Hialeah Uses Public Funds for Mayor Promotion Texts

The city spent over $16,000 on mass texts to residents using a firm previously employed by Mayor Bryan Calvo's campaign.

Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in City Hall

Hialeah Uses Public Funds for Mayor Promotion Texts

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Do you believe it is appropriate for your city to use taxpayer funds for promotional mayoral texts?

Beginning in April 2026, the city of Hialeah paid Dark Horse Strategies and Consulting Inc. $13,050 to send promotional mass text messages to residents. City council members have stated they were unaware of the spending, which utilized a firm that previously received $171,000 from Mayor Bryan Calvo's political action committee.

Why it matters

The spending has raised transparency concerns because the city-funded texts promoted the mayor's office through a private consultant. Because the expenditures remained below the $25,000 threshold for mandatory council approval, the payments were processed without legislative oversight.

The city of Hialeah paid a total of $16,590 to Dark Horse Strategies and Consulting Inc. across four initial payments and three additional service orders. This amount remains $9,000 below the $25,000 threshold required for mandatory city council approval.

The players

Bryan Calvo

He is the current mayor of Hialeah who campaigned for the office in 2025.

Dark Horse Strategies and Consulting Inc.

This is the political consulting firm that received payments from both the city and the mayor's political action committee.

The details

The consulting firm sends mass messages that do not identify as being sent from city-affiliated numbers, basing their service fees on the total volume of residents reached. Hialeah used these services to distribute communications regarding events like Earth Day and the Independence Day celebration.

April 2026 marked the start of the city's payments for promotional text messaging services.
June 13, 2026, was the date of the Mayor's Cup Fan Fest event.
July 2026 saw the completion of the first four batches of mass text messages.
September 2026 is when the city recorded three additional service orders for the consulting firm.

Political Context

Opponents and some council members argue that the city's procurement policies are insufficient to prevent the misuse of public funds for political branding. They contend that the $25,000 threshold for mandatory city council approval creates a loophole for executive overreach on smaller contracts.

Residents may see an increase in unsolicited mass text messages from government-contracted firms that do not explicitly identify as official city channels. This practice highlights how local tax dollars are allocated toward direct-to-consumer advertising efforts rather than traditional public notices.

The takeaway

Transparency in municipal spending is vital to ensure that public funds are not used to bolster the private political profiles of elected officials. Residents should monitor local contract disclosures to ensure that service providers are acting in the best interest of the city rather than the mayor.