Mitch Perry
A bill sponsored by Miami Republican Frank Artilles that would bring back the position of an elected mayor position in Miami-Dade County advanced in a Florida Senate Committee on Tuesday.
The Florida Constitution requires each county to elect a county sheriff, property appraiser, supervisor of elections, tax collector, and clerk of circuit courts. However, the constitution also allowed individual counties to change the way those positions (or equivalent positions) are filled either by special vote or in the county charter. Miami-Dade is the only county out of the 67 in the state that does not elect their sheriff. In their current system of governance, Miami-Dade has an appointed chief law-enforcement officer whose title is Director of the Miami-Dade Police Department.
Officially, the county government wants to keep things just the way they are.
“We’re opposed most significantly to the state deciding for Miami-Dade County, because even if Dade had voted against an elected sheriff, the rest of the state could impose that elected sheriff on Miami Dade County,” said Jess McCarty, a lobbyist for the Miami-Dade County government. “And I would ask each of you to think of your own communities, whether that’s what you would like – the state voting on local affairs?”
Fellow Miami resident Jose Javier Rodriguez, a Democrat, also opposes the proposal. “I don’t think that a very, very blunt instrument going statewide is the way to resolve this.”
Others disagreed.
“We need autonomy. We need some separation of power. Otherwise you have absolute power and absolute corruption,” said John Rivera the president of both the statewide and Miami-Dade County chapter of the Florida Police Benevolent Association. He said that Carlos Gimenez, the current Miami-Dade County Mayor, prefers the status quo.
“The Mayor has too much power,” complained North Miami Beach Senate Democrat Daphne Campbell. “This is why Miami did have so much corruption going on,” she said. “Once you’re elected, you have eyes watching you. When you’re selected, you have nobody watching you.”
She also accused Gimenez of intimidating his opponents.
Gimenez has been thrust into the national spotlight in recent weeks, after he became one of the first mayors in the country to renounce his jurisdiction’s status as a sanctuary county, after President Trump threatened to yank federal funding from those cities and counties around the nation.
“It just does not compute to me that the sheriff is not elected,” said Fernandina Beach Republican Aaron Bean. “Let’s give Miami-Dade a chance to have elected officials that are directly accountable to the people.”
And that’s exactly what the Senate Community Affairs Committee did on Tuesday, with only Campbell and Javier Rodriguez dissenting.
Artiles’ proposal needs approval by three-fifths of the Senate and three-fifths of the House, as well as support from 60 percent of voters in the 2018 election. It would apply statewide.
6 comments
Don't want to be fired
February 21, 2017 at 8:09 pm
That’s why we have captains, no use whatsoever to the department, except they make $120k. Friends and family has been in full effect. A Lt at the training bureau has been making $200k to do what? Lolol, what a criminal, no news on it. Since her husband has been promoted up the chain. Really sad that qualified people have been passed over.
Lt. Joe Leon, Retired
February 21, 2017 at 10:06 pm
I do agree 100%, this has been in my conversations with politicians that I know for a while now!
Let’s do it right, first, we need to educate the voters regarding what a Sheriff Office is, and what they have in Miami-Dade County.
Second, tell the pros and the cons, so the voters can make their educated decisions.
Third, the referendum, election or whatever goes to the voters has to coincide with a presidential election so as to get the biggest voter turn out possible.
Allan
February 22, 2017 at 12:44 pm
100% in favor of an elected Sheriff. They do not have one for one reason, so the Mayor has all the power. He controls the Police Force, as well as Corrections and the Fire Department. The power keeps them in office. Time to let the people decide who runs the agencies, instead of an appointed cronie ….. The nepotism rule should be put back also, like most other agencies..
Joe Leon
February 22, 2017 at 9:59 pm
Exactly, I agree 200%
Marshall Frank
February 22, 2017 at 3:58 pm
I served under both systems, starting as a rookie in 1960 and leaving as captain in 1990. Both have pluses and minuses, and plausible arguments. But I would rather see it remain as an appointed Director. Politics enter into either system. but more so under an elected Sheriff who may be the top cop, but he’s always running for re-election one way or another… which in turn, can breed corruption. (which it did in the 1960s)
Joe Leon
February 23, 2017 at 5:59 pm
Great answer, my decision to push for an elected Sheriff has to do with finding a center point.
The pendulum has gone to far to the other side, it needs to swing back the other way!
Of course there are pit falls with either situation, politics is a dirty business.
We need to keep our eyes fixed on all the politicians!👮🏻
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