Miami Shores Village is days away from electing three new councilmembers, who will ultimately serve as the new majority voting on heated issues like the municipality’s comprehensive plan.
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Miami Shores Village will hold a municipal election for three new councilmembers April 11./Miami Shores Village Official Government
Beginning April 8 for early voting and leading up to the April 11 election date, more than 7,000 registered Miami Shores voters will be able to select three candidates out of a pool of seven. The top two vote-getters will serve terms of four years, while the candidate who comes in third place will serve a two-year term, only.
The qualifying candidates include Andrew Bellinson, an attorney and business owner who has lived in Miami Shores for 20 years; George Burch, a retired veterinarian and lifelong resident who is married to outgoing Councilmember Alice Burch; Wesley Castellanos, an architect and contractor who has been serving on the council since an emergency appointment in January; and Jerome Charles, a 44-year resident and communications and media professional.
(John Van Beekum)
Jesse Valinksy, Candidate
The remaining candidates are Deepak Ganju, a 30-year resident, small business owner and founder of nonprofits Holding Hands Foundation and Kashmir Hindu Foundation; Jesse Valinksy, a 14-year resident and owner of a local Steve’s Pizza; and Peter Walsh, a former criminal prosecutor who has lived in the village for 20 years.
Comprehensive Plan the No. 1 Issue
The Florida Department of Economic Opportunity is expected to finish its review of the village’s comprehensive plan and bring it back to the village for a final vote by the end of April. As such, the new councilmembers will join Mayor Sandra Harris and Vice Mayor Daniel Marinberg to determine the fate of the plan, which in its current form would increase density throughout the village.
(John Van Beekum)
Jerome Charles, Miami Shores Village Council Candidate
Given the long and controversial history behind the comprehensive plan, which has been continuously reported on by the Biscayne Times, the subject has naturally become a leading factor in how voters will cast their ballots. Each candidate expressed their disapproval of the plan as it is written now during myriad public forums last month.
Disapproval alone, however, won’t satisfy voters who want strongly to maintain the single-family residential character of their neighborhoods. Volunteer organization Miami Shores United (MSU) – formed by the same individuals who led a petition against the comprehensive plan with more than 1,700 signatures – are endorsing Burch, Charles and Valinsky. The three candidates have expressed not just disapproval during their respective campaigns, but vehement opposition to the comprehensive plan during several public meetings throughout the past year.
(John Van Beekum)
Miami Shores Village Councilmember Wesley Castellanos, who is running for reelection.
Former candidates Neil Cantor and Julio Martinez also endorsed Burch, Charles and Valinsky upon submitting their withdrawals from the race.
On the other hand, Miami Shores Future has endorsed Castellanos. The local group is in support of the comprehensive plan in its currently proposed form and says it wants to create a vibrant downtown with increased foot traffic for small businesses.
Despite the endorsement, Castellanos has maintained that he is against the comprehensive plan and was one of the minority votes opposing it upon first reading Feb. 21. He has expressed an interest, like Miami Shores Future, for a “vibrant downtown,” yet cites his architectural background as an asset in reaching a compromise that works for neighboring residents and small businesses alike. Castellanos said he was unable to speak to the Times when we reached out to him for comment.
(John Van Beekum)
George Burch, Miami Shores Village Council Candidate
Save LGBT also has endorsed Castellanos – and Bellinson and Walsh – as “pro-equality candidates.” Equality and inclusion have become hot topics in the Shores ever since Marinberg announced on Facebook that he and Harris had been the victims of anti-LGBTQ+ hate comments and death threats, respectively.
Every candidate, regardless of which entity has endorsed them, has expressed the need to revisit the comprehensive plan at square one, restoring and inviting the voice of the people into the decision-making process.
“I would like a brand new comp plan,” said Valinsky during a public forum March 14. “I do not think the current comp plan they are working on reflects how special and unique this village is … What we have now is a comp plan that not only allows for development that we don’t want, it invites it in.”
Again, Valinksy’s position is not a far cry from the others’. Charles, for instance, says he has disagreed with the plan from its inception. Burch wishes to restore multifamily zoning at NE 105th Street and Biscayne Boulevard, and find a compromise for the village’s downtown and the area adjacent to Barry University. Walsh says he wants to “limit growth as much as possible.” Bellinson fervently denies rumors that he will support the comp plan, insisting that he is 100% against it. Ganju has advocated for a referendum on the matter.
But the comprehensive plan isn’t the only issue affecting Miami Shores Village. The candidates have all pushed similar platforms as far as increasing sustainability and resiliency in the village, funding septic-to-sewer conversions, supporting diversity and inclusion, and potentially replacing the village attorney. As such, the makeup of the village’s future council may well be determined by popularity and trust alone.
The ballot will also include 10 charter amendments, which include requiring a referendum for the sale of village property, increasing residency requirements from six months to one year prior to running for office, and introducing a citizen’s bill of rights.