Though it’s not quite New Years yet, thousands of Homestead residents are shouting, “Out with the old, in with the new”. Christmas bells are ringing well ahead of time and Thanksgiving is being appreciated due to the recent ousting of Homestead former city Mayor Lynda Bell and her city council incumbents.
Most of the new bloods elected to take over, won by some astonishing margins. Steve Bateman voted in as city mayor prevailed by more than 300 votes; Stephen Shelley defeated Tim Nelson for seat #1 by 400 votes; Elvis R. Maldonado over Nazy Sierra for seat #5 by 292 votes; Jimmy Williams III defeated Melvin McCormick for seat #4 by only 38 votes. However, it wasn’t the amount of votes he won by that mattered, but the fact that Williams is a virtual newcomer to Homestead.
The only standing incumbent in the race to maintain her seat #6 was City Councilwoman, Judy Waldman as she beat her opponent, Angel Garrote, by a whopping 800 votes. Waldman also received 925 of 2,562 votes to become as the city’s next vice mayor. However, Jon Burgess still has 2 years left of a 4 year term.
The former Mayor Bell and city council members will surely be missed by some, especially City Councilwoman Wendy Lobos who was fortunate enough not to have her seat up for grabs. If it had been, believe me when I say, she too would have had her head served on a platter just like the others. Her most unfortunate status will brand her as a lone wolf. Then again, she still has the infamous City Manager Mike Shehadeh (who is also part of the current council clique) standing alongside her.
Hopefully those years that Lobos, along with her city council cohorts, sat licking their chops waiting to rip Councilman Judy Waldman apart on nearly every positive issue she brought to the table, won’t come back to haunt her. Some say turnabout is fair play.
The big question becomes, will there be any changes with the new mayor and city council?
A lot has been promised. There are signs and poster boards of Steve Bateman pledging “No new taxes”, a message that truly sits well with established business owners and suburbia. However, what about the southwest section that consists of primarily Black Americans? What will become of it? Some African Americans I talked with are a bit concerned over the fact that Bateman never set foot within their communities during his run for mayor. Is it the beginning of his lack of interest for black communities like the elected officials before him?
Bateman, in fact, has lived in Homestead most of his life and is fully aware of the destructive forces that has turned what used to be a relatively prosperous community into an environment of lost hope. So the question becomes, will he, along with the new breed of city council, be able to implement a plan that will bring jobs and enhance the development of small African American businesses within their communities? Will schools and education centers remain hostage to a system of failing grades and will elements of crime continue to surround them?
I say to the new breeds in the house, rejoice, rejoice, rejoice, but understand you have a job ahead of you. It is one that the previous administration wasn’t able to do or just ignored the necessary changes needed. Also, let’s not forget it’s a job that you asked for.
City beautification is truly beautiful, but enough with the building of parks and community clean up missions. The southwest section needs more than something that really amounts to nothing more than a political photo session. It’s time to build strong businesses and develop jobs. Perhaps the community clean up events can be handled by a local African American company that is willing to hire people from the community to take on that very task.
Understand newcomers, the residents of Homestead have faith in you. This is the reason you were voted into office. Please don’t let them down. I say press forward with the progressive changes you vowed to make in the low economic sectors of Homestead, or should I say, “Be careful of what you wish for”?
