Months after arrest of mayor, North Miami Beach sets election to pick a new one
North Miami Beach residents will finally get a chance to elect a new mayor, nearly six months after former mayor Anthony DeFillipo was arrested and suspended from office amid allegations of voter fraud.
Residents will cast ballots for a new mayor during a Dec. 5 special election. Qualifying for the race is from Oct. 16-21, according to the Miami-Dade County elections website. With the mayoral seat vacant, Commissioner Jay Chernoff has been serving as acting mayor.
RELATED: Governor suspends North Miami Beach mayor following arrest on voter fraud charges
Two people — Evan Scott Piper and David Zapen — have already filed paperwork to run for the office. Piper was appointed commissioner in 2018 when Frantz Pierre was removed from office by then Gov. Rick Scott. Piper is president of The Piper Companies, which focus on construction, automotive and marine services, and medical services.
“The city is in a little bit of a difficult time right now. There is a lot of different things that are going on there,” Piper told the Herald. “And I feel that I’m one of the few, if not only person, that has the the background, the skills, the ability, and what it takes to start being effective on day one.”
READ MORE: North Miami Beach mayor arrested on charges related to ‘voting irregularities’
Piper, 59, a professional speaker, was on the city’s planning and zoning board for 25 years and served as chairman. He is currently president of the North Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce.
Zapen, 52, a systems analyst, has not previously held an office and has not served on any boards with the city. He said he’s running “to guarantee basic housing, food and other needs for every citizen and not as a privilege for outsiders with cash.”
Announcement of the special elections comes nearly three months after DeFillipo was arrested at his North Miami Beach condo on allegations he voted outside his registered area three times. The arrest came amid allegations that DeFillipo lives in Davie, which he has repeatedly denied. The North Miami Beach city charter requires elected officials to live in the city.
READ MORE: Embattled North Miami Beach mayor acknowledges he took a seat on Davie homeowners board
Despite filing documents to update his address with the North Miami Beach clerk in 2021, he did not change his address with the Department of Motor Vehicles until December 2022, according to an arrest warrant. Florida law requires a change be made within 30 days. DeFillipo also had not changed his address with the Miami-Dade County Elections Department until after he voted in the elections, according to an arrest warrant.
Three commissioners refused to attend commission meetings in protest of DeFillipo’s purported residency issues, leading to ongoing legal disputes among commissioners. Last week, a judge scheduled a Nov. 13 trial date for the case, two months back from the initial Sept. 5 date, according to online court records.
The mayor’s arrest is among a string of controversies the city has endured for more than a year, which include: the firing of the city manager, the resignation of the city attorney, and the suspension of a commissioner who was later reinstated.
