Miami-Dade mayoral candidates criticize city, county for mixed messages on coronavirus

The public divide between the mayors of Miami and Miami-Dade over canceling the Ultra Music Festival drew criticism Monday night from candidates seeking the county’s top job in 2020.

“The fact that we have a disconnect between the mayors of Miami and our county, it sends a mixed message,” Miami-Dade Commissioner Esteban “Steve” Bovo said during a debate in Sunny Isles Beach put on by the North Dade Political Association. “Unfortunately, I think it’s going to lead to more confusion.”

Last week the county’s incumbent and term-limited mayor, Carlos Gimenez, announced Miami-Dade had no plans to cancel Ultra, an international draw for electronic-music fans scheduled for March in a city park under an agreement negotiated by Miami. Days later, Miami announced the cancellation of Ultra, citing concerns about the coronavirus. On Friday, Gimenez went on the radio and said he wouldn’t have canceled Ultra if it had been his decision to make.

Gimenez’s critique extended the rift between the county’s top political leaders, a feud that began shortly after Suarez was elected in 2017 and pursued an expansion of his post’s powers that Gimenez, a former Miami city manager, opposed. The two remain divided on the right approach to the coronavirus, with Miami postponing both Ultra and the Calle Ocho festival while Gimenez continues to say publicly conditions don’t warrant canceling large events.

Alex Penelas, the former county mayor now running to succeed Gimenez in 2020, said Miami-Dade would be better served with a unified voice from local leaders.

“To me, it signifies a a major disconnect,” he said. “A lot of it has to do, obviously, because of the rub that exists right now between the county and the city mayor.”

Jean Monestime, one of the four incumbent commissioners running for mayor, said he would use the post’s authority to encourage more collaboration in tackling a big challenge like the coronavirus.

“You have to be the Number One listener” as mayor, he said. “You shouldn’t automatically become the most important person in town. You should become the most sensitive person in town.”

During the debate, moderated by WPLG’s Michael Putney, Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava used her time on the coronavirus to highlight what she sees as a rift between Washington and local government over testing for the virus. “It’s very unfortunate the federal government really has not allowed the local government to step up and do its job. For example, testing. There’s no reason we can’t be testing aggressively. ... I would aggressively pursue that.”

Candidate Xavier Suarez, the former Miami mayor who is the current mayor’s father, had praise for both mayors. “Gimenez actually did pretty well, except for the faux pas about trying to tell the city what to do,” said Suarez, who’s now a county commissioner. “This is a pretty complex topic.”

Monique Barely, a law firm supervisor running her first political campaign in the 2020 mayor race, said the coronavirus requires a practical approach from a mayor.

“I will take the politics out of it,” she said. “I will work closely with the experts.”

This story was originally published March 10, 2020 at 6:00 AM.