MIAMI.- The residents of North Miami Beach, called to the polls in special elections, elected Evans S. Piper as their new mayor, who will fill the vacancy left by the suspended Anthony DeFillipo, and will lead the city until November 2024.
Piper, 59 years old, former omission and president of the North Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce, obtained 57.05% of the votes, handily defeating his opponent Paule Villard, who could only add 42.92% of the ballots.
The special elections this Tuesday, December 5, were characterized by low participation. Of the 21,370 registered voters, only 3,548 went to the polls, that is, 16%.
Piper has strong ties to the community. In addition to chairing the local Chamber of Commerce, he was a member of the local Planning and Zoning Board for 25 years. Furthermore, he is the president of the City’s Disabled Persons Advisory Committee.
The new mayor fills the vacancy left by DeFillipo, suspended and arrested last May, accused of illegal voting, for allegedly lying when reporting that he lived within the limits of North Miami Beach in order to run for the mayor’s office.
Piper has the difficult task of restoring residents’ trust in elected officials: “I want them to realize that they can trust the government.”
“One of the main challenges is that the city is very divided,” said Piper, who called for increasing resident participation in community work.
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@menendezpryce
