Miami Beach Mayoral Race: Dan Gelber Seeking Third Term Against Four First-Time Candidates
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – The city of Miami Beach could soon have a new mayor. Four first-time candidates are vying for your vote along with Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber, who is pushing for his third term.
"I'm running for mayor because I'm fed up with how the administration has let our city decline and how they don't seem to understand how to control crime," said Jean Marie Echemendia, a broker and Miami native running for mayor.
She's opposed to the current city leaders push for a 2 a.m. last call.
"Residents for me are number one, not tourism and not overbuilding," she said.
Echemendia said she would work to beautify the community and spend city dollars on important projects that benefit the people of Miami Beach.
"So then people have more respect for our community. They come here and see the sidewalks all dirty with trash all over, they're also app to throw more trash on the ground. It's just not right," she explained.
As for Gus Manessis, he wants to see more cases prosecuted and our laws enforced. He told CBS4's Ashley Dyer he's going to meet with local judges to come up with a plan.
"We can have a nice partnership where we all work together and not them throwing out all of the hard work... and our police risking their lives to arrest a criminal and then it gets thrown out," said Manessis.
He's had great success working with the city of Fort Lauderdale and White Plains creating a business improvement district.
"We ended up with about 100-plus small businesses opening up in our business improvement district," said Manessis, who also wants to preserve the buildings in Miami Beach.
"That art deco, we have to protect that," he said.
Carlos Enrique Gutierrez is a property manager who wants to be a voice in government for Hispanic people.
"I feel there is not enough support or voices and representation for the Spanish speaking community," said Gutierrez.
He calls himself a Cuban activist and said he'll stand for what's right if he's elected.
Gutierrez said, "I am the most honest person I've ever met. I am not in anybody's pocket and I'm looking out for the community in whole."
Ronnie Eith is a businessman running for mayor.
"Whatever I've done I figure out a way to be successful at it and I figure it out quickly," said Eith.
He's running for mayor to make an impact and is pushing for more uniformed police and more code enforcement.
"It's all is about proactive police policies - that's my number one concern. If we take care of that everything else will fall in line," said Eith.
Eith wants to change the culture on the beach to attract a different kind of tourist.
"I'm only doing this because I really, really, really deep down in my heart care about Miami Beach," he said.
Unlike all of his opponents, Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber is pushing to drastically change the entertainment district in South Beach, closing bars and clubs at 2 a.m.
"Our City created essentially a hard party district which is drinks all night and it's been really attracting a really disorderly crowd for the last decade or longer," said Gelber.
During his time as Mayor, Gelber has worked to beautify the city, adding more than five new parks and upgrading the existing ones.
"I think art and culture is something I've promoted in ways we haven't had before," said Gelber.
He's working on several development projects as well as raising streets and changing our pumping system.
"I want this place to be as beautiful and as special as it can be and I will work every day to keep that. The best version of our city is what a mayor is supposed to reach for," he said.
You can cast your vote for Miami Beach mayor on November 2. The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.