As the November elections approach, the city of North Miami Beach is preparing for a highly contested mayoral race between current Mayor Evan Piper and City Commissioner Michael Joseph.
A HAUNTED PAST
Recent controversies have shaped the political landscape, including the tumultuous tenure of former Mayor Anthony DeFillipo, who was removed from office after being charged with voter fraud in 2023. DeFillipo is now awaiting a hearing in December 2024 and has a trial scheduled for January 2025.
(Courtesy City of North Miami Beach)
Mayor Piper at the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Mishcon Park.
On one side of the race, Joseph is determined to challenge Piper, who was voted in to replace DeFillipo in a special election in December 2023 and claim the mayoral seat. Joseph, who has served on the city commission since 2018, has leveraged his experience to present himself as a candidate for change and accountability.
When asked what motivated him to run against Piper, Joseph said, “I am not running against the current mayor who has been in office less than a year. This is a referendum between business-as-usual corruption and a new direction of pro-community, pro-opportunity leadership.”
He emphasized that unresolved issues from previous administrations still impact the city, particularly pointing to the aftermath of the 2018 election and a public corruption scandal involving former Mayor George Vallejo for authorizing and falsely reporting illegal political expenditures.
Piper, on the other hand, said that Joseph was the cause of chaos when the city was shut down for four months due to the commissioner boycotting past commission meetings in protest of the former mayor’s questionable residency status.
Joseph, in turn, expressed that the controversies surrounding the former administration are still fresh in residents' minds.
“Residents are outraged that I faced removal while the previous administration shielded DeFillipo’s fraudulent residency,” he noted, asserting that voters are demanding change and that his supporters are energized.
(Courtesy Michael Joseph)
Commissioner Michael Joseph outlined that his primary goals for North Miami Beach are economic revitalization, affordable housing and property taxes, and public safety.
CANDIDATE PRIORITIES
With a city recovering from upheaval, both candidates are eager to present their visions for a united and thriving community.
Joseph outlined that his primary goals for North Miami Beach are economic revitalization, affordable housing, and property taxes, and public safety.
He aims to ensure economic recovery post-COVID-19 and address inflation for economic revitalization.
“This includes supporting small businesses, creating jobs, and addressing the lack of septic-to-sewer connections that hinder growth,” Joseph said.
He also aims to address the rising cost of living in North Miami Beach while “combatting corruption to restore community trust in the city government.”
During an interview, Piper also acknowledged the challenge of public trust.
“We both have different views on how things should be run,” he said, claiming that Joseph’s past involvement in the city is what has helped lead to “a lot of the financial problems that we’re having today.”
(Courtesy VoteMichaelJoseph.com)
Commissioner Michael Joseph participates in a community farm share.
Piper, president of the North Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, former chair of the city’s planning and zoning board and a former city commissioner, has emphasized the need to unify the city after a period of division since he first took office last year.
“Keeping the city unified is my top priority because, without that, nothing else is possible,” Piper said.
He emphasized the importance of stability, especially in light of the controversies that have surrounded city leadership.
“We’ve been doing very well with policing, but it is a constant thing,” he said, highlighting his commitment to maintaining safe streets. “We need to stay on top of it constantly.”
In addition to safety, financial management is another cornerstone of his platform.
“We definitely have some financial challenges that we’re overcoming,” he said, noting his aim to eliminate wasteful spending to create a balanced budget.
(Courtesy City of North Miami Beach)
An image of the current North Miami Beach commission shows Mayor Evan Scott Piper toward the center and Commissioner Michael Joseph on the right.
Another top priority for Piper’s administration is promoting responsible development. He mentioned that the city is nearly 100 years old and has significant aging infrastructure that needs redevelopment.
“We can get more modern buildings in place that are more applicable to our current way of living,” Piper said.
ENDORSEMENTS AND DOLLARS
Piper leads the race in funds with a financial backing that has strong community support. His campaign treasurer report, submitted on Sept. 20, shows $51,000 in contributions and $15,936 in expenditures.
“As time goes on, we want to make sure we get our message out to the voters,” he said, when asked about utilizing the remaining funds.
He emphasized the importance of mail campaigns and staffing for early voting, stating, “There’s gonna be a very large expense with all those workers as well.”
On Sept. 20, Joseph's campaign treasurer's report showed $11,000 in contributions and $3,536 in expenditures. When questioned about how he intends to distribute his remaining funds to maximize his campaign's impact as Election Day closes in, Joseph stressed his personal dedication to the campaign.
(Courtesy City of North Miami Beach )
Mayor Evan Scott Piper participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Mishcon Park with the local community.
“I’m willing to invest more personally to ensure our victory.” He highlighted ongoing collaborations with the Democratic Party and other campaigns as a critical strategy to expand his reach and engage more supporters.
Joseph also has endorsements from diverse groups, including the Miami-Dade County Democratic Party, Miami Realtors, Florida Rising, Florida Immigrant Coalition, and various labor unions.
“I prioritize building community support over relying on special interest money,” he said.
Piper said he has some endorsements of his own pending that he doesn’t want to mention.
With early voting just weeks away, the stakes are high for both candidates. Piper expressed his desire to continue the positive momentum he believes he has created.
“We’ve moved things in the right direction, and I’d love the opportunity to keep doing that,” he said.
Meanwhile, Joseph positioned himself based on his knowledge and expertise throughout the years.
“I am the most experienced mayoral candidate,” Joseph said, “with a deep understanding of our city government’s operations and needs.”