Campaign accounts opened for November municipal election
By Bari Auerbach
On November 2, Sunny Isles Beach residents will go to the polls to vote for members of the City Commission - but although the official qualifying period for candidates doesn’t start until August 17, campaign accounts have already been opened and initiatives are underway to “get the vote out.”
Seeking to serve another four year-term as Mayor of Sunny Isles Beach, Norman S. Edelcup opened his campaign account on February 4.
Seat 2 (central residential area) being vacated by Commissioner Gerry Goodman due to term limits had two potential candidates as of April 19: Robert R. Welsh, who opened a campaign account on March 5; and Ilia Usharovich, who opened a campaign account on April 19.
Seat 4 (south central residential area) being vacated by Commissioner Roslyn Brezin due to term limits had one potential candidate as of April 19: Isaac Aelion, who opened a campaign account on March 8.
Goodman and Brezin cannot run again due to a charter amendment approved by voters in 2004 stating the following: Limitations on Lengths of Service: No Mayor may serve as a Mayor for more than two (2) elected four-year terms during his/her lifetime, and no Commissioner may serve as a Commissioner for more than two (2) elected four-year terms during his/her lifetime.
The qualifying period for candidates running in the November 2010 election is from Tuesday, August 17 – until Friday, August 20 at 4 p.m. The general election will be held on Nov. 2 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Another general election will be held in November 2012, when the following City Commission seats will be up for election: Residential area commissioner – Seat 1, northern area (incumbent: Lewis J. Thaler); and residential area commissioner – Seat 3, southern area (incumbent: George “Bud” Scholl).
Redrawn Districts
In an effort to increase voter participation and ensure the citizens of Sunny Isles Beach are fairly represented, the City Commission proposed charter amendments relating to elections that were subsequently approved by voters in November 2008.
The city’s three voting districts were redrawn into four districts (195th Street to 178th Street; 178th Street to 172nd Street; 172nd to 167th Street; and 167th Street to Bayview Drive).The At Large Commission seat was also be converted to a Residential Area Seat.
The population boom in Sunny Isles Beach prompted the initiative to redraw the city’s voting districts along with the goal to avoid having more than two future elected officials residing within one area of the city.
Commission candidates now have to live in each of the four respective districts – but the Mayor can reside in any district. Every resident also continues to have the right to cast their vote for all four Commission candidates and the Mayor.
When considering the charter amendments, Mayor Edelcup emphasized, “We’re trying to project for the future and come up with a balanced division of the city – each of the new [voting districts] will have approximately 4,000 potential registered voters [based on population projections].
“The other benefit that we get out of dividing into four districts is the point that today, the way we’re structured - any one of the [current] three districts could wind up with three representatives - which is unfair…It’s fairer to all Sunny Isles Beach residents to say, ‘No [one district] can have more than two [representatives].’
Consolidating Elections
In 2008, voters also approved a charter amendment relating to consolidating municipal and county elections serving to substantially lower election costs and promote a rise in voter turnout.
The charter amendment that passed changed the date of the city’s general election from the second Tuesday following the first Monday in November in odd numbered years to even numbered years in conjunction with county-wide elections.
Vote of Confidence
Being re-elected unopposed seems to be a trend in Sunny Isles Beach – and now, the “vote of confidence” tradition is continuing as no one has yet to file to run against incumbent Mayor Norman Edelcup (also elected unopposed in 2005).
In a letter expressing thanks to supporters, Edelcup notes, “Your continued support has allowed me to use my business background to be a full time hands on Mayor…In the six years [I’ve served] as Mayor of Sunny Isles Beach, property values have risen from 2-1/2 billion dollars to 6.0 while the tax millage dropped to 2.65 from 3.35 within that same period. Additionally, we are a fiscally sound city with $10 million in reserves equal to about 50% of one year’s operating budget.
“Sunny Isles Beach is a young vibrant city. We’ve built a new K-8 Community School in partnership with Miami-Dade County; doubled the number of parks from 4 to 8; and recently acquired land to create two additional parks on the south side of our city.
“Your continued faith in my leadership has allowed us to re-institute the Sunny Isles Beach Resort Association in partnership with the Greater Miami Visitors and Convention Bureau. We now have established the Sunny Isles Jazz Festival and brought back the Florida Offshore Boat Races…I look forward, with your help, to making Sunny Isles Beach even better. My door is always open.”
