Hialeah, FLVoter Guide 2026 · not a ballot

Voter guide · Nov 3, 2026

Hialeah City Council Election 2026

1 of 7

council seats up

Vote for up to 1

2 candidates

Updated Oct 2, 2026. Every claim links to its source. How we check →

The candidates

Listed alphabetically by last name. Every position links to its source.

City Council Group II · 1 seat

One contest is on this ballot: City Council Group II, elected citywide, so every Hialeah voter picks one of two candidates.

4 notes on these statements

The City Council appointed Luis Gonzalez as acting Group II council member on Jan. 27, 2026, by a 5-0 vote. City Council minutes, Jan. 27, 2026 · Jan 27, 2026

Mayor Bryan Calvo backed Luis Gonzalez for the January 2026 appointment. Miami Herald · Jan 27, 2026

In the Miami Herald's candidate Q&A, Luis Gonzalez's answers are listed as "Awaiting response." Miami Herald

If a runoff is required, the special general election would be held on Dec. 8, 2026. City of Hialeah

Already on the council, not on the ballot

Whoever you elect will govern alongside these members.

Bryan CalvoMayor; assumed office January 12, 2026; next mayoral election 20295sourcedWilliam MarreroCouncilmember, Group IV4sourcedGelien PerezCouncilmember, Group III6sourcedMonica PerezCouncilmember, Group I; term ends November 5, 20274sourcedLuis RodriguezCouncilmember, Group VII; term ends November 9, 20295sourcedMelinda De La VegaCouncil vice president who has worked in the health insurance field for about 20 years.4sourcedCarl ZogbyCouncil president; retired from the Hialeah Police Department after 23 years, including 11 as executive assistant to the police chief.5sourced

Officeholders' pages compare what they've said with how they've voted, with sources.

Start here

Match quiz4 questions · answers stay on your phoneSeat the CouncilPick winners, see the councilWhat council decidesCity property tax rate, JFK Library museum, Water and sewer billsKey datesDeadlines and vote centers

Get your Hialeah ballot cheat-sheet

Candidates, positions and dates in one email, sent now.

One email now. We only email again if you ask. No ads, never sold.

Next date

Voter registration deadline

Mon, Oct 5, 2026

TodayAll key dates

What the next council decides

City property tax rate

Where it standsThe council kept the operating tax rate at 6.3018 mills for fiscal 2027, 7.32% above the rolled-back rate of 5.8719 mills.

What's on the tableThe council sets the tax rate and adopts the mayor's budget every September.

JFK Library museum

Where it standsThe fiscal 2027 budget sets aside $8 million to turn the John F. Kennedy Library into a combined library and Hialeah history museum.

What's on the tableThe council will weigh in on the project's design, contracts and spending as it moves forward.

Water and sewer bills

Where it standsStarting Oct. 1, 2026, the city plans to cut water and sewer rates 25% for homes and small businesses using under 10,000 gallons a month.

What's on the tableThe council adopts the water and sewer utility's budget each year.

Boats at townhouses

Where it standsA 2024 ordinance bars boats and RVs at townhouses and duplexes; in September 2026 the council created a waiver for boats owned before it passed.

What's on the tableThe council decides whether to loosen, keep or tighten the residential boat and RV parking rules.

Rezoning land zoned for homes

Where it standsIn 2026 the council approved, by split votes, commercial uses on single-family land at 1550 W. 60th St. and 652 SE 5th Ave.

What's on the tableThe council casts the final vote on land-use map changes and rezonings.

Who matches you?

Answer any of these questions. We compare your answers with each person's sourced record, and nothing is stored. Questions where no one has a sourced record yet are left out. Tap a selected answer again to skip it.

  1. 1. Hialeah's operating tax rate has been 6.3018 mills since 2013, and rising property values bring in more revenue. What should the city do?

  2. 2. The budget sets aside $8 million to add a Hialeah history museum to the JFK Library. What should the city do?

  3. 3. Hialeah bars boats and RVs at townhouses and duplexes. What should the rule be?

  4. 4. The council rezoned part of a church property at 1550 W. 60th St. from single-family to commercial for a boat and RV parking lot. Where do you stand?

Seat the Council →

Pick a winner for each open seat and see where the resulting council stands on each issue.

Key dates

The seat math

7 stay (not up this year): Bryan Calvo, William Marrero, Gelien Perez, Monica Perez, Luis Rodriguez, Melinda De La Vega, Carl Zogby1 on this ballot

7 council seats plus a mayor who doesn't vote on council items. The council decides by a 4-vote majority.

  • The Hialeah City Council has seven members, all elected at large by group. Ballotpedia
  • Council members serve four-year terms; Groups I through IV are elected in one cycle and Groups V through VII two years later. Hialeah Charter, Article II
  • Hialeah has a strong mayor: the mayor attends council meetings and joins discussions but has no power to vote. Hialeah Charter, Article II
  • The mayor can veto ordinances and resolutions; overriding a veto takes at least five council votes. Hialeah Charter, Article II
  • City elections are nonpartisan. City of Hialeah
  • The Group II seat is on the ballot as a special election after Jesus Tundidor resigned; the winner serves the rest of the term, ending November 5, 2027. City of Hialeah
  • Hialeah's only contest on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot is Councilmember Group II, with Mariana V. Chavez and Luis Gonzalez. Miami-Dade Elections

Every claim here links to its source and was checked against it before publishing. How this guide works →

Take your ballot with you

Who is on your ballot, where each candidate stands, and the dates that matter, in one email you can carry to the polls. Sent right now.

One email now. We only email again if you ask. No ads, never sold.

See something wrong? Report an error

Something wrong or missing? Tell us what and where, with a link to a source if you have one. Reports feed the next verification run.