Crowds Gather as Efforts to Recall County Mayor Officially Begin

With the recall petition to remove county mayor Carlos Alvarez approved last week by the Clerk of Courts , business owner and auto mogul Norman Braman has wasted no time in getting the recall effort out to the people.

On Thursday long lines of voters formed to sign a petition calling for the recall of Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Alvarez. Among the voters signing the petition was Miami Lakes Mayor Michael Pizzi who told The Miami Herald, "I want to be the first mayor of Miami Dade County to officially sign my signature as Mayor of Miami Lakes to recall Carlos Alvarez because of the tax increase he is imposing."

In addition to hitting the streets, the recall effort has also reached the internet with a Facebook page, a Twitter, and a website RecallMayorAlvarez.org.

The recall effort was started by Miami business mogul Norman Braman after county commissioners approved Alvarez's budget that raises the property tax by 14 percent and raises the salaries of most county employees.

The petition must gather the signatures of 52,000 registered voters by December 5^th in order to hold a special election on whether or not Alvarez should be removed from office.

Residents have grown increasingly tired with county politics in the past couple of years. Voters find themselves frustrated amidst tax hikes, one of the worst unemployment rates in the country, rampant foreclosures, county employee salary increases, a public hospital that is a financial mess, and an unnecessary Marlin's baseball stadium that is costing tax payers millions.

As a recent college grad looking for work, I can vouch for the fact that Miami's job market is very bleak and raising taxes is only going to drive this county even further into financial ruin. Young people like myself are running back to school to avoid the economy while others go a year or longer without being able to find work. Let's not forget to mention the many retirees who live on a fixed income, how are they supposed to keep up with all these increases? And as WSVN 7 reports, people are losing their houses left and right yet Mayor Alvarez insists on increasing taxes by 14 percent.

The Miami Herald reports that the number of signatures collected so far is unknown; however it appears to be in the range of thousands. This is in addition to the hundreds of volunteers that have taken to the streets to collect signatures.

Mayor Carlos Alvarez, who initially responded to the petition by saying he would continue his duties until Miami-Dade voters say otherwise, should start worrying. First, his attempt to stop the petition by legal means does not seem to be working as County Clerk Harvey Ruvin gave the recall effort the go ahead. Now, Miami-Dade voters are pouring into petition drive locations in an effort to make their voices heard.

There are two offices in Miami Dade where voters can sign the petition. One is located near Coral Way and Southwest 27^th Ave and the other is located at 2020 NE 163 St. in North Miami. Both offices are staying open seven days a week starting at 10 a.m. until December 5.

For more information on the recall petition or to find out how you can volunteer visit RecallMayorAlvarez.org or call the information hotline at (305)728-2733.

Sources:
The Miami Herald -Information about Mayor Carlos Alvarez recall effort

The Miami Herald - Norman Braman's effort to recall Mayor Carlos Alvarez gets approved

The Miami Herald - Miami-Dade Mayor recall effort draws crowds

Recall Mayor Alvarez Official Website

Recall Mayor Alvarez Facebook Page

Recall Mayor Alvarez Twitter Page

WSVN 7 - Voters begin signing petition against Mayor Alvarez