Newly elected Commissioner Joe Martinez is sort of on a war path. And there is no bigger casualty than former Commissioner Juan Zapata. Martinez has several items on Tuesday’s agenda to start to undo some of the things that Zapata is most proud of from the last four years.

Martinez will ask his colleauges to strip the “West End” name from county facilities — basically erase it from the map. He also wants to stop the North end Municipal Advisory Committee, which has been meeting to move forward on the incorporation process.

“It was my platform. It’s why I ran,” Martinez said though we know that he ran because he can’t stand not being in office. After all, he ran for mayor in 2012 and for Congress in 2014 but couldn’t get elected outside his district.

Read related story: ‘West End’ Kendall city would operate with $40 million

He says that the West End name was thrust upon the public without their consent or input. “People didn’t have a say. A lot of people didn’t like the way the name was just given to them.”

If approved, the West End Regional Library will go back to being the West Kendall Regional Library, the Miami-Dade Police Department’s West District Station will go back to being the Hammocks District Station and the West jEnd District Park will go back to being the West Kendall District Park.

“That’s fine,” Zapata told Ladra on Sunday, explaining that the West End moniker was intended to be a regional brand to bring together the communities of West Kendall, Bird Road, Country Walk, Kendale Lakes, Calusa and Hammocks, among others.

“You can self identify whatever you want, but you need a regional brand,” Zapata said, adding that he had sought the advice of marketing experts and had three town hall meetings about it. “They couldn’t market West Kendall. Everyone just thinks of it being ‘so far’ and ‘the traffic.’ I wanted to change that narrative. I couldn’t change the narrative without that name. I wanted people to look at this area differently. I wanted to change the vibe.”

Counters Martinez: “I’m not doing it to undo what he did. In the 12 years that I was commissioner, not once did anybody say let’s change the name.”

Read related story: Juan Zapata’s ‘West End’ is criticized — with poetry

But while he says Martinez is doing the same thing that he accuses Zapata of — making the name change arbitrarily without input from the community, the former commissioner and state rep is more concerned with the rescinding of the MAC, which has met for about two years to put together its incorporation application.

“All I did was allow a process, start a conversation,” Zapata said. “I can’t understand why anybody would be against neighbors getting together to discuss the future of this community.”

Zapata and incorporation supporters say that the district provides $16 million in revenue to the county through property taxes but does not get it’s fair share of unicorporated municipal services.

“We’ve actually been waiting fo the county to do a public hearing” said Joe Rodriguez, a member of the North side MAC. “It’s very feasible to do a city out here. The county’s own consultant told us we’re getting raped out here by the county. We give millions in taxes but you never see a cop out here, or very rarely.

“We’re almost at the end of the process. We’re not finished because the county has been dragging their feet,” Rodriguez said, adding that Martinez never even went to the group to tell them what he was doing.

Read related story: ‘West End’ has fewer cops per capita, needs more

“We’re at the end of the process,” he told Ladra last week. “All we’re asking is to let this go to a vote of the people If it passes, it’s the will of the people. If it fails, it fails.”

Martinez counters that very few people attend the MAC meetings. “If there were 200 people who show up, or 150. But I don’t remember many people being in favor of it.” He says he campaigned against the incorporation because voters told him they were against it.

“They do not want another layer of government,” he told Ladra, “and the people who show up to vote are just the eople in favor.”

He says he’s open to getting it started again — “if that’s what the people want.”

Asked how he would pay for the changing of the signs — which Zapata paid for out of his office funds — Martinez said he had not thought about that yet. He wanted to see if the old signs were still around somewhere. But he might seek private sponsors to make donations.

But won’t he owe someone a favor then?

UPDATE: This meeting has been cancelled. We imagine it will be rescheduled for a later time.

West End could be the first new municipality to incorporate in Miami-Dade County since the moratorium was lifted in 2012 and since Cutler Bay was incorporated in 2005.

The West End North Municipal Advisory Committee will convene for the third public meeting tonight to review the pros and cons of becoming a city with its own police force and parks department and government and address public issues or concerns. Last month, the committee received a second proposed budget that — surprise, surprise — showed higher potential revenue than the county’s own report at $42.3 million. This could be the last meeting before the incorporation effort goes, with a recommendation from the committee, to the first of two public hearings at the planning and zoning board and then on to the full county commission.

Read related story: Juan Zapata’s ‘West End’ study could portend a new city

It will still need to be approved by voters living within the boundaries.

A seven member committee has been reviewing the potential benefits of incorporating since 2014. The area in question an is bounded by Southwest Eighth Street on the north, Southwest 187th Avenue to the west, Southwest 88th Street to the south and Southwest 147th Avenue to the east, with northern portions extending to Southwest 127th Avenue and Florida’s Turnpike. According to the 2010 Census, just short of 130,000 residents live there.

A second MAC for the West End South goes from SW 88th to 152nd streets and from 137th Avenue to the UDB line just past Krome. But they haven’t met since October and may not be as far along as the North group. (Correction: While the county website is not updated for their meetings, a recent story in the Community Papers, brought to my attention by a loyal reader, says the group also meets monthly and is close to having public hearings as well. We’ll get more on that later).

Last month, the MAC North committee reviewed a proposed budget that ranges from $39.9 to $42.3 million, depending on different revenue streams and whether you trust the county numbers or their outside consultant, who projected higher revenues. Incoming that is certain includes $10.8 million in property taxes, $9.3 million in 1/2 cent sales tax dollars, another $3.2 million in shared state revenue, $13 million in utility fees and $2.7 million in franchise fees.

The hypothetical proposed budget shows the largest chunk of the municipal money going to public safety, with $18 million for police. This has always been a main selling point of incorporation, having a more focused and local police force. About $1.5 million each would go to parks and recreation and code enforcement, two services that are going to be key in that area. Almost $2 million are earmarked for a transportation fund. After a half million for the five-member city council and another half mil for a city manager’s office, there will still be almost $5 million left for a reserve fund, according to this hypothetical, proposed budget.

The bottom line pitch is going to be this: The incorporation will not cost property owners any more in taxes.

“The area loses money by being unincorporated,” said Commissioner Juan Zapata, who commissioned the committee in 2013 and is an unabashed supporter of cityhood. He says his district is a donor district that does not get what it deserves. “The county is extracting value from this area and shortchanging this area. The numbers speak for themselves.

“If people are fine giving up their taxes to other areas, then don’t change it,” he said. “Other people are making decisions for them with their money.”

Read related story: Juan Zapata draws anti incorporation challenger for 2016

This is likely to become an election issue now that Zapata is challenged by two people who want to slow the incorporation down. Then there are some who might say that Zapata is just trying to create a little kingdom for himself to become mayor of. But if you know Zap, you know small town politics are not his thing. The former state rep says thanks but no thanks.

“I’ve said it publicly and I will say it again, I have no interest in being a local, municipal elected official,” he said, adding that, as of right now, he’s sort of the mayor anyway. There are no municipalities in his district, hence no local electeds to battle with.

“It’s even better than being the mayor,” he said.

“This is about the numbers. Look at the numbers. They are not my numbers.”

The proposed budget and report are available online here. 

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the Kendale Lakes Library Branch, 15205 SW 88th St. This could be the last meeting before the plan goes to the planning and zoning board for the two public hearings.