcare fraud charges.

At least seven candidates have filed to fill the seat until November 2025, when the city plans to hold a special election for the position. The city has regularly scheduled elections at that time for the mayoral seat and three other council positions.

All candidates have strong roots in Hialeah, with four currently serving on city boards, including the Veterans Affairs’, Personnel and Historic Preservation boards, and one on the Beautification Committee.

READ MORE: Hialeah councilwoman charged with multimillion-dollar healthcare fraud at rehab clinic

One candidate previously worked for the city but was investigated by the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust regarding a conflict of interest with her outside employment in real estate.

Gelien Perez, 34, filed her intention to become an interim council member after she resigned as Hialeah’s HR director in January 2022, two months after Mayor Esteban “Steve” Bovo took office. Perez’s 12-year tenure in the city included roles as an administrative aide, program specialist in the Grants and Human Services Department, human resources coordinator and human resources director. Perez served as Hialeah’s HR director from October 2014 to January 2022, mostly under Mayor Carlos Hernandez, who served from May 2011 until November 2021.

Perez was investigated by the Ethics Commission between 2018 and 2020. It was alleged that Perez conducted her real estate business during taxpayer time, leveraging her influence to obtain information from coworkers for her private transactions and using city contacts to gain an edge in real estate deals.

The Ethics Commission found evidence of conflicting employment, noting that some of Perez’s real estate customers at RD Realty were her direct subordinates in the HR department. Those subordinates received significant pay raises while Perez acted as their real estate agent, the investigation found.

Franklin Duharte, a human resources specialist at the time and now a risk management administrator, received three pay raises totaling 16% in 2018, the same year he bought a home through RD Realty with Perez as his agent.

Similarly, Yanet Villegas, a human resources payroll specialist at the time and now a fire payroll administrator, received two raises in 2017, totaling nearly 20%, during the period when Perez was helping her search for a home.

The investigation also revealed that Perez approved hiring Christopher Sanchez, a domestic partner of one of her real estate clients, as a temporary retirement specialist in August 2018. His hire occurred shortly before Sanchez and his partner, a city employee, closed on a home sale with RD Realty involved. Sanchez confirmed that the sales contract was prepared by Perez in her City Hall office. Sanchez is currently a retirement specialist with the city.

The Ethics Commission concluded that Perez earned real estate commissions from her subordinates and approved performance evaluations and raises benefiting them. Hialeah’s outside employment guidelines prohibit soliciting city employees for private business, but no administrative action was taken against Perez.

Her real estate agent license was issued in July 2017 and is valid until September 2024, according to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Perez stated via email that she was not interested in doing an interview with el Nuevo Herald, noting that her information is a matter of public record. She is currently a member of the city’s Personnel Board after being appointed by Bovo in May.

Originally from Cuba, Perez holds a master’s degree in legal studies and a master of science in human resources management.

Who are the other candidates?

▪ Vivian Kristine Pena, 59, originally from Cuba, has been a real estate agent for the past 30 years. Despite her profession, she emphasized that she won’t favor every development. If she becomes an interim council member, she stated that she will carefully analyze each project that comes to the city, particularly considering how it may impact residents regarding traffic.

“If the residents are going to suffer, it’s not a winning decision for the city,” Pena said. “Every project and every decision the government makes must have a meaningful, positive impact on the community.”

Pena aims to focus on helping the youth through a project she has called “Empowering the Next Generation.” The initiative seeks to educate young people in schools about finances and life skills, she said.

▪ Omar Caraballo, 64, is a retired police officer who served 16 years with the Hialeah Police Department under then-Chief Rolando Bolaños. Throughout his career, he held roles as a detective, spokesperson and community service officer, eventually retiring as a patrol officer in 1998. He is the chairman and treasurer of Hialeah’s Veterans’ Affairs Board. Caraballo holds a bachelor of arts in legal studies and a juris doctorate.

In his letter of intent, he expressed his love for serving the community and helping people. He promised to prioritize preventing any displacement of senior citizens as the city continues to grow.

▪ Manuel “Manny” Reyes Jr., 51, has been a professional mixed martial fighter since 1989. With a degree in psychology, he currently works in health and wellness as a licensed contractor with a Florida public school, where he teaches youth life enrichment. Reyes also owns a martial arts academy and serves on Hialeah’s Historic Preservation Board, appointed by the mayor in January for a three-year term.

This marks Reyes’s second attempt to secure the interim council seat. His first bid was in 2022, when he applied to fill the vacancy left by Bovo’s stepson, Oscar De la Rosa, but Vivian Casals-Muñoz was appointed instead. Reyes expressed his commitment to community service, including efforts to help the homeless and to secure resources for fighting diseases like cancer. “I want to serve on the council because I was born and raised in Hialeah,” Reyes emphasized. “I aim to enhance the city beyond its current state.”

For Reyes, becoming a council member represents an opportunity to “restore honor to the city” following the controversies surrounding Pacheco.

▪ Juan Santana, 41, is a former three-time mayoral candidate and a former candidate for the interim council seat in 2022. He is an activist who often speaks during council meetings regarding developments, increases of water and trash fees, and other issues impacting longtime residents.

If appointed, Santana pledges a more transparent government, housing for workers, and to decrease the trash collection fee and water bills.

Santana has a high school diploma and studied political science in college but didn’t get a degree. He is the vice president of Positive Hits Community Service Group South, a nonprofit assisting the needy in Hialeah.

▪ Melinda De La Vega, 38, is the vice president of the Hialeah Pan American Lions Club, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering communities. The club supports blind individuals, provides scholarships, addresses humanitarian needs, encourages peace and promotes international understanding.

As a councilwoman she wants to improve the support to vulnerable communities and seniors, as she does in Lions Club. She also wants to embellish public spaces and create opportunities to help local businesses thrive. “I want to make Hialeah a beautiful and nice place to live,” she said.

De La Vega has a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration and human resources. De La Vega serves on Hialeah’s Historic Preservation Board after she was appointed by the mayor in January for a three-year term.

▪ Javier Morejon, 33, who has a bachelor’s in public administration, serves as a city surveyor in Miami Gardens. He is a member of Miami-Dade County Historic Preservation Board and serves on Hialeah’s Beautification Committee Board, appointed by the mayor in November 2022 for a two-year term.

When asked by el Nuevo Herald about why he applied for the position, he stated that he had no comments.

On Tuesday, July 16, the city is expected to decide on the next interim council member. Sources close to the process told el Nuevo Herald that some individuals were asked not to apply to avoid a political imbalance, which could affect the council’s vote. If the council members cannot agree on an appointee, the city may hold a special election in November.