Raising Our Standard
of Living in Miami Beach

Our residential neighborhoods are no longer safe for pedestrians and cyclists. Ubers and tourists in rented sports cars are zooming up and down the streets ignoring stop signs and posted speed limits, putting at risk the lives of our neighbors. I will mandate we have an active police officer parked all high impact roads, utilizing marked and unmarked police cars.

I will ensure that designated police units are assigned to each neighborhood. Residents of every neighborhood should be on a first name basis with the police units protecting and serving their respective neighborhoods.

Additionally, I will call for an expanded police detective department to significantly improve investigations of theft and vandalism. Unfortunately, the overall consensus of the community is that when something is stolen (your bike, scooter, car, etc.) nothing is actually done and the Police Department does not have the bandwidth to investigate such small crimes.

Moreover, I will insist upon a reduction of the homeless population by implementing more stringent rules on sleeping or camping on public property. There are more homeless on Miami Beach streets than in recent memory and this is a public safety concern.

Currently, our streets and sidewalks are filthy and gum-stained. On almost every street corner, there is at least one broken concrete curb that has been unattended for months, if not years. I will demand for an increased investment in street/sidewalk cleaning, landscaping, and beautification of all neighborhood greenspaces in Miami Beach. Every walk on Miami Beach should be sightly and enjoyable to walk.

Two thirds of Miami Beach’s infrastructure is over 70 years old. Underground sewer pipes are broken, draining into stormwater systems that ultimately lead into Biscayne Bay. Moreover, our current stormwater catch-basins require periodic maintenance to prevent proliferation of bacteria and disease outflow into our sensitive waterways. I will insist upon accelerating infrastructure improvements in sewer and storm water drainage systems.

The proliferation of rooftop bars, pool party patios, outside speakers, etc. disrupt the peace of the surrounding residential neighborhoods. I will demand that Zoning and Code Enforcement take noise complaints seriously in residential neighborhoods and prioritize protections from excessive noise levels. This can be done effectively with responsible business owners, technology, and proper enforcement.

Unfortunately, Miami Beach’s residential population decreased from 87k in 2010 to 77k in 2023. During this same period there were over 6,000 residential homes that were converted to transient use. On top of that, an additional 11,000 transient units were approved for new construction. Miami Beach is losing its middle class because of backwards planning that appears to be aimed against the residents’ best interests.

As a City Commissioner, I will sponsor an ordinance to close any loopholes and discourage developments that attempt to convert residential to transient use. Our City Commission must protect whatever lower and middle-class housing that is left and foster incentives to increase additional workforce housing.

Our blue-collar city employees who work tirelessly to clean our sewage pipes, pick up trash, and sweat in the heat of summer deserve more credit and compensation for how hard they work. Unfortunately for them and the residents, we have a City Administration that is highly adverse to any degree of accountability.

Gridlock traffic, dirty sidewalks, broken streets, obnoxious charter boats, loss of workforce housing, incessant speeding cars, asinine permitting processes, lack of adequate garbage pickup, broken sewer lines, toxic storm water systems etc. are all day-to-day issues that our City Manager form of government is responsible for solving. However, our problems are getting worse, not better.

To put things into better perspective, our City Commission is essentially the board of directors of a business called Miami Beach. The CEO of Miami Beach is the City Manager. The City Manager is directly responsible for the level of service that the customers (aka, the residents) are receiving. In order for any business to thrive, customers must be happy with customer service. To have better customer service, accountability must be demanded.

Miami Beach needs a leader who is ready to hold those in charge of our quality of life and public safety accountable, while demanding positive results 365 days a year, 24/7.

I don’t pretend to be a City Planner, a City Manager, a Public Works director, or a Police Chief. However, I do know what it takes to run a business that demands positive results.