Miami-Dade Mayor Must Wait for Recall Fate

Not enough commissioners showed up to Wednesday's meeting to conduct business

Wednesday was supposed to be the day Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez would find out when voters can decide whether they want him to stay in office. But a special called commission meeting ended without any action taken.

Is Miami mad? You be the judge.

“Throw him out," one voter exclaimed.

"I think you have to look at a person's overall record and judge from that. But it's just the tax thing that I’m against," said Amos Nunnally.

Voters are not holding back their concerns with local government giving employees pay raises while raising property taxes.

"Do you think the mayor is responsible for all of that? Absolutely not. But he has a part in it," another voter told NBC Miami.

At a Miami-Dade commission meeting Wednesday officials were supposed to set a recall election date for the mayor. This after more than 95,000 voters submitted signatures to get him out of office.

"The submission from Mr. Braman to recall the mayor would stretch 24 miles, enough to go to downtown Miami to South Beach to downtown twice,” said Clerk of Courts Harvey Ruvin.

But at the special meeting, only six commissioners showed up, too few to take any action. Commissioner Bruno Barreiro used the time as an opportunity to thank voters who did not sign the failed recall effort against him.

"Obviously I'm concerned people signed petitions against me. I hope they review my voting history throughout the years, that they don't judge me on one sole vote," Barreiro said.

Now the fates of the embattled mayor and Commissioner Natacha Seijas are in the same hands of the people who put them in office.

"I don't think we need that kind of person in such a position," said Tony Rodriguez.

"We want to get better, not get bad,” said Maria Pastrana.

Chair Dennis Moss says he's disappointed the meeting couldn't move forward, but he also said he can't blame absent commissioners, who already had plans, causing them to miss the meeting.

The meeting will have to move forward soon, though. The commission has 45 to 90 days to set an election date.

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