About
Councilman Josh Dieguez

Josh has been living in Miami Lakes since 1989 and has dedicated himself to serving the Town since an early age. From serving as a Town government intern to serving as a member of the Elderly Affairs Committee, Charter Revision Commission, and the Neighborhood Improvement Committee, Josh has a proven track record of committed service to Miami Lakes and ensuring it lives up to the motto "Growing Beautifully". Outside of public office, Josh continues to give back through service with various community groups.

Since being elected in 2018, Josh has made it his focus to ensure that taxpayer money is being used wisely, public safety is prioritized, and that much needed investments in our infrastructure are completed. Toward that end he has voted to reduce the Town's property tax rate to the lowest level ever, supported our police officers and made sure they have the resources necessary to keep Miami Lakes one of the safest communities in Florida, pushed to increase the Town's "rainy day" fund, and voted to approve the largest investment in drainage infrastructure in the Town's history to address flooding.

Josh graduated cum laude from Florida International University with a double major in Political Science and History and graduated with his Juris Doctor degree and a Certificate in Environmental Law from St. Thomas University. He practices law from his own law firm located in Miami Lakes.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT

josh with his family

THE ISSUES

Public Safety

Josh believes public safety is the cornerstone of a successful community and that nothing can flourish without it. Toward that end, he has steadfastly supported our police and ensured they have the resources they need to be effective. Over the last six years, Josh has supported the implementation of additional license plate readers around town and most recently voted to fund a substantial increase in police patrols on our streets to better deter criminals. Continuing this focus on public safety, Josh will fight for additional officers during the overnight shift, add new community policing programs, and work to increase lighting in dark areas to deter crime.

Fiscal Responsibility and Taxes

Josh has voted to keep the Town's property tax rate low all six years of his time in office and has voted five times to lower property taxes and reduce permit fees making Miami Lakes among the least tax burdened communities in Miami-Dade County. He has also sponsored measures that have reduced the overall budget while increasing the Town's reserves. If elected as Mayor, Josh pledges to continue looking for other opportunities to bring down the property tax rate further while also ensuring that taxpayer money is wisely invested into things that directly improve our quality of life.

Traffic

To achieve meaningful traffic relief, the Town needs to work with its federal, state, and local partners to increase highway connectivity at the Town's east and west borders to reduce the bottle neck that is created by so many commuters entering and exiting the Town at Palmetto Expressway and Miami Lakes Drive during peak hours. Currently, Josh is working with Commissioner Rene Garcia, State Representative Fabricio, and State Senator Avila to deliver on new highway access points. He was also a proponent of new dedicated turning lanes that are expected to improve traffic flow on Miami Lakes Drive once completed.

Flooding & Infrastructure

Flooding poses a danger to our vehicles and homes. Because of that, Josh supported a $33 million investment in improving our drainage system that will add new drains and expand capacity at others. Josh also passed legislation that mandated additional money to maintain our existing infrastructure meaning more sidewalk repairs, light replacements, and street repairs.

Beautification and Protecting the Character of Miami Lakes

Whether it is replacing old street signage or beautifying our cul-de-sacs and town entry points, Josh has always supported initiatives that enhance the look and feel of the Town. It was Josh’s initiative to add trees to the Palmetto exit at N.W. 67th Avenue and he is currently pushing to update the Town’s Beautification Master Plan to create a unified plan for ensuring the Town lives up to its motto "Growing Beautifully". Josh has also pushed back against attempts to needlessly lower town standards and successfully added a new full time code compliance position to better address an enforcement gap that exists on the weekends. Further, as Mayor, he will continue pursuing strategic partnerships to ensure all our town parks and green spaces are protected and enhanced.

Rock Mining Blasting

In 2018, former State Representative Manny Diaz Jr. appointed Josh to a Rock Mining Task Force intended to propose legislation to protect our homes from rock mining blasting. The legislative package that resulted from that group has been the central starting point for all rock mining blasting legislation proposed in Tallahassee since. In fact, it was Josh who proposed returning jurisdiction for rock mining related claims to the circuit court system and Josh has since advocated for the legislative package that came from this Rock Mining Task Force all six years of his elected service as Councilman and will continue to do so as our next Mayor.