About
Councilman Josh Dieguez
Councilman Dieguez has been living in Miami Lakes since 1989 and has dedicated himself to serving the Town since he was young. From intern to serving as a member of the Elderly Affairs Committee, Charter Revision Commission, and the Neighborhood Improvement Committee, Councilman Dieguez has a proven track record of serving Miami Lakes and ensuring it lives up to the motto "Growing Beautifully". Aside from public office, he continues to give back to his community through service in the Miami Lakes Bar Association and the Cuban American Bar Association.
Since being elected in 2018, Councilman Dieguez 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 combat flooding, among other things.
Councilman Dieguez 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 Sustainability from St. Thomas University. He practices law at his family’s law firm, which is located in Miami Lakes.
Fiscal Responsibility and Taxes
Councilman Dieguez has voted to keep the Town's property tax rate low all four years of his time in office and most recently worked with his colleagues to achieve the first property tax rate reduction in five years bringing it to the lowest level in Town history and continuing to keep it one of the five lowest rates in Miami-Dade County. He has also sponsored measures that have increased the Town's reserves to better prepare against financial downturns and position the Town for more property tax rate decreases. Councilman Dieguez 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.
Public Safety
Councilman Dieguez 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 four years, Councilman Dieguez has supported the implementation of additional license plate readers and most recently voted to fund a substantial increase in police patrols on our streets to better deter criminals.
Traffic
To achieve meaningful traffic relief the Town needs to work with its intergovernmental partners to increase highway connectivity at the Town's east and west ends 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, Councilman Dieguez is working with Commissioner Rene Garcia to deliver on new highway access points and will be working with our new School Board Member Roberto Alonso to improve traffic caused by current school pick up and drop off policies. He was also a proponent of new dedicated turning lanes that are expected to improve traffic flow on Miami Lakes Drive once completed.
Flooding and Infrastructure
Flooding poses a danger to our personal property and real estate. Because of that, Councilman Dieguez supported a $30 million investment in improving our drainage system that will add new drains and expand capacity at others, especially in West Miami Lakes. Councilman Dieguez also passed his legislation that mandated additional money to maintain our existing infrastructure meaning more sidewalk repairs, light replacements, and street repairs.
Beautification and Environmental Protection
Councilman Dieguez has supported efforts to beautify the Town including enhancing our tree canopy and cul-de-sacs and redoing the slope along Palmetto Expressway at the NW 67th Avenue exit (coming soon). He is currently pushing to update the Beautification Master Plan to see what additional steps the Town can take to continue ensuring the Town is "Growing Beautifully". Councilman Dieguez also sponsored legislation to add electric vehicle charging stations for public use and required the use of "low flow" fixtures for developments of a certain size to reduce the impact on our water resources. Councilman Dieguez hopes to begin converting Town buildings to solar power to reduce costs.
THE LAST FOUR YEARS:
- Voted to keep taxes low for working families
- Supported our police and new public safety initiatives
- Developed new initiatives to keep Miami Lakes beautiful
- Spearheaded efforts to support our small business community
- Put away more money into the "Rainy Day" fund
- Prioritized mitigating flood damage to our homes and vehicles
THE NEXT FOUR YEARS:
- Committed to lowering the tax rate without reducing essential services
- More investment in public safety
- Committed to following through on long promised beautification initiatives and implementing new ones
- Continue attracting new dining and entertainment options
A LIFETIME COMMITTED TO OUR COMMUNITY
- A lifelong resident of Miami Lakes
- Vice President of the Miami Lakes Bar Association
- Past Chair of the Neighborhood Improvement Committee
- Past Member of the Elderly Affairs Committee
- Past Member of the Charter Revision Commission
- Leadership Miami 43 Graduate