Anthony Rodriguez: Commission chairman looks at governmental efficiency

Since being elected Miami-Dade District 10 county commissioner in 2022, Anthony Rodriguez has focused on establishing committees and task forces to better small businesses and the quality of life for all residents.

In November 2024, Mr. Rodriguez was selected chairman of the Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization (TPO) by his colleagues, an added valuable leadership role to better public transit and roadways along with his District 10 government responsibilities, which encompass portions of Kendall, Westchester, and Fontainebleau.

Before joining the commission, he served as a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2018 to 2022. During his tenure, he advocated for and secured state funding for several Miami-Dade County-based non-profits, including the WOW Center, a special education school empowering individuals with disabilities, and Casa Familia, an organization dedicated to creating sustainable, enriched, and affordable housing communities benefiting adults with intellectual, developmental, and other related disabilities.

Mr. Rodriguez said he is an ongoing sponsor of state funding for the Miami-Dade CountryFest and Zoo Miami. He has also served as a member of the Jackson Health System Board and the Miami-Dade County Unsafe Structures Board.

A first-generation Cuban American born and raised in Miami, he is the son of Cuban exiles who arrived in the United States in the 1960s. His father was one of more than 14,000 children who fled from the island during “Operation Peter Pan” in the aftermath of the Communist revolution.

Now, he said, he is in the position to put in place the Government Efficiency Ad Hoc Committee, and the Special Task Force to Reduce Inefficiencies in Procurement, which he said are just the beginning of making his district and the county one of the very best in the state. 

“Our current procurement process is bogged down by over 200 pieces of legislation and an average of 100 individual steps per request,” he said of the recently approved procurement task force. “For contracts exceeding $1 million, it takes over 349 days to procure. This inefficiency not only drives up costs but also creates an uneven playing field, favoring only those who can afford to navigate the delays.”

Mr. Rodriguez spoke with Miami Today Reporter Abraham Galvan.

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