DORAL, Fla. – In 2022, Christi Fraga won a special runoff election to become Doral’s first female mayor. Now she is running for reelection and facing a challenge from a former supporter.
Speaking to Local 10 News’ Christina Vazquez, Fraga drilled down on her ideas to tackle what the businesswoman and former councilmember calls a major quality of life issue in Doral: traffic.
“I have a background in finance and accounting, specializing in real estate acquisition,” she said. “Nowadays you are seeing more and more people choosing to live where they work, and that will help (improve traffic), however in the meantime we do have to make more responsible decisions in development and traffic solutions. We are looking at re-designing our trolley routes, routes that are more direct, more efficient otherwise people won’t use it.”
“I have heard you say publicly that over-development is an issue, how are you defining that and threading that needle?” Vazquez asked Fraga.
“It is looking at it in a case-by-case scenario,” she replied. “So when a project comes before me, I look at it based on its merits. What are you asking for, what is it going to do for our community, how can we make it better, and how we can find a middle ground to meet the needs to community.”
Challenging Fraga in the election is Roxanna Garay, who is running for an elected office for the first time.
She co-owns a logistics company and said her focus is on applying concepts currently learning through a sustainable smart cities advanced degree program.
“Are there any public transportation options, policies you are considering?” asked Vazquez.
“Adapting into new technologies,” replied Garay. “The vision that I have for the transportation I think is to first is to change the technology that is happening, which is biodiesel.”
“How do you define sustainable development and what does that mean to you? What is a policy that you would put in place?” asked Vazquez.
“Policies for green development, when it comes down to, building codes of the energy efficiencies to utilize every aspect of nature,” she said. “For example, trying to utilize construction and even the rain to help the construction centralize into the whole circular efficiency of the water that circulates in the construction. So adapting the whole environment to new construction.”
Another area of focus is the county incinerator. Since a major fire torched it, Doral has argued it should be rebuilt elsewhere.
Last month, Miami-Dade County commissioners deferred a related item until after the election to, in part, give county administration time to explore what Doral’s contributions will be toward the county’s moving expenses should commissioners decide to relocate it.
“My initiative is working with the county and developer to work our way around and is beneficial for the residents of Doral,” said Garay.
Added Fraga: “The whole argument was that we needed to pay the differential, but they don’t even know what the differential is because they haven’t chosen a location. I am not willing to write a blank check of our taxpayer dollars to the county.”