Of all the Florida constitutional amendments on the ballot — and there are 13 of them — Miami-Dade voters should be the most excited about Amendment 10, which gives us the chance to have an elected sheriff and tax collector and supervisor of elections.
And maybe end the series of abuses of power 
by a mayor who thinks he is all of these things.
That’s exactly the type of tyrannical dictatorship that Ladra’s parents fled when they left Cuba, a government without checks and balances where the leader appoints everyone and did whatever he wanted because he was the big boss of everybody.
Don’t think this is an exaggeration.
Read related: Carlos Gimenez abuses power in election interference for lobbyist son
It was less than two months ago that Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez actually declared 
himself supervisor of elections — saying he only gives Christina White permission to act in the role for him — so that he could give his lobbyist son a week’s extension to write language for a ballot question. If that’s not an abuse of power Ladra doesn’t know what is.
And maybe he wouldn’t need or be able to justify his $100,000 raise if he wasn’t trying to do everybody’s job.
“I’m the supervisor of elections,” was his direct and arrogant quote to the Miami Herald, almost incredulous that anyone would even raise an eyebrow. “I delegate that power to Christina White.”
He delegates that power? Are you kidding me? That power should not be delegated and then taken away whenever the mayor gets a political whim.
If we had an elected Supervisor of Elections, that definitely wouldn’t have happened. If the mayor had called on a Sunday morning to see if an elected supervisor of elections could change her mind about a deadline she told another mayor was hard and fast, an elected SOE could have sent him to hell in a hand basket or somewhere less polite.
It also might have been more difficult for Gimenez to swoop in after hours, just before 11 p.m. on the eve of qualifying in the 2016 election with a replacement check — because the first one was invalid. An elected SOE would likely tell him to come by in the morning, like everyone else.
Read related: Carlos Gimenez submits late night campaign check
The measure on the ballot would make the five local constitutional offices — sheriff, tax collector, supervisor of elections, clerk of the court and property appraiser — mandatory and require elections for the offices in all 67 counties. It would also prohibit charter counties who opted out of these elected seats, like Miami-Dade, from abolishing or modifying those offices.
We already have an elected property appraiser and an elected clerk of courts. And if we need an elected clerk of freaking courts we certainly need an elected sheriff, who would have independence to run police operations without political interference — and investigate whatever elected official needs investigating.
If we had an elected sheriff, then Gimenez wouldn’t
have any authority over the police chief. Everybody knows Police Director Juan Perez (in the photo, right) doesn’t take a pee without asking Gimenez for permission. And the mayor wouldn’t have been able to completely eliminate the public corruption unit in 2014, after they found absentee ballot fraud in his Hialeah campaign.
Maybe if we had an elected sheriff, he wouldn’t have gotten away with the AB fraud to begin with.
An elected sheriff who did not have to answer to the mayor could more easily investigate corruption without fear that his or her boss would fire him. Because his or her boss would be us, not the mayor. These positions are too important to be handled just like department heads that can be hired and fired by the mayor, who could use such power to do, well, whatever he wants.
Why do you think the county sued to get this amendment off the ballot? Because Gimenez doesn’t want to lose that kind of power. Luckily, the Florida Supreme Court saw right through 
his agenda and refused to take the question off the ballot.
There were also challenges because of four linked items on what some call a clustered amendment. One would move up the state’s legislative session to January rather than March in even-numbered years. Another that would create a counter-terrorism office. And a third would make the existing state veterans affairs department constitutionally required.
All these are good things. But none are as good as having an independent elected sheriff in Miami-Dade. There is a reason why all other 66 counties all have an elected sheriff. Why do we think we’re so special? Because Miami-Dade is so morally superior? Riiiiiight!
It is true that Miami-Dade voters themselves did away with the sheriff’s office decades ago. But look at what’s happened! We have a mayor who eliminated the public corruption unit after they found AB fraud in his campaign! It wasn’t a good idea and we have a chance to fix it and we may not have another chance to fix it for another 20 years.
These should be independently elected offices accountable to the people. And if there is one place that ought to have an elected sheriff, it is right here.
Vote yes on Amendment 10.
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Gimenez also had elections Dept open after hours so he could fix his application for mayor. That gesture has never been extended to any other candidate for any position.
Gimenez has thwarted many potential investigations against MCM, the company who built the failed bridge at FIU, because they are related to Gimenez.
Gimenez wife got a high paid position without having the qualifications solely because of Gimenez deal making.
Political investigations must first be approved by Gimenez which gives him a great deal of leverage that ultimately benefits him personally.
He’ll yeah we need a sheriff! And it took having a guy like Gimenez to make us realize it.
If each of these new offices doesn’t have independent taxing authority to fund their operations, then we are wasting our time. Look around the state and you will see elected county-wide office holders begging and beholden to their county commissioners. Thanks for listening.
…” What’s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander ” . With an educated , and literate population, we are expected to do better in the vetting of candidates. Let me add, that these officials we have today, have received a good part of their education and training, in these United States.
Christopher Davis ,
I agree and can’t stand Gimenez but has there ever been a Cuban Mayor in Miami-Dade who hasn’t been a self serving crook ?.
I say this born in Cuba so not attacking Cubans but I am a realist not some blind, self defeating , ethnic voting “”Calle Ocho Junta”.
…if we’re not mistaken, the principles set out in the U. S. Constitution, like a system of checks and balances, are copied by our state and local governments. We don’t see how the State Attorney General’s office, involved in the prosecution of the law, derives its authority from the office of an administrator of our County government called a Mayor?
There is so much corruption in Miami-Dade County that you have Miami Mayor Carlos Gimenez controlling law enforcement with all of his agencies ( Miami-Dade County Ethics and Public Trust,Miami-Dade County Inspector General’s office,Sheriff’s Office,Miami-Dade County State Attorney office including all of the Miami-Dade County high paid Attorney’s that make an average of $200,000 a year.They all take orders from King Carlos Gimenez.I will vote yes for #10
Carlos F. Blanco,
Like the posts before you all great posts but I did want to comment on – —
” with the size of voter turnout in Miami-Dade , for any except a national general election”
I agree 100% but got back like an hour ago from the Doral voting place . I got something in the mail that I needed to make sure I was still registered (I am) .
Either way the person I spoke to there told me that the registration to vote has been the highest they have ever seen in years .
” Elected Miami-Dade sheriff, SOE could curb mayor’s abuse of power”
Or he/she could be another Cuban ” Cosa Nostra” like DA Kathleen Rundle and living in Miami reality, this will most likely be the case .
However I will be voting Yes on this amendment because Gimenez is against it and it does give us a glimmer of hope .
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” That’s exactly the type of tyrannical dictatorship that Ladra’s parents fled when they left Cuba”
ALL Hispanic ” tribes” flee corruption only to recreate it . God forbid we don’t become zombie like ethnic voters .
…with the size of voter turnout in Miami-Dade , for any except a national general election, we don’t see what we would gain by restoring the Miami-Dade Public Safety’s office of the director to an elective official’s position. When we read about our long departed colorful Sheriff T. A. Buchanan, and his troubles with various powerful local luminaries, near the time of the Cuban Exodus’ driven arrivals, and our efforts to accommodate and learn the language and customs, we think those were more innocent times, when the distinction between the victims and the victimizer were boldly drawn.
The problem may be that the two likely candidates for the new shares position in Miami Dade County would be Carlos Gimenez and Joe Martinez. Both would be tempted to use the position for their own political agendas and to render payback on opponents.
I tend to agree with you. Readings have shown in those jurisdictions in which the director (sheriff) is appointed there is a decrease in quality and continuity of law enforcement services and administration. When the director (sheriff) is subject to the whims and desires of a strong mayor or a board of county commissioners, the office becomes more politicized, not less. Though if done right an elected sheriff will only be responsible to the citizens. This would protect the sheriff and us from undue influence by the mayor, board of county commissioners or any other county officials.
What really scares the hell out of me is the bad possibilities that an elected sheriff can bring.
Can anyone be elected sheriff without ever having completed high school, probably not. Will he or she be required to complete basic law enforcement training along with field experience or for that matter have any law enforcement experience? Will partisan politics stay out of the law enforcement function including the election of the sheriff? The most important part of this equation that we tend to forget is how a new sheriff will affect the moral of those under him. Let’s face it, if the troops aren’t happy overall police services WILL be affected. If you are naïve enough to think it won’t then you belong in the ostrich family. There’s a million other issues that an elected sheriff can bring. As a tax payer who is grateful to those who wear the badge and protect us from the biped animals that roam our streets and communities. I only wish that whatever direction this issue takes that it brings back professionalism to the sheriff’s office, and establish accountability to the public not to just a certain segment of our society. This community does not need to trade one tyrant (mayor) for another (sheriff/director) that will just fall under a different column.
“We Need a Sheriff “. The Corruption Rampage NOT Investigated in Miami Dade County Because The rules are manipulated to accommodate The Politicians by having a Director and Not a Sheriff? We can’t Continue W/ all These Frauds & Corruptions in MDC? I will vote Amendment # 10 !!!!!!!!!!!!
We Could Use a State Attorney TOO !
Carlos Gimenez has far too much power. Plus, Gimenez pays himself far too much ON TOP of his four taxpayer provided pensions. (Now little Francis Suarez wants too much power…Vote No to Strong Mayor…)