What Miami-Dade's District 5 Commissioner Wants Every Resident to Know | Vicki Lopez

Miami-Dade County Commissioner Vicki Lopez joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about everything happening in District 5. She shares what drives her public service, how her family shaped her values, and her journey from State Representative to County Commissioner — including facing racism along the way.

We get into the Fisher Island fuel tank controversy, Lincoln Road and Ocean Drive's comeback, the sargassum problem on our beaches, senior food assistance programs, mom and pop entrepreneur grants, DDA criticism, homelessness, the 836 extension to Kendall, and the Urban Development Boundary debate. Commissioner Lopez also shares her message to District 5 voters ahead of the August 18th election.

This is everything happening in your district — straight from the source.

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Produced by: Ben Schwede
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0:00 Intro
2:18 What Drives Her
3:33 How Her Family Shaped Her as a Person
6:49 Studying at Notre Dame
7:52 Notre Dame vs UM
8:08 Encountering Racism
10:34 Becoming a State Representative
13:11 Getting Appointed as District 5 Commissioner
14:57 District 5
16:04 Fisher Island Fuel Tank Controversy
23:00 ADIM Providing Information
25:20 Spreading Misinformation and Verifying Truth
26:44 Jurisdiction
29:53 Lincoln Road
31:38 Ocean Drive is Coming Back
36:10 Sargassum
39:14 Cheesesteak for Sale
40:34 Senior Communities
44:51 Mom and Pop Grants and Entrepreneurial Spirit
47:55 Downtown and DDA Criticism
53:58 Homelessness Issue
55:54 Elections
59:06 Sacrifices of Being a Commissioner
1:00:55 Update on 836 Extension to Kendall
1:02:21 UDB Line
1:05:01 Top 3 Restaurants
1:08:53 Outro