Sure, there’s the dog fight between Donald Trump and Joe Biden and the cat fight between Miami-Dade Commissioners Daniella Levine Cava and Esteban Bovo for the mayoral seat, but there are also three county charter amendments that need voter approval to become reality.
And they all should become reality.
The first, county referendum 1, would change the home rule charter to establish an independent Inspector General. Wait, you say. Don’t we already have an Inspector General? Yes. Well, we’ve had three — Chris Mazzella, Mary Cagle and interim IG Felix Jimenez — since the office was created in 1997. But because it was created by ordinance, it can also be dissolved by a 2/3rd vote of the commission.
Approval of this amendment would make it independent, which automatically gives at it more teeth as a watchdog agency that looks over the county’s contracts, projects and programs for abuse, waste and mismanagement. Something it could use with the beleaguered procurement department that’s been such a pain in the wallet lately.
Detractors say there is already enough oversight between the State Attorney’s Office and the Miami-Dade Commission on Ethics and Public Trust. To which Ladra says, hahahahahahahahahahahaha. This is Miami-Dade. There is no such thing as enough oversight.
County referendum 2 would change the way vacancies on the commission are filled when there are vacancies created by the primary or general election. It could be called the Levine Cava amendment because it is the result of the commissioner’s resignation date being effective in November, which is too late to have her successor elected at the same time.
Read related: Daniella Levine Cava timed resignation to force special election in Miami-Dade
“Shall the charter be amended to require that when the mayor or member of the county commission resigns prospectively to run for another office the vacancy will be filled by election during the primary and general election rather than by appointment or by subsequent special election?
Um, yeah. Duh. It’s going to cost the county nearly $1 million for a special election after Levine Cava becomes the mayor. Electeds can’t be trusted to pick their own effective dates. We should do it for them.
County referendum 3 would require that the races for sheriff and supervisor of elections — when voters get to make those decisions starting in 2024 — be nonpartisan, as well as the property appraiser, which is already a nonpartisan race.
This is obviously being pushed by Republicans because there are more Democrats registered in Miami-Dade and they want to be able to compete for those seats. The Miami-Dade Democratic Party doesn’t want the competition and has recommended we vote no (it recommends yes on the other two county referendums).
Read related: Elected Miami-Dade sheriff, SOE could curb mayor’s abuse of powers
“The elected offices mentioned in the referendum increasingly have great influence on day to day operations,” the group explains on its website.
“Decisions often align with political parties, whether voters agree with this or not. Republicans tend to want to stick to the status quo and protecting those in power, while Democrats push for social justice, progress, equity, technological advances, and protecting the vote of every adult citizen. We think it’s important for voters to have clarity on who they are voting for.”
But we do, regardless. Everyone knows who the Democrat is and who the Republican is in the “nonpartisan” mayoral race.
In other words, this will only be on paper.
But it’s still a good idea. We need to be less partisan, not more, and Ladra can’t think of a better example of an elected office that should be nonpartisan than the sheriff’s.
And also, it’s easier to remember if they’re all the same vote: yes, yes, yes.
Just say yes, yes, yes to three Miami-Dade county charter amendments added by Ladra on
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Name one case the OIG has worked in the past nine years that targets Corrupt Carlos Giménez or the cast of lobbyists that surrounds him and his family. Zilch, zero, nada.
The OIG acts to protect the interests of high heeled politicians, not to go after unscrupulous contractors and lobbyists with links to those politicians. Sure, they will go after a Joe Blow citizen with a minor stake in a county contract to fatten the volume of the “book of accomplishments” they publish every year with public funds to distract us from the corruption that their office continues to cover up.
The dancing monkey they have now placed in charge at that office sold his soul for a paycheck long ago. He is no different that any of the other director monkeys who danced before him.
The OIG office is a waste of tax payer money. It should be abolished and all the rats in that building at 19 West Flagler ought to be sent packing.
The Ethics and The OIG are Run by Gerald K Sanchez (ACA) and Corrupt and Worthless as they are ? The SAO is a Country Club for their members Only ? If you are en La PIÑA Nothing Happen ? The Others are Appointees ,Murky and Stinky but The Mayor and BCC Don’t Care? What else can you Say ?” Remember the MIA 1 Year investigation on Protocol ? Nothing happened to Rebeca and she Told “Remember Who pay your $ 2 Million Budget ? Corruption Central Country Club ? How will it change next ?
Frank ,
Great point but Rundle is constantly reelected which tells you all you need to know about Miami political standards or rather lack of them .
The Cuban Cosa Nostra runs this place.
An independent Office of Inspector General? Give me a break! Every one of those directors who have disgraced that OIG office have been State Attorney Fernandez-Rundle stooges- including the current one who spent his career at MDPD stealing overtime and enamoring young female officers who worked directly under him. As long as contractors and lobbyists continue to contribute to Fernandez-Rundle’s re-elections, there will be no justice in this county.
The OIG, The Ethics Commission and the SAO are as worthless as tits on a bull and all three are led by corrupt officials.
Because this is a single district representative I think that it really depends how long that district will not have someone looking out for them. The unincorporated areas will suffer more. For me is a no.