Twelve candidates are vying for four of seven Miami Beach City Commission seats, including that of mayor, in a municipality considered the tourist center of Miami-Dade County while, at the same time, possessing a population of increasingly vocal residents — some of whom live in some of the most expensive homes and condos in South Florida.

With three incumbents termed out (two of them are running for mayor), the election could usher in a major policy shift that affects not only the city’s citizens and visitors, but the entire county. The incumbent turnover has made this the most competitive election since 2001.

To help introduce these contenders to the public, the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce and the SunPost sponsored a Meet the Candidates debate Monday evening at the Ronald W. Shane Center that included free food and drinks catered by Mango’s Tropical Café for the 100 or so attendees. Only mayoral contender Charles Smatt did not show up.

Two moderators — local attorney Louis V. Martinez and Diario Las Américas opinion editor Helen Aguirre Ferré — asked the candidates questions previously submitted by SunPost readers. Here are some snippets from the debate:

MAYOR

It seems that there are more homeless people and vagrants wandering the streets of the city than ever before. [Although] the city prides itself on diversity and needs to comply with civil rights laws pertaining to the indigent and homeless, Miami Beach’s location as a tourist and visitor mecca collides with our new 'skid row' image, especially along Washington and Collins avenues. What can you do to alleviate the blighted look of South Beach while at the same time promoting our reputation as an 'open city'?

Simon Cruz: Said 40 percent of those living on the streets suffer from drug addictions and mental illnesses, and that compassion must be weighed against the harmful effects the homeless population may have on children. “You have them stripping down and taking a shower in view of a tot lot, and I’m sorry but that’s unacceptable,” he said.

Matti Bower: Agreed that homelessness is at a crisis level, but said it’s false to say the city isn’t doing anything to fix it. “We spend over $800,000 a year trying to correct the homeless problem,” she said. Bower said she had suggested designating bathrooms for the homeless, but the idea was shot down.

Raphael Herman: Said despite decreased property tax revenue due to state-mandated tax cuts, the city should have plenty of money to alleviate homelessness. “Where is that money disappearing to?” he asked.

On the issue of property taxes, what would you take off the table that is nonnegotiable if you should have to cut more money from the city budget?

Cruz: Said public safety is off the table.

Bower: Agreed with Cruz that police and fire should be off the table, but felt that Cruz’s answer contradicted statements he made at a recent budget meeting. “At the last meeting, Commissioner Cruz didn’t think we’d cut enough and he is now the liaison for cutting from police and fire,” she said.

Raphael Herman: Contended that the city of Miami Beach has plenty of money and nothing should have to be cut.

What can you do to improve the horrible red tape, lack of communication and inefficiency at the city of Miami Beach Building Department so that more residents and developers are encouraged to continue improving our city?

Herman: Suggested that dishonest employees who mistreat residents should be replaced. “Corruption in the city of Miami Beach is a way of life,” he said.

Bower: Agreed there are problems in the building department, but that they steadily are being solved.

Cruz: Said the city has taken steps to improve the building department, like hiring a new director, but more has to be done. “What remains now is to change the culture,” he said.

Should the Miami Heart Institute be rezoned?

Bower: “Definitely” if it ceases to exist as a hospital. She criticized Cruz’s recent proposal to float a $95 million bond to purchase the seven-acre campus and turn it into a park. A divided commission approved the proposal Sept. 5. She said city calculations made since the vote suggested it really will cost $195 million over the 30 years.

Cruz: Said the commission will likely move next month to give voters a choice to decide in January whether they want the Miami Heart campus — and other medical institutions — down-zoned if they close. He defended his bond proposal: “I’m not saying you have to do it. All I’m saying is you have a choice.”

Herman: Wants Miami Heart to become a park, but his approach on how the city should attain the property was very different from Cruz’s. “Let them donate the land to the city, and the city will put in a nice park,” he said.

Affordable housing in Miami Beach?

Cruz: Said there isn’t enough land in Miami Beach to create much affordable housing for city workers. He said he would make a deal with the city of Miami to build affordable housing right across the bay so workers could live closer to Miami Beach.

Herman: Agreed that Miami Beach is too crowded for affordable housing and it should be built in the city of Miami.

Bower: Pointed out that she’s advocated affordable housing for years. She noted that the recently created Cultural Arts Neighborhood District Overlay (CANDO) in South Beach will provide affordable housing to cultural workers. “We should look for affordable housing and how we can do it,” she said.

Was it irresponsible of state legislators to order the current property tax cuts?

Bower: Said she thought the cuts were going to be much worse and supports them since the citizenry wants them.

Cruz: Said the smaller-than-expected cuts ordered by the state Legislature are a good first step. He defended his $95 million bond proposal. “There is a difference between taxes we impose to cover our budget, and a bond that we choose,” he said.

Herman: Said he pays about $3,500 in property taxes while his neighbor pays about $15,000 for a comparable home. “I think everyone should pay equal depending on square footage and lot,” he said.

Will you keep the city manager, police chief and city attorney?

Bower: Yes

Cruz: “Yes, yes, yes.”

Herman: “Miami Beach is like the mafia — they pass power from one person to another. City Hall doesn’t belong to public officials, it belongs to the people.”

Do you believe that elected officials should be paid more? [The mayor earns a base annual salary of $10,000; commissioners earn $6,000.] If so, how much?

Bower: Said they should be paid enough that the commission can be their only job.

Cruz: “I do believe a study needs to be done on how much needs to be paid, and then get the population behind it.”

Herman: “If you want to put an end to corruption, you should raise salaries.”

Do you have any plans to dredge the sand and, therefore, widen the beach? Our beach is shrinking more and more every year.

Herman: Suggested putting up jetties parallel to the shoreline a half-mile or mile offshore, as is done in Israel.

Bower: Said it’s not a simple issue, adding that Miami Beach doesn’t have a lot of control over it.

Cruz: Suggested that, in the short term, the city continue to bring in sand from elsewhere, but added that, in the long term, it must come up with ways to prevent the sand from eroding.

COMMISSION SEAT 4

How should Miami Beach deal with its homeless problem?

Jonah Wolfson: Said more vigilance is needed on the part of police officers to make sure that the people causing problems are held accountable.

Luis Salom: Said he would push for the sanitation department to keep the streets cleaner, and that he wants to city to have beat cops and more homeless outreach programs.

What can be done about the red tape at the building department?

Salom: In the city of New York, it takes about 30 days to get a permit, whereas in Miami Beach it can take five or six months, he said. He plans to streamline the system.

Wolfson: Said certain people in the building department should be replaced.

COMMISSION SEAT 5

Our beach is shrinking more and more every year. Do you have any plans to dredge the sand and widen the beach?

Michael Gongora: “This is a huge concern for our city because without the beach we are not Miami Beach.” He noted that jetties were placed in Mid-Beach to slow down beach erosion.

Ed Tobin: Said he had a meeting with County Commissioner Bruno Barreiro on this subject. “We don’t have enough sand, according to the Army Corps, to dredge and replenish our beach,” he said.

With regard to the deteriorating infrastructure, our streets are badly paved and full of potholes, and lighting in the city, especially on the Venetian Islands, at night is nonexistent. Why are city workers turning a blind eye to this safety issue?”

Tobin: “Being born and raised here, I can tell you that the same streets have been flooding since I was a young boy,” he said. “I don’t know necessarily that they are turning a blind eye.”

Gongora: “There are many [capital improvement] projects about to start on the Venetian Islands and in North Beach.”

COMMISSION SEAT 6

Are you willing to continue to support annual and merit pay raises for city employees? If so, how much?

Frank Kruszewski: “In these new fiscal times, contracts with merit and annual raises will have to be more closely scrutinized,” he said.

Deede Weithorn: Said raises are the way government works. “For us to be competitive, we simply have to go with the formula,” she said.

Elsa Urquiza: Said she favors doing whatever is necessary to compete. “When you are dealing with employees, you are dealing with human beings,” she said.

Linda Grosz: Said it’s important to maintain salaries and a minimum of layoffs.

The Miami Beach Parking Department is the city's cash cow, with income coming from parking tickets, etc. Why isn't the city using some of this revenue to give back to Miami Beach residents, such as giving us a free parking day say, every Sunday? And why aren't there more parking facilities? We have a severe infrastructure problem that makes life here unpleasant.

Weithorn: “I do support giving residents a break. We’ll run the numbers and get back to you,” she said.

Urquiza: “We have to begin to think outside the box when it comes to parking.” She also talked about using such alternative methods as Robo-Parking and angled parking to increase capacity.

Grosz: “How about a free parking day?”

Kruszewski: “We need to go back to the Smart Card that allowed us to get our money back,” he said.

-- Angie Hargot contributed to this story.