Once upon a time, the North Miami Beach City Clerk’s Office was unimpeachable.

Throughout the City’s history, the City Clerks took their jobs seriously and were always responsive to the needs of the public.  They were unfailingly diligent in their fulfillment of public records requests, in promoting transparency at City Hall, and more importantly, in their duties as Supervisor of Elections during campaign season.

Even before before the internet was invented, North Miami Beach City Clerks never slacked off from doing their jobs.  Public records requests were taken over the phone or in person, and no request, however big or small, ever went unfulfilled.

Once digital technology became available, North Miami Beach had entered into a new era of even greater transparency, which was greatly welcomed by residents, as well as media.

During election season, in the role of Supervisor of Elections, the City Clerk ran campaign season with the utmost seriousness it warranted in order to ensure a free and fair, and especially a transparent election.

During campaign season, the City Clerk would upload Campaign Treasurer’s Reports to the website as soon as the candidates delivered them to City Hall.  Anyone who filed a report even one day after the report’s due date was put on notice and fined for their tardiness.

I’m old enough to remember when the current City Clerk, Andrise Bernard, started out as a secretary in the Mayor and Council’s office.  In those days, she cared about doing her job meticulously, and she cared equally about the public she served.

Even as she worked her way up the proverbial corporate ladder, Andrise never forgot that she served at the pleasure of the residents, and she enthusiastically performed her duties.

Apparently, that ship has sailed.

Now that Andrise Bernard has finally clawed her way into the position of City Clerk, she has dropped all pretense of giving a damn about the very residents she is supposed to be serving.

For the first time in North Miami Beach election history, the Campaign Treasurer’s Reports are not posted online, and public records requests for those reports are being ignored.

Andrise Bernard has single-handedly and effectively ended all election transparency in North Miami Beach.

As a public service to the residents and media, VotersOpinion is posting the Campaign Treasurer’s Reports that we’ve gathered so far for your review so you can see how much money the candidates are collecting and from whom, as well as how they are spending their contributions.  We will keep updating the link as we receive more reports.

Just don’t ask how we got our hands on these “secret” documents.

Also for the first time in election history, candidates running for office are left adrift at sea without being provided a Campaign Handbook for guidance.  I asked several candidates if they at least received a copy of the 2022 Calendar of Reporting Dates, and they said the hadn’t.

Also a public service to the candidates, VotersOpinion is (as usual) prepared to do the job that the North Miami Beach City Clerk/Supervisor of Elections refuses to do.  Here is the official Calendar of Reporting Dates, which we easily found and downloaded from the Florida Division of Elections website.

Now North Miami Beach candidates have no excuse not to file their Campaign Treasurer’s Reports on time.

Not that any Florida elections laws even matter anymore in North Miami Beach, because ever since an Organized Crime Ring has taken over your City, there are no rules.

Even municipal elections are now lawless.

Case in point:  In the 2020 election, Michael Joseph refused to file his reports on time on multiple occasions.  City Clerk/Supervisor of Elections Andrise Bernard refused to fine him for his late filing until six months after the election.

On May 7, 2021, Andrise finally issued fine letters to Michael totaling $13,350.00, which he is supposed to pay out of his personal (not campaign) funds, per Florida Statute.

Two weeks later on May 28, 2021, Andrise sent Michael a letter “after consultation with the Office of the City Attorney,” and like magic she rescinded the previous letters and waived all fines.

On July 28, 2021, we filed a Complaint against her with the Florida Elections Commission for her dereliction of duty as the Supervisor of Elections.  A year later, the Commission found to be “legally insufficient,” per a letter dated July 25, 2022.

How did that happen?

Because Andrise “acted in reliance on legal advice” from the corrupt City Attorney Hans Ottinot, whose word the Florida Elections Commission took at face value.

Not because he’s competent or ethical (he is neither), but simply because he’s a “lawyer.”

See how that works?

Four corrupt elected officials had enough votes to hire an even more corrupt lawyer to justify and cover up their multiple crimes, which is the only reason Hans was hired in the first place.

The shame of it all is that they have now corrupted the formerly-ethical and law-abiding Andrise Bernard, who is fully aware that if she refuses to do their bidding, they will simply fire her and replace her with a more compliant Clerk who will.

All of which brings us to an even bigger problem that needs to be addressed.

In North Miami Beach, the City Clerk is considered a Charter Officer, which means it is an appointed, not an elected position.

According to Article III, Sec. 3.2 of the City Charter, “The City Commission shall appoint the City Clerk to serve at the pleasure of the City Commission.”

However, Article III, Sec. 2-4.1 of the Charter also states, “The City Clerk shall be the Supervisor of City Elections,” which necessarily creates a conflict of interest during election season when a candidate running for office may become one of her bosses, as in the case of Michael Joseph.

Worse, now that one of the City Clerk’s current bosses, Paule Villard, is running for re-election, Andrise will face an even bigger quandary should she be put in the position of having to implement a fine against Paule for a campaign finance violation.

Will Andrise do the ethical and legal thing and fine that candidate for the violation regardless of incurring the wrath of her boss and possibly jeopardize her job?

Or does she protect her own position by violating Florida Statute 106.07(7)(b), which clearly states, “Upon determining that a report is late, the filing officer shall immediately notify the electioneering communications organization as to the failure to file a report by the designated due date and that a fine is being assessed for each late day. The fine shall be $50 per day for the first 3 days late and, thereafter, $500 per day for each late day, not to exceed 25 percent of the total receipts or expenditures, whichever is greater, for the period covered by the late report. However, for the reports immediately preceding each primary and general election, the fine shall be $500 per day for each late day, not to exceed 25 percent of the total receipts or expenditures, whichever is greater, for the period covered by the late report.”

As you can see in Adrise’s case, she fell on her sword when she arbitrarily waived the legitimate fines that she assessed against Michael Joseph for his late campaign finance reporting.

We predict, she will do the same for Paule this time around.

In her dual role as City Clerk and Supervisor of Elections, Andrise Bernard is supposed to act autonomously.  But, because she answers to the City Commission, who have the power to fire her at will, she has decided to put their demands above the best interests of the residents who actually pay her salary.

Sadly, Andrise Bernard has succumbed to the stench of corruption now permeating City Hall.

Of course, she couldn’t have pulled off this highly unethical “achievement” without help from one of the City Commission’s other Charter Officers — the City Attorney — who also puts the whims of the City Commission above the law.

In turn, Hans’ job is protected by those very same bosses who violate the very same laws an attorney is sworn to uphold.

By virtue of Article III, Sec. 3.3 of the City Charter which states, “The City Commission shall appoint the City Attorney or law firm to serve at the pleasure of the City Commission,” it is in Hans Ottinot’s best interest to help Andrise look the other way when election laws are violated so they both get to keep their jobs.

And that’s how the Circle of Corruption continues unbroken.

Only you can break that vicious cycle by voting responsibly on November 8, 2022, and in every future North Miami Beach municipal election.

As you can clearly see, elections have consequences.

In the meantime, we here at VotersOpinion will not be deterred from our mission to expose public corruption at City Hall.

Because you need to know what your elected officials are desperately keeping you from finding out.

And I will not stop until you know the truth.

No matter how many times they try and shut me up.

Stephanie