Battle in North Miami Beach

Residents start efforts to recall mayor who they claim got special treatment

There's a battle brewing in North Miami Beach as citizens are set to take on the mayor who they claim skirted some rules that everyone else must follow.

"This mayor has just had absolutely no respect for the citizens of this city," said DD Drumheller, one of the residents spearheading the effort to remove Mayor Myron Rosner from office.

One year ago, residents went to county ethics officials to allege Rosner -- then a Councilman -- was turned down for permits on a swimming pool, a driveway and new awnings, yet was able to pressure city staffers to approve the permits without going through the standard process of getting a variance. A variance, an OK to build, is an exception to the city code.

"He did not go for the variances, I was on planning and zoning at the time, when he should have been going for his variances," Drumheller said. "He never came before us, he never came before the city council for his variances."

A report from the ethics commission indicates there is probable cause that Rosner violated the conflict of interest and code of ethics and that evidence establishes Rosner, who is a licensed contractor, knew that proposed additions to to his property would require obtaining a variance.

"Basically it's a group of people who are bitter that lost an election," Rosner said. 

Rosner said all the allegations are a vendetta against him by his political opponents -- sore losers -- who lost at the polls and are using the recall as a second election.

The mayor insists he did nothing wrong at his home.

"Everything at my home has permits," Rosner said. "I applied like every other citizen here, went through the building process, went through every process that anybody asked me, I have no violations at my home."

Residents say they just want their elected leaders to follow the rules.

"I want him to do the right thing, follow the rules, just like you want everybody else to do," said North Miami Beach Resident Paul Forsyth.

Residents will soon get a chance to sign a recall petition to try to decide Rosner's fate.

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