Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez Recalled

Posted by on March 15, 2011

Miami-Dade County residents have voted to remove Mayor Carlos Alvarez and Commissioner Natacha Seijas from office. Results, including early and absentee voting, show 88 percent of voters want to recall Alvarez and just under the same percentage want to remove Seijas.

The push to remove Alvarez from office was led by and political action committee Miami Voice and billionaire car dealer Norman Braman, who said the mayor's fiscal decision endangered the community. The two drives began after Alvarez pushed through a budget that hiked the county’s tax rate and gave raises to county employees. Seijas voted for the budget.

Alvarez and Seijas tried to kill the recall in court.

While some things were out of Alvarez’s control; such as staggering local unemployment of almost 13 percent, falling home values, a continuing flood of foreclosures, a shaky economy and generalized distrust of government and dislike of incumbents. Then there were things under his control like handing out generous pay raises for his staff while demanding sacrifices from other county employees. Like his chief of staff moonlighting in Panama. And the big one -- pushing through a baseball stadium without voter approval. For a team that pleaded poverty, but was later found to be raking in the dough.

Alvarez has said his recommended budget was necessary to maintain vital county services.

The Miami-Dade County Commission has 30 days to decide whether to appoint the mayor until the next general election, which is in January. If not, commissioners could call another special election for the mayor that would be held within 45 days.


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