For Miami and Miami Beach Commissioner, the SunPost Recommends

Voters in Miami’s District 2 and all over Miami Beach will have to go to the polls yet again on Nov. 21.

The election is not over yet. Voters in Miami’s District 2 and all over Miami Beach will have to go to the polls yet again on Nov. 21.

In Miami Beach, voters will have a choice between Michael Gongora, an attorney who served on the Zoning Board of Adjustments, and Deede Weithorn, an accountant who served on the Budget Advisory Board and General Obligation Bond Oversight Committee. Both are tempting choices.

However, Weithorn’s expertise as an accountant, her many years living in Miami Beach and advising the City Commission and administration about the budget as well as the city’s capital projects make her the more qualified candidate in the SunPost’s opinion. Indeed, Weithorn’s service on the Budget Advisory Committee, which she has been a member of since 2001, may have helped the city stave off a financial crisis. With her financial expertise, knowledge of the budget and desire to make life better for Miami Beach residents, Deede Weithorn will be a valuable addition to the Miami Beach City Commission. For these reasons the SunPost recommends Deede Weithorn for the Group 5 Miami Beach Commission seat.

In Miami, the chair of the Cocoanut Grove Village Council, Marc Sarnoff, faces off against appointed interim Commissioner Linda Haskins for the votes of District 2 residents. Stretching from Coconut Grove to the Upper Eastside, many vocal residents of District 2 have come to question Mayor Manny Diaz’s unwavering pro-business and pro-development stance. Indeed, Miami has attracted a slew of projects but so far instead of benefiting from the increased tax base, the city is still forced to dip into its reserve funds. Meanwhile, rank-and-file municipal employees continue to demand fair treatment, scandals ranging from botched fire-fee deals to questionable land deals continuously pop up and residents are left wanting for proper services. In short, a Diaz-friendly majority commission has not done much for the people of Miami. What is needed is a critical voice and Marc Sarnoff, an attorney, can be that voice.

A 20-year resident of Coconut Grove, Sarnoff has been active in his community since 1991. While Diaz has sought mainly to assist business interests, Sarnoff has promised to fight for more green space and against expensive projects such as the $200 million light rail. Though mostly known for his opposition to The Home Depot’s plans to come to Coconut Grove, Sarnoff has also been instrumental in fighting for more trees and the creation of parks in his neighborhood as well as opposing development proposals Grove residents saw as incompatible. The SunPost hopes Sarnoff, if elected commissioner, would carry on this spirit throughout District 2 and the rest of Miami. Moreover, the SunPost feels Sarnoff can help keep Miami grounded in taking care of the important things — namely providing services for city residents.

Linda Haskins, by the way, should be commended for her work as chief financial officer and her tenure as interim Miami commissioner. The SunPost has no doubt Haskins is committed to the ideal of public service. But right now a reasonable voice of opposition is needed on the Miami dais. It’s for that reason that the SunPost recommends Marc Sarnoff for Miami’s District 2 commission seat.