Who Needs an Election?
Only Three Candidates File for Three Seats on NBV Commission

Trujillo was in the news last year following Hurricane Wilma’s damage to the GrandView Palace Condominium.

by Bonnie Schindler

At the close of the filing deadline day, Sept. 23, at the city clerks’ office in North Bay Village, three seats in the upcoming Nov. 7 election were unopposed.

The positions of mayor and Harbor Island commissioner had only incumbents on the ballot: Mayor Joseph Geller and Vice Mayor George Kane. Meanwhile, only Reinaldo Trujillo filed for the at-large commissioner position. He will replace Commissioner Tzvi Bogomilsky, who decided not to run for re-election.

The Treasure Island and North Bay Island seats on the commission come up in November 2008.

“I am surprised but grateful to be unopposed in my campaign for re-election as mayor,” said Geller.

“I am humbled by the confidence my fellow citizens have shown in me, and I plan to work hard to justify that confidence. I look forward to working with my fellow commissioners, including those newly elected, for the betterment of our city.”

Trujillo said he can’t figure out why he was the only one to sign up as a candidate for the at-large seat.

“I have no idea why I was unopposed,” Trujillo, a resident of the island since 2003, said.

And while he has never held public office, Trujillo said his job at GE Healthcare in Latin America prepared him to deal with large budgets, distribution and helping people who need it.

“If I wasn’t qualified for [the job], I would not have run,” he said.

Making policy decisions for the approximate 7,615 residents of North Bay Village, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, is something Trujillo looks forward to.

“I will represent all the people, and before I make a decision, I will ask,” he said.

Specifically, Trujillo points to quality of life issues that concern residents, including making improvements to the 79th Street Causeway and the sewer system, researching reasons for the city’s power outages, and creating efficient solutions.

He contends, however, that North Bay Village is currently running effectively. “I think we are in good shape.”

Geller, in office for almost two years, said it is a priority to implement the bond issues citizens voted for, including burying power lines. He hopes his next term will map out a master plan for the city.

“We will continue to try to limit growth to projects which are sustainable, do not increase our existing traffic congestion, and help to meet our goal of maintaining our retail core, while improving, not detracting from, our quality of life,” the mayor said.

“A new focus will be an improved code enforcement to insure that all of us comply with our city's laws, so that our quality of life is protected, and our efforts toward beautifying our city are enhanced.”

Day-to-day operations factor heavily into how the city is run and maintained, and the position responsible for this, the city manager, is currently open.

City Manager Charity Good, who held the position since July of 2005, recently announced her resignation and said she will stay on until a replacement is found. The city is currently accepting and reviewing applications, and Trujillo believes the manager post will be filled by the November election.

Geller said the city is specifically looking for a seasoned manager.

“I am looking for someone who is experienced, has vision, has integrity, brings an open mind and has good people skills,” he said, adding that the administration wants to ensure the selection “process is an open one in which citizens can observe and participate.”

Trujillo said, “Their target is within the next couple of weeks.”

Trujillo was in the news last year following Hurricane Wilma’s damage to the GrandView Palace Condominium, where he resides. The storm caused extensive damage, but also revealed that improvements promised by the building owners were never made, Trujillo said.

He said his experience fighting for his neighbors’ rights will guide him as a commissioner.

“Will I look at the future developers of other buildings? You bet I will,” he said. “Not that I am against the developers; I will just monitor them.”

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