Candidates Qualify for Aventura Election on March 6
Zev Auerbach Is Unopposed in District 5 Race but
Bob Diamond Draws Two Competitors

“I believe it’s time to let new people on to the City Commission.”

Scott Abraham	Gustavo Blachman	Bob Diamond	Teri Holzberg	Jonathan Weitz

By Randy Abraham

With the qualifying period for candidates in the Aventura mayoral and City Commission races now closed, two candidates are seeking retiring Commissioner Harry Holzberg’s seat; incumbent Commissioner Bob Diamond has two challengers; and Commissioner Zev Auerbach automatically was re-elected when no one challenged his bid in the March 6 municipal elections.

This time around, there will be no early voting and no runoffs. It will be winner take all, as voters last year approved a charter amendment that eliminated runoffs, required in most Miami-Dade municipalities when no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote. Also, city officials opted against holding early voting as a cost-saving measure.

First-term Commissioner Auerbach, unopposed for the at-large District 5 seat, is now assured a victory. He said he would use the time he would have spent campaigning for community service. “I’d rather put my energies into serving the community than running for office,” said Auerbach. “It’s much more productive.”

With Holzberg term-limited out of office this year, two candidates qualified to replace him in Seat 1, which represents Aventura’s northern district: Holzberg’s wife, Teri Holzberg, and real estate broker Gustavo Blachman.

Teri Holzberg said her familiarity with city issues make her the better candidate. “Who better than me knows what issues the City Commission faces every day?” asked Holzberg, who noted she has attended more than 200 commission meetings, workshops and public hearings. She added that she would be her own person. “I’m not running as Harry’s wife; people who know me know I have my own opinions.”

She is opposed by Blachman, another first-time candidate and 11-year Aventura resident who received his U.S. citizenship in December 2005. “I want to be involved in the community in every way,” said Blachman. “I believe it’s time to let new people on to the City Commission. We see how little people participate in the democratic process, and it’s time for new blood and new ideas to come in.”

Opposing first-term Seat 3 Commissioner Bob Diamond in his bid for re-election to Aventura’s southern district is Jonathan Weitz, an executive with his family’s luxury homebuilders firm Weitz Development, and Scott Abraham, who ran for mayor in the 2005 elections.

Diamond touted his decades of municipal government experience as a city councilman, city attorney and judge in his native New Jersey, and his years in Aventura serving as president of the Williams Island 3000 Condominium Association, where he worked to bring cultural activities to the island community. He also noted that he has taught adult education classes at Florida International University and the Aventura-Turnberry Jewish Center.

As an Aventura official, Diamond cited his efforts to increase cultural programming locally and his suggestion in 2005 to impose a temporary building moratorium to prevent building site plan applications from being considered while city leaders revamped new building codes that reduced maximum allowable building heights and densities.

“The most important thing to consider is my experience and dedication to serve the community,” said Diamond.

Diamond added that he would not accept campaign contributions from developers.

Weitz, 30, said he would champion the concerns of the growing numbers of young residents, families and children. “The City Commission has done very well, but needs the outlook of young people,” said Weitz. “I feel I can better offer my views as a young professional.”

Abraham, 35, who moved to the city eight years ago, also said he would bring a young person’s perspective to the position. An Internet entrepreneur, he sold his company and retired five years ago. He was one of four mayoral candidates in 2005, eventually losing in the general election to Susan Gottlieb. “I believe that we ran an incredibly successful campaign last election,” said Abraham. “We are determined to run an even better campaign this time around. We have a great combination of dedicated and hard-working individuals supporting our campaign.

“As a young resident and businessman in the city, I represent the combined voice of both the young and the senior residents,” he added. “As a younger and professional resident I bring new and creative ideas.” All Aventura residents, regardless of where they live in the city, may vote for all candidates. Although candidates for commission Seat 1 must live north of the Lehman Causeway, and candidates for commission Seat 3 must live south of the causeway, all candidates are elected citywide.

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