NORTH MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Voters in North Miami Beach will soon decide who the city’s next mayor will be, but while there are signs around the city, next week’s elections seem to be a mystery to many of the city’s residents.
The two candidates for mayor are both former commissioners: Evan Piper and Paule Villard. Local 10 News spoke to residents, who had no idea there was an election coming up.
Both have hinted at city drama and divisions over the last year.
The former mayor was arrested for voting at an address where he did not live, and three commissioners who didn’t show for meetings, suspending city business after last fall’s elections, after Villard lost her commission seat.
She is under scrutiny for spending and —more publicly — for distributing tax-funded gift cards during her own campaign with lax documentation.
Do endorsements matter? Each has some, though Villard’s campaign claimed some backers she doesn’t actually have.
Those include U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, who said she does not endorse and stays out of local races, and the Florida Democratic Party, which did not endorse in this race, despite Villard’s announcement complete with the party’s logo.
The election will take place on Dec. 5.