Five file to sit on Pinecrest council

Related-story pointer: VOTING MIX-UP, 6

In the fledgling race for the Pinecrest council, five people already have qualified to run.

Coral Gables lawyer Henry Hunnefeld, 38, has filed for mayor. Attorney Evelyn Greer, 45, a leading advocate for incorporation vote, said she also will run but has not yet filed.

“Being the first mayor would be something special,” Hunnefeld said.

For the District 1 council seat, Veronica Matzner, 33, wife of Pinecrest Charter Commission member Gary Matzner, has qualified to run. Cindie Blanck, a Miami retailer, will run in District 2. Former state legislator Richard Renick, has filed in District 3. And Dorothy Jackson, 52, a political activist and president of the Democratic Women’s Club of Dade County, will run in District 4.

“I want to preserve Pinecrest as a quality community,” Jackson said. “If things are going to change, I want them to change for the better.”

Deadline Approaching

Other aspiring politicians in the new Village of Pinecrest have until 5 p.m. Thursday to run for mayor or council. To qualify, candidates must open a campaign account, name a treasurer, pay a $100 qualifying fee and submit a financial disclosure form to the county elections department.

Pinecrest will be divided into four districts, according to the charter. Three council members will be elected from the districts where they live. A fourth council member will be elected at-large. The mayor, who votes with the council, will serve a four-year term.

To Be Seated Next Month

In the village’s first election, two council seats will be two-year terms: districts two and four. After that, all council members will serve four-year terms. There will be elections every two years for two council seats.

Pinecrest’s new government will be elected April 23. The mayor and council members will officially take office the next day after a 7 p.m. swearing-in ceremony.