Bill requiring elected sheriff for Miami-Dade

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Bill requiring elected sheriff could pit Miami-Dade against the rest of Florida

Juan Perez, director of the Miami-Dade Police Department, speaks with Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, following a press conference on body cameras on Thursday, April 28, 2016.
Juan Perez, director of the Miami-Dade Police Department, speaks with Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez, following a press conference on body cameras on Thursday, April 28, 2016. Emily Michot emichot@miamiherald.com
BY MARY ELLEN KLAS
Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau
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Voters across Florida would be asked to decide if Miami-Dade County should have an elected sheriff under a proposed 2018 constitutional amendment that passed the Senate Community Affairs Committee on Tuesday.

The bill, SJR 134 by Sen. Frank Artiles, R-Miami, would ask voters to require Miami-Dade to convert the county’s appointed police director to an elected sheriff.

In 1996, Miami-Dade voters updated the county charter to provide for an executive mayor system that included giving the mayor the ability to appoint a county manager who hired department heads, including the police director, making Miami-Dade the only one of the state’s 67 counties not to have a sheriff on the ballot. In January 2007, Miami-Dade changed to a strong mayor system, giving the mayor direct oversight over county operations, including the appointment of a police director and other department heads.

For Artiles, a Miami Republican who has considered seeking county office in the past, the current arrangement is devoid of the proper checks and balances needed for a local government. He noted that the Florida Sheriff’s Association supports the proposal.

“This is a no-brainer,” he said. “The sheriff’s association was very clear: 66 out of 67 counties have an elected sheriff. This is the most viable alternative to get this passed.”

But the proposal is opposed by Miami-Dade County, which argues that if county voters want an elected sheriff, they should be able to make the decision themselves, not get permission from voters from Pensacola to Key West.

“We oppose the entire state deciding for Miami-Dade County,” said Jess McCarty, Miami-Dade County lobbyist, noting that if Miami-Dade voters voted against it, the rest of the state could impose something on it. “I would ask you to see if you would want this for your community?”

Artilles countered that while McCarty was “a great guy, he works for the mayor.”

John Rivera, president of both the Miami-Dade and Florida Police Benevolent Association, said his organization also supports the bill. The police union has been a longtime foe of Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and supported his opponent in the 2016 election, Raquel Regalado.

After narrowly missing an outright win in the August primary, Gimenez became the first incumbent mayor forced into a November runoff since the strong mayor system was implemented.

“Sometimes there are bills that hit the hornets’ nest,” Rivera told the committee. He said the current system violates the principle of separation of powers, noting that in 2012 the former mayor dismantled the office of public corruption to interfere with an investigation into fraudulent absentee ballots.

“We need some separation of power, otherwise you have absolute power, absolute corruption,” he said.

He noted that Gimenez submitted a qualifying check that was dated 2015 instead of 2016 and the supervisor of elections, whom Gimenez also appoints, allowed the Gimenez campaign to replace the check.

Regalado filed suit just days before the election but failed to disqualify Gimenez’s candidacy.

Sen. Jose Javier Rodriguez, D-Miami, who voted against the bill, said that asking 66 counties to decide the fate of another county was neither a “good solution nor a good precedent.”

“Whether we need an elective sheriff or not should be up to Miami-Dade,” he said. “I don’t think a very, very blunt instrument going statewide is the way to resolve this.”

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[Unregistered]

Our corrupt Mayor Carlos Gimenez and his dancing monkey Juan Perez would fight this bill tooth and nail. If the elected sheriff bill were to pass no longer would either one of those two turds be able to hire and fire at will, protect their friends and lobbyists and cover up and obstruct investigations that would put criminals and politicians in jail. Our department is a criminal enterprise with a PCB intended to curtail investigations for the benefit of the director and the mayor. Units are broken and set up depending on the will of the corrupt mayor and only to pursue his political ambitions. Time for an elected sheriff.

[Unregistered]

It's sort of a 'careful what you wish for' situation. Those who know the history know that organized crime had a stranglehold on MDPD under the elected Sheriff system.

[Unregistered]

It's sort of a 'careful what you wish for' situation. Those who know the history know that organized crime had a stranglehold on MDPD under the elected Sheriff system.

Ask youself this question. How much worse can it get? An elected sheriff would be beholden to the voters not the mayor nor Kathy Rundle. Any elected sheriff would have to run an efficient department or he/she would be out of office in four years. The current system is flawed. Affirmative Action has seen to it that individuals who have no purpose in this department be promoted to positions they are unqualified to hold. Starting with the current director and his entire staff, this department is simply a dog chasing its tail. We need to come up for air. Enough of this flawed system.

[Unregistered]

Ask youself this question. How much worse can it get? An elected sheriff would be beholden to the voters not the mayor nor Kathy Rundle. Any elected sheriff would have to run an efficient department or he/she would be out of office in four years. The current system is flawed. Affirmative Action has seen to it that individuals who have no purpose in this department be promoted to positions they are unqualified to hold. Starting with the current director and his entire staff, this department is simply a dog chasing its tail. We need to come up for air. Enough of this flawed system.

Folks like the Mayor and lobbyist friends are trrrified of such bill, so to is the current list of appointed gate keepers throughout MDPD sand other departments. At MDPD the list of those appointed are terrified. Finally a bill that makes sense by a politician who has common sense. The reason was way back when of corrupt cops and a broken system which is now worse and even more corrupt and wider. It's time we all play by the rules MR Mayor, MR Director. It's time those that work so hard and strived or continue to strive and make MDPD a place free of corruption, nepatisim, and political interference. We need stop being that banana republic. The control of media outlets and individuals keeping the levels of corruption and illegal interference shall once and for all cease to exist in MDPD. We the citizens and cops we have it no more, it's time we all got in the same page and pay for the bad things that have been done. The corrupt cone of silence shall end and function like it does state wide. So MR Vanilla JUan and buck tooth Mayor we the people suggest you get those bags packing cause your corruption is coming to an end.

Fellow officers and family memebers make Dade great again make sure this bill passes, get to family and friends spread the word. Be proud of the department you work for, we all see what motivates and gets pass this current regime of thugs who only talk and can never walk.

Elect A Dade County Sheriff 2017!

[Unregistered]

I wonder who would run for the position??

[Unregistered]

Ask youself this question. How much worse can it get? An elected sheriff would be beholden to the voters not the mayor nor Kathy Rundle. Any elected sheriff would have to run an efficient department or he/she would be out of office in four years. The current system is flawed. Affirmative Action has seen to it that individuals who have no purpose in this department be promoted to positions they are unqualified to hold. Starting with the current director and his entire staff, this department is simply a dog chasing its tail. We need to come up for air. Enough of this flawed system.

You think the voters are going to be better? We are in this position because the politicians are pandering to the voters instead of doing what's right. What we need is an exceptional Leader that has the resume and experience and knows how to push back against the voters and the current group of politically correct politicians. And brother, that guy doesn't exist anywhere in this county right now. So strap in for the ride and be safe.

[Unregistered]

Do not over estimate the political autonomy of an elected sheriff.
Running a county agency requires county moneys which further requires the county commission to agree on a proposed budget.. . . . . .OH, wait. . . . . .Strong Mayor. . . . . . .fasten your seat belt; that would be a fun ride.
Be very careful what you wish for and always remember that elections, of any type, have consequences, and besides, all of the dead residents at the local cemetery are finally resting after voting at the last election.