Aventura voters will choose between incumbent Mayor Howard S. Weinberg and challenger Alberto Zaltzberg on Nov. 3.

The race is Aventura's first contested mayoral election in at least four years. Weinberg won the seat unopposed in 2022 after his only challenger withdrew, according to Florida Politics. He served eight years on the Aventura City Commission starting in 2010 before becoming mayor.

Zaltzberg, a real estate broker and online marketing specialist who moved from Buenos Aires to Florida in 2001, lost a 2022 bid for Commission Seat 6. He is running under the slogan "Make Aventura Great Again." If elected, he would become Aventura's first Latino mayor, according to Florida Politics.

Where the candidates stand

In a Miami Herald voter guide published Sunday, Sept. 20, both candidates laid out their priorities.

Weinberg, who also works as corporate counsel and senior vice president of business development at Hotwire Communications according to Florida Politics, pointed to his record. He pledged no property tax increase for as long as he is mayor and cited a recent groundbreaking for a new school as a promise kept without raising taxes. He said he brought the Freebee free electric vehicle transit service to the city. He also claimed to have secured millions of dollars in grants but did not specify the amount.

"Public safety is priority number one," Weinberg told the Herald. "It is part of my 'quality of life' priority umbrella that includes crime prevention, low taxes/affordability, traffic mitigation, superior schools, recreational programs/upgraded parks and public transit."

Weinberg holds a master's degree in government from Georgetown University and a law degree from Boston University.

Zaltzberg framed his pitch around housing costs. He identified reserves, insurance and special assessments as the most pressing issue facing Aventura, particularly for retirees on fixed incomes.

"The cost of staying in the home you already own," Zaltzberg told the Herald. "Reserves, insurance and special assessments are squeezing owners, and hardest on the retirees on a fixed income."

He said the city can help by publishing clear financial numbers, speeding up permits for required repairs and creating a single point of contact for residents with questions. Before announcing his candidacy, Zaltzberg published 24 proposals covering traffic, safety, HOA transparency, seniors and parks.

He described his daily work reviewing budgets, HOA documents, permits and contracts as direct preparation for the job.

Charter amendments also on the ballot

Two proposed Aventura charter amendments will appear alongside the mayoral race on Nov. 3, according to Florida Politics. Amendment 1 would double elected officials' salaries, raising the mayor's pay from $10,000 to $20,000. Commissioners' pay would rise from $7,500 to $15,000.

Amendment 2 would increase the interval between independent CPA audits of city accounts from five to seven years.

Part of a broader Miami-Dade ballot

Aventura is one of 22 Miami-Dade municipalities with items on the November ballot, including nine with mayoral races. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.