When candidates run for office they seek donations for a number of reasons.  Obviously, the most important one is to be able to sell themselves to the public by way of political advertising.  Campaign contributions from individuals and organizations are also public statements of support and endorsement for a particular candidate.

There are some individuals, such as North Miami mayoral candidate Michael Etienne, who refuse donations as a way of showing that they are independent of any outside pressure and that they intend to legislate in the best interests of their constituents and not their donors.  While financing one’s own campaign makes a strong and honorable statement, it’s certainly not practical for most aspiring politicians who don’t have that kind of money to burn.

North Miami Mayor Philippe Bien-Aime, who is personally in debt and facing foreclosure, had no choice but to solicit contributions from as many donors as possible.

As of April 12, 2021, Philippe Bien-Aime received a very generous $124,650.00 in campaign donations from certain individuals who apparently stand to benefit by his re-election.  Let’s take a closer look at those very deep pockets, and what they stand to gain if he wins.

On January 19, 2921, he filed to run for re-election, and by the time he filed his Campaign Treasurer’s Report for the period ending January 31, 2021, Philippe had raised $60,650.00 in contributions.  He also reported a personal loan to his campaign in the amount of $15,000.00, although it’s anyone’s guess where he got that much money.

Within 48 hours of filing, he collected $11,000.00 from individuals related to, and companies owned by, North Miami resident and mega developer James Tate and/or his relatives.  He also received another $15,000.00 from individuals related to, and companies owned by, James Tate’s business partner, Sergio Rok.

Those donations are about to pay off big time today during today’s 2:00 PM Virtual Regular Council Meeting, when the Mayor and Council are expected to vote on TAB E, described as:

A PROPOSED RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORTH MIAMI, FLORIDA, AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER AND THE CITY ATTORNEY TO EXECUTE A LEASE AGREEMENT, IN SUBSTANTIALLY THE ATTACHED FORM, BETWEEN THE CITY OF NORTH MIAMI, AS LANDLORD AND TR NM HOLDINGS, LLC AS TENANT, FOR THE CITY-OWNED PROPERTY LOCATED AT 1810 N.E 146 STREET, SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED WITH FOLIO NUMBERS 06-2221-006-0010 AND 06-2221-006-0020, FOR A TERM OF NINETY-NINE (99) YEARS; PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE AND ALL OTHER PURPOSES.

According to the proposed Lease for a 63,325 square foot City-owned vacant lot, the Developers will pay to the City of North Miami an annual rental payment of $100,000., which does not have to paid for a period of up to 24 months after the Lease is executed (the “Effective Date”).

The developer also has the option to purchase the property beginning on “the first (1st) day of the 11th Lease Year,” at a reduced rate of “ninety percent (90%) of the appraised value of the Premises as of the Effective Date.

According to the 2020 Trim Notice issued by the Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser’s Office, the property currently has a market value of $1,324,340.

The Lease, however, states that the property currently appraised for $3,740,000, and sources have told us that the City has received purchase offers upwards of $5 million.

This deal, spelled out in the South Florida Business Journal, is certainly an excellent one … for the developers.

Not so much for the City of North Miami, which is desperate need of revenue in order to avoid another fiscal year ending deficit.

According to North Miami’s OpenGov Financial Transparency Portal, as of today the City is in the red for $10,764,402.

The 99-year lease is a boon for the developer, who will be able to develop an income-producing property without having the burden of paying real estate taxes, since City-owned property is exempt.

The opposite is true for North Miami taxpayers, who would stand to benefit by an outright sale to a developer, which would then result in additional ad valorem revenue for the City.  It would make much more sense for the City to outright sell the property rather than to wait 13 years until 2033 years to realize just the the 2020 market value alone.  By that time, the property will most likely triple in value.

The Tate and Rok developers aren’t Philippe Bien-Aime’s only big development campaign donors, which collectively have financed more than one quarter of his campaign war chest so far.

According to his Campaign Treasurer’s Report for the period ending February 28, 2021, Philippe collected a total of $6,000.00 from companies belonging to controversial developer, Yoram Izhak, whose business is located in North Miami, and who is a convicted felon with ties to shady characters and even shadier business dealings.

We don’t know if Izhak has any deals pending in the City at the moment, but he’s already secured Philippe’s future vote should one come down the pike.

It should be noted that we have nothing but admiration and the utmost respect for the Tate and Rok families.  Their respective contributions to the success of the Greater Miami commerce, business, banking, and development industries is unparalleled.  We certainly have nothing against amassing wealth and living the American Dream by working hard and negotiating great business deals.

We do, however, have a problem with politicians whose vote can be bought and who will be more concerned with their donors than the people they were elected to serve.

Judging by his shady record on the dais, first as a Councilman and then as Mayor, not to mention his questionable relationships with certain female employees, Philippe Bien-Aime has already proven he is not a true public servant in any sense of the word.

Fortunately, North Miami residents, who want the corruption to stop, have an option on May 11, 2021 to vote Philippe Bien-Aime out of office.

Michael Etienne, who has been endorsed by VotersOpinion, has an excellent plan to fix the many problems at City Hall, most of which were created by the current regime.  Stay tuned for more details.

If you don’t like the direction North Miami is headed, and you want real change at City Hall from the top down, please vote for Michael Etienne on May 11th.

North Miami residents deserve better.

Stephanie