There’s some controversy over the New Year’s Eve event at Bayfront Park.
Members of the Biscayne Neighborhoods Association say the NYE entertainment catered exclusively to a Spanish-speaking audience.
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WATCH HERE“I think in the City of Miami inclusion should play a role in anything that we do that involves taxpayer dollars,” said Rick Madan, president of the Biscayne Neighborhoods Association.
"Hey, how come we haven't been hearing any songs in English, and it's only Spanish?" he asked with a laugh.
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Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo, who led the event planning and who is also chairman of the Bayfront Park Management Trust, says over the last seven years, the artist lineup has never been an issue.
The press release ahead of the Dec. 31 event promoted it as the “largest Hispanic New Year’s celebration in the United States."
In an email obtained by NBC6, the president of the Biscayne Neighborhoods Association said to the Miami City Commission: "The constituents expressed disappointment that the event featured exclusively Spanish-speaking performers, stating that many English-speaking residents felt excluded. Additionally, numerous visitors to Miami, who contribute significantly to our local economy, were also disappointed at the lack of diverse entertainment options."
Carollo says the lineup did not only feature Spanish-speaking artists.
“We had Roxy that sung in English, Larry Doug and his band, the two disc jockeys – the bulk of what they had was in English,” Carollo said.
Carollo believes the criticism surrounding the event is misguided and personal. He says both individuals interviewed for this report want to “destroy the Bayfront Park Management Trust."
“Everything that the city does is wrong. All they do is complain, complain, complain, and everything is bad. You’re going to do a story over this?” Carollo said.
Bayfront Park Management Trust Board Member Pat Santangelo says he hasn’t heard any complaints from other Miami residents.
“It’s very hard to please all of the people all of the time, but in this case, we are considered the capital of South America to some people,” said Santangelo, who was involved in planning the NYE event alongside Carollo and other Trust board members.
“We’re all taxpayers and it’s not a solely one group New Year’s Eve event, it’s not a private event,” said Miami resident Dr. Jeffrey Dorfman.
The Biscayne Neighborhoods Association wants the Trust to consider resident input for next year. Carollo stands by his event and says it was the most successful New Year’s event ever.
